Kent's wife told him to keep busy. He went on to help 1000 people

Kent Brown's wife told him he shouldn't hang around home doing nothing when he retired in 2009.

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Neither of them could imagine what he would achieve in the next 17 years.

Mr Brown has since helped more than 1000 people settle in Australia through his volunteer work, including many fleeing wars and armed rebellions.

Mr Brown said the biggest turnarounds involved refugees who had come from very difficult circumstances. Picture by Keegan Carroll

He helped file the visa papers for a nun from Erbil, Iraq, to visit her sister in Australia one last time before she died.

He has helped settle a growing number of Central Americans fleeing gang violence.

And Mr Brown - now in his 80s - is an honorary member of the Karen community from south-east Asia, thanks to his work with a handful of families.

"I don't know how I survived at work - retirement is busy," Mr Brown said. "But it's enjoyable.

"Back in 2009, my wife saw a notice inside The Canberra Times saying Migrant and Refugee Settlement Services (MARSS) are looking for volunteers.

"I took up a job teaching English to refugees.

"My first client was Afghani; I helped her with English and the kids at school.

"They asked if I'd like to do some work at MARSS in the city; they gave me an office, a computer, and help from reception."

Mr Brown packs his volunteering work into one day a week, around other hobbies like racing vintage cars. Picture by Keegan Carroll

Mr Brown won the 2025 VolunteeringACT inclusion award for his work with migrants and refugees, but he says it's rewarding enough to see people get an outcome.

"The biggest turnarounds are all refugees that have come here from very difficult circumstances," he said.

"I started helping one man from the Karen community in 2009, teaching him English.

"He had lost both his parents.

"He lived in the mountains before the military moved in, had never gone to school, and he escaped across the river to Thailand.

"He's now a pastor here, and has children in work."

That man is Than Soe, who says Mr Brown was like a parent to him when he first arrived.

"Our children were very small when we came here; Kent helped us with their school, he helped us complete forms," Mr Soe said.

"(Later on), he helped my boys get a mechanic apprenticeship.

"Someone who didn't know me, had never seen me, came to help me; that made me think 'people here are good and beautiful'."

The pair still catch up most weeks, and Mr Brown often gets an invitation to Karen community events.

"My wife and I are travellers: I find it fascinating to talk to people from different countries, to learn about their country, their culture, their way of live.

"And I've had the opportunity to visit a lot of the places our clients come from."

Mr Brown packs his volunteering work into one day a week, around other hobbies like racing vintage cars.

"I studied mechanical engineering at university, then went into the public service," he said.

"I ended up being a regional secretary for the Department of Defence in South Australia, then worked for defence here in the ACT.

"I left in 1997 or 1998 to work for a statutory authority as a business manager.

"I've always enjoyed helping people and solving problems - the years I spent in the public service helped."

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