“I still remember the moment my life changed forever.”
That’s how Tracey Everingham-Armstrong recalls the horrific accident that catapulted her into a lifetime of community fundraising.
Today, people in Ballina know her as the powerhouse behind Melbourne Cup luncheons, charity balls, and mystery bus tours. But it all began in tragedy.
In 1984, Tracey’s 22-month-old son, Luke, suffered life-threatening burns in a freak petrol explosion.
The memory remains vivid. Luke, a curious toddler, picked up a plastic milk container filled with petrol. “He poured it all over himself, and it ran into the laundry, where there was an old water heater without a cover. The petrol hit the heater and exploded.”
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Luke was engulfed in flames. “He suffered third-degree burns to 70 percent of his body,” she says. “We were airlifted from Lismore. Luke was the first baby ever flown on the then – new Westpac Rescue Helicopter. He was taken to the Royal Children’s Hospital in Brisbane where we began the fight for his life.”
Tracey stopped counting after Luke’s 50th time in surgery. The hospital became their second home.
“I was up and down to the burns unit for a decade, pretty much. His doctors were incredible. One of them was Dr Charlie Teo, before he became a world-famous brain surgeon. He was a burns specialist back then. Along with Dr Frederick Leditschke and Dr Stuart Pegg, they saved Luke’s life.”
Finding Purpose Through Pain
The ordeal shattered Tracey’s world but also planted the seed for her life’s work.
“I’d been thrown into this world of disability and disadvantage. When it was all over, or at least manageable, I couldn’t just walk away from that.”
She retrained, first in welfare, then later in nursing. “I started working at the North Coast Children’s Home as a caseworker, supporting kids who had survived sexual abuse. Later, I became a support worker.”
Along the way, she also worked as a fashion stylist. It was during this period that she realised she had a gift for bringing people together and raising money.
“I started small. Early Melbourne Cup Day lunches in 1999 at Fleurs in Ballina. Then I moved to the Henry Rous Tavern. I was working behind the bar on Friday nights, pouring beers and raising money.”
Turning Small Events Into Big Impact
Over time, her events grew. The Melbourne Cup luncheons became famous, especially after moving to Beef & Beach in Lennox Head.
“At the height of it, I was getting 230 guests. We had fashion parades, live music, and raised tens of thousands.”
To date, Tracey has raised over half a million dollars for local causes – more than $505,000 by her latest count. (“I have receipts and statements for everything. I’ve always kept it transparent.”)
Her favourite cause has always been close to her heart: helping kids with disabilities.
“I saw the gaps in our community. I’d go to the park with my kids, and one would be playing while the other, in a wheelchair, just sat there watching. That’s what drove me.”
One of her proudest achievements is the Liberty Swing she funded in Missingham Park. “It was $30,000. I remember a boy named Luke — not my son, another Luke — he’d never been on a swing in his life. The photo of him on that swing… his face… it brings tears every time.”
She also raised $35,000 for an all-inclusive carousel for kids with disabilities at Ross Park in Lennox Head.
Then came the disability access buses. “I raised $64,000 for one at Southern Cross High, then $68,000 for one in Biala. Each time, the school matched part of the cost, and Variety, the children’s charity, contributed the rest.”
In 2003, she was officially recognised as a Function and Fundraising Coordinator for Variety.
“I had to stay focused. Once word got out that I was raising money, everyone wanted help. You can’t say yes to everyone or you lose your impact. So I stuck with helping kids and adults with disabilities.”
Her projects have always been practical. She raised $20,000 for a mobility mat that allows wheelchair users to access the beach – a simple luxury many had never experienced.
Recognising the daily challenges faced by carers and support workers, she secured funding for two patient lifters to assist with toileting and pool access at Biala Special School. Over the years, her efforts have contributed more than $180,000 to Biala through various events and initiatives.
In 2011, when the Lennox Head Bowls Club faced liquidation, she took on a rare cause outside the disability sector.
“I wasn’t sure – that’s not what I usually do. But they asked me, and I said yes. I put on a masquerade ball and raised $17,200 to help reopen the doors. It wasn’t enough in the end, but I tried. That was one of the hardest events I’ve ever done. I’ve found people are less willing to pay when it’s not for a disability cause.”
Recognition, Reflection and What Comes Next
Although she’s very humble and admits she’d prefer to to keep a low profile, Tracey’s impact has not gone unnoticed.
She’s been a finalist in the Ballina Shire Citizen of the Year Awards six times, taking out the top honour in 2014. Then in 2021, during a difficult chapter of her life – after ten surgeries in two years and ongoing illness – a letter from the NSW Parliament arrived.
“It was a Community Recognition Statement from the Legislative Assembly. I cried when I opened it. It was just after COVID hit. That letter lifted me in a way nothing else could.”
Her office wall is a gallery of plaques, certificates, and framed memories. One reads simply: Thank You for Making a Difference.
“That’s the name of my support work business – Making a Difference. Because that’s what I’m here to do.”
Tracey officially retired in 2021 but was coaxed back in 2023 to run another Melbourne Cup event.
“That one had 165 people. I organised it all through private Messenger. No Facebook pages — just individual messages. That’s how I do it. Old school. It’s a lot of pressure. I have to get all the money upfront. I don’t sleep for weeks beforehand.”
She knows her limits now. Including the decision not to run a Melbourne Cup event this year. It’s allowing more time for other passions, especially singing and songwriting. She even has an album on Spotify, appropriately titled, “Flying High”.
“The album may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I loved writing the songs and recording the music. I won three awards at last year’s Tamworth Songwriters Competition. The musos find it amazing how I do it all in my head – I can’t play a musical instrument.”
She’s proud to have raised $22,000 for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter over the past three years – still giving back to the organisation that helped save her son’s life.
When asked if she’s truly done with big events, she laughs.
“If something comes up and I feel I can make a real difference, I’ll say yes. I always do. But now, I’m more selective. I want to keep my heart in it.”
Tracey Everingham-Armstrong may have hung up her Melbourne Cup fascinator for now, but the legacy she’s built, and the lives she’s changed, will long outlast any race-day celebration.
And if Ballina ever needs her again, don’t be surprised if she answers the call.
Main photo: Tracey receives her Citizen of the Year Award for 2014 from the late George Negus and former Mayor David Wright
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