At St Margaret’s 1931–1935
B.1919 – D.2014
After graduating from St Margaret’s, June McIntyre (nee Archer) spent time studying in England before returning to Brisbane. She and her husband Peter established the first riding school for people with disabilities in Australia.
Founded in 1964, the couple ran lessons from their family home in Kenmore using their own two ponies. Children from the Montrose Home for Crippled Children and Harold Crawford House were among the first to participate in their riding classes.
In 1968, Pony Riding for the Disabled Association was formed. By then, June and Peter’s program had outgrown its home on the family property and a new facility was constructed and opened at nearby Pinjarra Hills in 1973.
June and Peter travelled around Australia assisting in the establishment of similar riding programs around the country. They also extensively lobbied and successfully gained government funding to assist the programs.
Today the McIntyre Centre, named in honour of its founders, fulfils June and Peter’s legacy providing equine therapy for people with a disability and supports close to 400 young people each year including children from special schools in and around Brisbane.
June was recognised in 1976 with a British Empire Medal (BEM) for her work in establishing Riding for the Disabled programs in Australia.
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