Graham Toulmin

Graham Adrian Toulmin, AM FICD (born 31 March 1948) is a dentist and musician, notable for his fundraising and dental philanthropy for the Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2009, Dr Toulmin was made a member of the Order of Australia.

Life and work in Zaïre: 1987-1991

Dr Toulmin trained as a missionary in 1985, and in 1987 moved with his family to the Democratic Republic of the Congo with the Church Missionary Society where he and his wife established a small dental clinic in Butembo. He travelled to outlying villages offering dental services and commenced training nurses in dental procedures; these nurse eventually took over the work from him.[1] After being evacuated twice because of instability in the eastern regions of Zaire, Dr Toulmin and his family returned to Australia in 1991.

Toulmin's inspiring story of the journey that led to this family of six leaving Australia and arriving in the bustling African town of Butembo in the mountainous region of eastern Zaïre is described in his autobiography Long Road to Zaire.[2]

Fundraising and advocacy 1992-present

After returning to Australia in 1991, Dr Toulmin began to raise funds and awareness for the war plagued country of Zaire. An accomplished trumpet player, Dr Toulmin founded an organisation with his wife Wendy Toulmin called, ‘Brass for Africa’ (money for Africa) which over the next 14 years built a maternity clinic, established another dental clinic in Aru (some 600 km to the north of the original clinic), provided care and support for 34 Anglican clergy, helped build schools, supported AIDS orphans, and provided food and medical supplies for the increasing number of refugees fleeing the civil war. They accomplished this by making CDs,[3] giving Jazz concerts and sponsoring Congolese nationals to visit Australia to make more widely known the plight of the Congolese people. Over 20,000 CDs were sold, and the entrepreneurial work still continued for many years even though ‘Brass for Africa’ wound down in 2007 and administration was transferred to an arm of Anglican Churches Springwood (NSW).[1]

Dr Toulmin has led teams of dental students on fact finding trips to DRC in 2009, 2010, 2011[4] and 2012.[5] Dr Toulmin continues to work with Anglican Aid and other agencies, to secure funding and provide support to the DRC[6]

In 2015 Graham and Wendy Toulmin returned to Aru in the north east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Graham is the Director of Dental Training at the Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales (ISTM)[7]

Order of Australia

Graham Toulmin and his wife Wendy Toulmin were made members of the Order of Australia in the 2009 Australia Day Honours.[1][8][9]

Music

Toulmin has played trumpet for over 50 years. He performs improvised jazz and plays with his local band and orchestra.[10]

Published works
  • Long road to Zaïre (2022, Ark House; ISBN 9780645286090 )

References
  1. "Australia Day 2009 Honours List, member (AM) in the general division of the order of Australia" (PDF). The Australian Honours Secretariat. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  2. Toulmin, Graham (2022). Long Road to Zaïre. Ark House. ISBN 9780645286090.
  3. "Dental as Anything". Blue Mountains Gazette. 16 June 2004. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  4. Cleggett, Michael (29 July 2011). "Springwood dentist brings a smile to Africa". Blue Mountains Gazette. Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  5. CLEGGETT, MICHAEL (4 April 2012). "Graham gets his teeth into African project". Blue Mountains Gazette. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  6. "Mission to save the world". Blue Mountains Gazette. 25 September 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  7. "Graham and Wendy Toulmin". Church Missionary Society Australia. Archived from the original on 21 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  8. "Award Extract Australian Honours Search Facility". Australian Government Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  9. Matheson, Melissa (27 January 2009). "Homegrown Heroes". Penrith Press. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  10. "Band turns brass into gold". Sydney Anglicans. 8 February 2005. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
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