Adelaide philanthropist Geraldine Cox finds successor for Cambodian orphanage

Before Geraldine Cox gave up her life in Australia to care for hundreds of children in Cambodia, she was living “a hedonistic, materialistic life in Sydney”.

The Sydney-based go-getter turned philanthropist said while she was on a mission to save orphans, they had actually saved her.

“I didn’t save the kids, they saved me, my life is so full of joy and love every day,” Ms Cox said.

“I had catered for dinner parties, expensive jewellery, first-class flights.

“I never gave to the Red Cross or Salvation Army, everything was about me.

“It wasn’t until I saw the plight of children – it was like a bullet to the head.”

Now aged 77, Ms Cox – known as ‘big mum’ – is about to hand over the reins of her orphanage and welfare empire in Cambodia.

Challenging times 

She first visited Cambodia in the 1970s at the very beginning of the Vietnam War and was overwhelmed by the number of disadvantaged children.

Soon after she found out she could not conceive children, she returned to Cambodia to help as a volunteer in a children’s orphanage in the mid-1990s.

The centre, run by the royal family, was plunged into uncertainty after a bloody coup in 1997.

Ms Cox found herself looking after the orphanage alone and on the wrong side of a highly volatile political war.

The royals notified her in 1998 that they were closing the orphanage and she was left with 60 orphaned children, but nowhere to go or funds to look after them.

“The military overthrew the royal family, I was working for the royals at the time, so my life was really in danger,” Ms Cox said.

But she witnessed the inhumane treatment of orphaned children and turned to Prime Minister Hun Sen for help.

He offered her Cambodian citizenship as well as 10 hectares of land and buildings rent-free for 50 years, on which to establish a new orphanage.

Rescued children

After her first trip to Cambodia, suddenly a glamorous western lifestyle didn’t matter anymore.

Ms Cox said that Sunrise Cambodia gave orphaned children the security and love they had never experienced from a family.

“It’s home for them, it’s not an institution, and I’m proud of that,” Ms Cox said.

“We house them, we feed them, we clothe them, they go to the government school.

“When the kids are 18, if they pass Year 12 we get them scholarships at local universities.

“At the moment, I’ve got 40 kids in town studying medicine, civil engineering, law, international affairs, social affairs, management, education, banking, IT.”

On Sundays the orphanage opens back up for those to return.

“It’s wonderful to see these kids when they’re 18, mostly come back,” Ms Cox said.

“When they marry, we give them $200 from Sunrise and $100 personally from me for the reception.”

‘Big mums’ big handover

After an extensive search, Ms Cox has found a replacement to take over.

“I’ve been looking for someone to replace to me for like 10 years and I haven’t been able to find someone who would like to live in rural Cambodia and do what I’m doing,” she said.

ABC Asia Pacific journalist Tracey Shelton will take over after years of volunteering at the orphanage.

“Tracey Shelton has a career as being a well-acclaimed war correspondent” Ms Cox said.

“I can rest easy at night now knowing that if something happens to me, she’ll be there.”

Shelton has volunteered for Sunrise Cambodia since 1998, but was shocked when Ms Cox offered her the opportunity of a lifetime.

“I thought I would be a journalist until the day I died, but Geraldine actually approached me a year ago,” Ms Shelton said.

“I was thrilled, I’ve been involved with Sunrise for more than 20 years now.

“It’s a lot of kids to be responsible for, but I understand what they need.”

Ms Cox will take a step back, while her replacement settles in and sets things up how she would like.

“When Tracey rocks up next year, I will go take my dogs to an island,” Ms Cox.

“I will have to learn to shut up.

“Tracey knows I’ll do my best and I wouldn’t give her any advice unless she asks for it.”

But the orphanage is set to be put in safe hands.

“I’m very different to Geraldine, which was quite daunting at first,” Ms Shelton said.

“She’s very well-known, she’s great at public speaking.

“I did think, ‘wow we are so different’.

“But I realised after spending time with her, this is a really good thing.

“We bounce ideas off each other.”

Work still to be done

Both Geraldine Cox and Tracey Shelton agreed the work was far from over – there’s as much work to do as 27 years ago.

The orphanage’s main focus is to rescue kids from a brick factory. 

Ms Cox said there are around 60 kids forced to work slave labour.

“Police raided a couple of months, and found kids as young as four, loading bricks for 10 hours a day for food,” said Ms Cox.

“They brought nine of the kids to us.”

“Some of them were aged 10 and had never been to school.”

Ms Cox said it was impossible to take all children out of poverty, but every child saved was a life changed.

“I couldn’t take anymore because I couldn’t feed them,” she said. 

“They’ve only ever known hardships, cruelty.

“I say to them, ‘darling the worst is over, everything from now on is going to be alright’.”