It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Phil Carswell, a veteran AIDS fighter and a pioneer in the LGBTQIA+ activist community in Australia. Having reached the age of 70, the educator, activist, and former President of the Victorian AIDS Council passed away in a calm and serene manner at his residence in Brisbane. Ian, Phil’s husband, and a tremendous legacy of his involvement and dedication to our community are among the things that Phil leaves behind.
Phil Carswell has lived a fantastic life, providing the LGBTQIA+ community with numerous years of his time over the course of his life. As Phil campaigned for awareness and support during the peak of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, he rallied those around him to support his cause. This was the beginning of a significant portion of his activism activities. In an interview with the Star Observer in the year 2023, Phil recalled the initial community gatherings that took place as the situation was developing. Just now, I was looking out the window and seeing a lot of talented people.
“He stated that there were individuals who possessed a wide variety of professional qualifications.” According to his recollection, “What we had in that room was talent, as well as people whose talent could be turned and mobilized into doing something serious and profound…who willingly gave their time and talent to the organization.” In 1983, he was appointed to the position of convenor of the Victorian AIDS Action Committee. The following year, he was elected to the position of inaugural President of the Provincial AIDS Council.
“Despite the heavy burden of grief he carried as many of his closest friends died, he led our community through the darkest days of the AIDS epidemic with unflagging energy and optimism,” his buddy Adam recounted on Facebook. “He led our community through the darkest days of the epidemic.” Eventually, Phil became the first openly homosexual man to be hired by the Victorian Health Department to work on AIDS prevention. He was the first person to do so. After that, he relocated to Queensland, where he went on to spend more than twenty years working for Queensland Health.
Because of his hard work and commitment, he was presented with the Order of Australia in the year 2015. After the news broke earlier today, members of the LGBTQIA+ community took to social media to express respects to the activist who had passed away and the noteworthy work he had done. Before he turned 30, Phil was a committed educator, a union organizer, a journalist, a socialist, and a homosexual liberationist, to name just a few of his many accomplishments, according to a close friend of his.
They proceeded by saying, “He was widely admired for his boundless energy and enthusiasm, his ability to work with people of all backgrounds and all views, as well as for his political and organizational skills.” In order to pay tribute to his friend, Peter Black, who had previously served as the President of the Brisbane Pride Festival and was also an activist, went to social media. According to what he stated, “Phil led an extraordinary life and made a remarkable contribution that improved the lives of so many people in our diverse communities.
” Phillip’s life was truly outstanding. He fought and advocated till the very last, and his devoted husband Ian will miss him tremendously. He was a fighter and a campaigner until the very end. This afternoon, Thorne Harbour Health, which was once known as the Victorian AIDS council, also released their own homage regarding the deceased. “The news that our Founding President Phil Carswell OAM has passed away this morning has left us in a state of shock and devastation,” they explained in their letter.
It is impossible to exaggerate the significance of Phil’s exemplary leadership and unyielding dedication to the fight against HIV and AIDS in Australia, as well as to the rights and well-being of our LGBTIQ+ communities in general. Today, we said goodbye to a living legend.
