AA National Convention Brings Connection and Gratitude to the Gold Coast
Alcoholics Anonymous
Almost 2,000 people from all over the world made their way to the Gold Coast for the 60th National Convention of Alcoholics Anonymous , held from May 1-4.
The Convention’s theme was “Steps to Recovery” and it brought together AA members, supporters, healthcare professionals, and members of the public to share. The four-day event featured meetings, workshops, fellowship activities, entertainment and keynote speakers from Australia and overseas.
For many attendees the convention was both deeply moving and profoundly uplifting.
Tim, who has been sober since 2003, was one of the attendees who really made the most of it - joining meetings and workshops, reconnecting with old friends and just enjoying the experience. He described the overall vibe as one of shared joy and gratitude, with people from every possible background coming together. As he put it, there was a real awareness that if we’d been born in a different time, AA might not have existed at all. “We’ve been given an amazing second chance at life,” he said.
Tim also reflected on how different things feel compared to his past. “When I was drinking, my family and friends were always worried - would I go too far, would I show up, how would I behave?” he said. Now, he often finds himself being the person others turn to. “These days, I get to be a sounding board and confidante for those same family and friends. They know I’m measured and reliable and that I can keep a confidence.”
He asked that only his first name be used, explaining how important anonymity is in AA. It makes it so much easier to reach out,” he said. “It means I can focus on recovery in my own time and in my own way. That principle has been really important for a lot of people, including me.”
Rochelle Davenport, a non-alcoholic AA Board Trustee who supports the organisation and helps represent it publicly, also attended as a guest panel member at the convention.
“The energy and connection just felt natural and easy,” she said. “It was really uplifting to be part of.”
Even though she doesn’t personally struggle with alcohol, Rochelle has seen firsthand how much AA can change lives through the experiences of friends and loved ones. That’s what inspired her to get involved more formally by joining the AA Board as a “friend of AA”.
Over the years, some people have criticised AA as being too religious, but Rochelle doesn’t see it that way. “It’s not a religious program,” she said. “It is a spiritual program, open to people from all religious faiths, or from no faith at all. Many agnostic and atheists have found recovery in AA. And because AA has no dues for membership, it’s something that’s accessible to people from all walks of life.
AA itself began in 1935 in the United States, when two chronic alcoholics realised they could stay sober by supporting each other - and by helping others do the same.
With around 2,000 weekly meetings across Australia, AA remains a free and independent fellowship open to anyone with a desire to stop drinking. AA remains self-supporting through member contributions and is not allied with any denomination, sect, political party or institution.
Convention organisers said the Gold Coast event continued AA’s 80-year tradition in Australia of carrying the message of recovery to alcoholics who still suffer.
About us:
About Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of people who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking.
Convention Website:
AA National Convention 2026
AA Website: https://aa.org.au/
Contact details:
Media Contact:
Marg — Public Information Enquiries
0434 614 702
[email protected]