Julie Babineau, the 451st person I’ve met on my quest to have lunch with 500 strangers, grew up in cold Canada, so it’s no wonder she appreciated the weather and lifestyle of sunny Sydney when she moved to Australia in 1996 as part of an executive interchange program.

Julie returned to Canada in 1998 when her secondment ended, but then moved back to Sydney in mid-2000 so she could work in a role connected to the Olympics, which were held in September of that year. A quarter of a century later, Julie still remembers the Olympics as one of the most fun and exciting times of her life.

After the Olympics were over, Julie decided to stay in Sydney, initially for one year … and then another year … and then another … before eventually realising she’d found her new home. As she told her Canadian friends, there was something special about living in a place where you could run in shorts 12 months a year.

Julie had worked in health and social services in Canada, initially as a field worker and then at executive level. In 2002, she began a 14-year stint at NSW Justice Health & Forensic Mental Health Network. 

This organisation – where Julie later became CEO – is responsible for managing the state’s prison hospital and forensic hospital (secure facilities for people not guilty for reason of mental illness). It can be a tough place to work, Julie says, due to the bureaucratic challenges you face and the many sad stories you hear. It can also be psychologically hard to help people who may have experienced great trauma in their lives, but who may also have committed horrific crimes. At the same time, it can be very rewarding to help people who are often in desperate need of assistance.

Before Julie transitioned out of full-time employment, she wanted to work for a not-for-profit organisation. Her final full-time role was CEO of Odyssey House NSW, which provides rehabilitation services to address harms associated with alcohol and other drug use. Again, Julie says, the work was both confronting and uplifting.

These days, Julie does advisory and volunteer work on a part-time basis. That leaves her more time to entertain friends and family from Canada, to travel and to trek. Over the years, Julie has climbed Mt Kilimanjaro, walked the Kokoda Track and completed numerous Camino de Santiago pilgrimage walks in Spain.