Neighbour Day was founded in Melbourne, Australia in March 2003 by Andrew Heslop after the remains of an elderly woman were found inside her suburban home.

 

Mrs Elsie Brown had been dead for two years - forgotten by neighbours, friends and family.

 

When her water account had gone unpaid for two years the local water retailer contacted one of Mrs Brown's neighbours who notified Victorian Police. When they broke in to her home they found her skeletal remains still wrapped in a blanket on her sofa.

 

Remarkably the gas, electricity, telephone and water remained connected.

 

While Andrew did not know Mrs Brown he was appalled by the apparent ease in which the world left her behind. Neighbours had watched piles of mail, store catalogues and newspapers build up at her front door but they did nothing.

Widespread local and national media interest followed and it was this coverage that prompted Andrew to suggest a ‘National Check on Your Neighbour Day’ in a Letter to the Editor of The Age, published on 17th March 2003.  

 

In developing his proposal Andrew was inspired by his own neighbour - 83 year old Clive Tayler of Albert Park. An active resident in the street Clive mowed the nature strips of his neighbours, picked up the rubbish and recycling bins on Monday mornings, mended loose gate and fence pickets and took care of odd jobs that needed to be done.

 

Always good humoured, gentle and kind Clive was was never intrusive, proving that you can be a great neighbour without actually becoming intimately involved in other people's lives. Clive Tayler died peacefully at the age of 91 in November 2007, survived by his partner of 15 years Joan Nicholas.

 

Andrew's concept was refined, renamed and on Sunday 30^th March 2003 the first Neighbour Day was observed.

 

It generated surprisingly widespread media coverage and support, primarily because of the simplicity of the idea and the ease with which Australians everywhere could take part.

 

Importantly it also brought to prominence a major issue faced every day by senior Australians.

 

Sadly the tragedy of Elsie Brown’s death was not a one-off.

 

In August 2003 a 91-year-old Melbourne woman was also discovered dead in her home. Her 67 year old son and carer had died of natural causes three weeks earlier and unable to raise the alarm she too passed away.

 

The deaths of isolated senior Australians made headlines again on 6^th March 2006 when an 86 year old Sydney woman was found dead in her unit, months after her death.

 

However it was a two week period across February that year when six other people were found dead in similar circumstances that really shocked Australia. A few months later in the regional city of Orange an elderly woman died from complications after she returned home from buying her groceries, fell and was not discovered for days.

 

In April 2006 at the Hornsey Coroner’s Court, London the Deputy Coroner Andrew Walker recorded an open finding at the inquest into the death of 40 year old Ms Joyce Vincent of Wood Green. Police broke into her flat in January where they found the television and heating on and the body of Ms Vincent in the living room.

 

Ms Vincent’s body was so badly decomposed dental records had to be compared with a holiday photograph. She had been dead since December 2003. The Metropolitan Housing Trust reportedly took action only when rent became thousands of pounds in arrears.

 

“It doesn’t take much effort, but a simple visit to an elderly neighbour or someone who lives alone can provide a much-needed link for them to the outside world,” Neighbour Day founder Andrew Heslop said.

 

 

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