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On any given day, the laughter of children fills the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵapp of ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵapp’s (UOW) Discovery Space, as both children and their adults immerse themselves in the wonder and creativity of play. It is a unique place where imagination comes to life and research shapes the future of young minds.

More than a million people have passed through the Discovery Space’s doors in the past decade, an extraordinary legacy made possible by the vision and generosity of Christopher Abbott AM and his wife Barbara.

A gift with lasting impact

Around 13 years ago, the Abbotts made a landmark $7 million donation to UOW with a singular goal: to change the lives of children by giving them the best possible start in life. Their gift, the largest private philanthropic donation in UOW’s history, created the foundation for Early Start, Australia’s first initiative to combine research, education, and community engagement in childhood development.

Barbara Abbott, Joe English, Professor Lisa Kervin and Christopher Abbott at Early Start Discovery Space's 10th anniversary celebration this year. Photo: Michael Gray

Their generosity was built on the notion that prevention is better than a cure, that providing children with the right foundation will give them the resilience, empathy, and skills they need to thrive and to navigate life’s challenges.

The spark of an idea

Mr Abbott’s interest in childhood development began long before UOW came into the picture. As a co-founder of the investment fund Maple-Brown Abbott and with strong links to the biotech industry, he had a keen eye for evidence-based investments in people and ideas.

A chance conversation more than 20 years ago with Australian neuroscientist Professor Max Bennett deepened that interest.

“When Max told me that a four-year-old child is making a million synaptic connections per second, I was really impressed,” Mr Abbott says. “It emphasised the importance of influencing what four-year-olds were exposed to and it made me think that it was time to encourage the five Cs – creativity, curiosity, confidence, collaboration, and the ‘can-do’ attitude.

“With that perspective, money used on prevention is much better spent than money on a cure.”

Christopher Abbott at the launch of the Early Start Discovery Space in 2015. Photo: Paul Jones

The Abbotts had big dreams: they envisioned creating a children’s discovery space that would engage both children and adults in the wonder of learning and advocate for the importance of play. The idea took shape after visiting similar spaces overseas, but the question remained: where could their vision find a home in Australia?

Finding the right home

The answer was right in their own backyard. Long-time visitors to the South Coast the Abbotts often drove past UOW on their way to and from their Jamberoo weekender. Eventually, Mr Abbott reached out for a meeting with then Vice-Chancellor Professor Gerard Sutton and then Dean of the Faculty of Education Professor Paul Chandler.

The UOW leaders had been grappling with how to strengthen research and outreach in early childhood education. Their ambitions aligned perfectly with the Abbotts’ vision. From the very first meeting, there was a shared determination to create something unprecedented, a purpose-built research and play space that would enrich the lives of children and their families, not just in ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵapp, but across regional and disadvantaged communities around Australia.

Building Early Start

In 2012, that shared vision became a reality when UOW received a $31 million grant from the Federal Government to establish the Early Start Facility. The Abbott Foundation’s $7 million donation would fund the centrepiece of this groundbreaking initiative - the , a state-of-the-art, not-for-profit place for children, underpinned by research, which would be unlike anything else in the world.

Christopher Abbott cuts the ribbon at the opening of Early Start in 2015. Photo: Paul Jones

Since opening in 2015, Early Start has combined world-class research, innovative teaching, and community partnerships to transform early childhood outcomes. Basing it in ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵapp, outside the major cities, was a deliberate choice by the Abbotts. It allowed children from regional areas - those who may not otherwise have access to the same cultural, educational, and scientific resources - to engage with ideas that inspire curiosity and wonder.

A decade of transformation

This year, Early Start marked its 10th anniversary. More than one million people have passed through Discovery Space, a milestone that was celebrated in 2024, with each visit furthering the Abbotts’ vision of improving futures through play, community, and research. Its reputation now extends nationally, recognised as a driver of innovation in early childhood education.

, Director of Research at Early Start, has been part of the journey from the very beginning.

“We know that high-quality experiences in early childhood support diverse needs and improve long-term outcomes for children. Early Start has earned the respect of communities, professionals, peak bodies, and government agencies for its work around children, their adults, and the systems they live within. It has become a driver of positive, evidence-based change,” she says.

Professor Lisa Kervin AM, Professor Paul Chandler, Christopher Abbott, UOW Vice-Chancellor Professor Max Lu AM, and Joe English at Early Start's 10th anniversary celebration. Photo: Michael Gray

Joe English, Manager of Early Start Operations, sees this vision of Early Start daily through the conversations with those who walk the hallways of the building.

"Early Start's impact is multifaceted; it's on children and their adults who participate In the research informed programs co-designed with academics and professional staff, the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵapp students - in social work, education, public health and psychology - who have immersions across our operations, and the community organisations we work in partnership with to address their needs and the needs of the families they serve", he says.

Carrying the vision forward

For Christopher and Barbara Abbott, their donation was not a one-off act of goodwill, but the beginning of a partnership. They continue to stay close to the Early Start team, catching up regularly with researchers to hear about new discoveries, finding new ways to strengthen its reach and impact, and watching children experience the joy of learning through play within the Discovery Space.

Joe English, Christopher Abbott, and Professor Lisa Kervin with Addison Micallef and her mother, Rachel Micallef, who were the one millionth visitors to the Discovery Space in 2024. Photo: Michael Gray

As Early Start celebrates 10 years, in the same year UOW marks its 50th anniversary, the Abbotts’ generosity highlights the profound impact that philanthropy can have when paired with vision and partnership.

What they created at UOW is not just a building, nor a program; it is a legacy that will span generations and a testament to their belief that every child deserves the best possible start in life.