Expression Audiology announced its audiology clinics will expand interstate at its recent 50th anniversary celebrations in Melbourne.
Former and current staff, family members, current board members of Expression Australia and others from the hearing care sector attended the golden jubilee event at the organisation’s Collingwood headquarters on 15 October 2025.
Attendees reflected on Expression Audiology’s five decades of service to the Deaf community and celebrated those who shaped its story including its founders.
Today Expression Australia has audiology clinics in Collingwood, Oakleigh, Geelong and Frankston.
Audiologist Ms Jenna Turner, Expression Audiology’s audiology manager, said exciting plans included expanding clinics interstate starting with Fremantle , WA. Continuing to champion value and accessibility and focusing on independent and values driven growth was needed to expand its national footprint, she said.
“Funds raised in a raffle at the event will go to the interstate expansion of our inclusive Deaf friendly audiology service and our Hearing Aid Bank which ensures people such as refugees have access to new technology,” Turner said.
“The bank is operating in Geelong through sponsorship with the Geelong Community Foundation but we’d like to make it statewide.”
Expression Audiology is part of Expression Australia which was established in 1884 as the Victorian Deaf Society (Vicdeaf). In 2018, Vicdeaf’s services rebranded to become Expression Australia although it still legally operates as the Victorian Deaf Society.
The 50-year milestone represents the founding of Expression Audiology’s predecessor, the Hearing Education and Rehabilitation (H.E.A.R) Service in Melbourne in 1975. It came under the umbrella of Expression Audiology in 2018.
H.E.A.R. Service co-founders and teachers of the Deaf, the late Mrs Patricia Pengilley and Mrs Kathleen Herron, were honoured at the celebration. They established the service for people with acquired hearing loss who had lost their hearing later in life since nothing similar was available at the time.
The pioneers ran community education courses, did outreach into the community giving information about assistance aids, and advised hearing practitioners and ENT specialists there was more to communication than hearing aids.
“It’s really special to see so many people here today including people we’ve known over the years and worked with, and to see how the organisation has moved with the times,” Herron said. “I’m so glad I was able to be a part of it. It’s a special place today, a wonderful plan and architecture.”
Earlier, in a video reflection she said: “I loved my time at H.E.A.R Service. Patricia was an amazing woman; she had the vision. I could work with her to help get that vision into operation, but I didn’t have that vision that she had. She was determined.”
Pengilley’s daughters Mrs Penelope Pengilley and Ms Sara Timms and her granddaughter Ms Florence Stewart also attended. In a video reflection Penelope said her mother had written the book By Word of Mouth, which pulled together ideas about communication for people with acquired hearing loss, their family and colleagues.
“Everything had to be just right; the level of commitment she had for her clients was remarkable, the awareness she helped create, and encouragement of good communication skills in the community,” Penelope said.
Jenna Turner applauded Expression Australia CEO Ms Rebecca Adam and former CEO Ms Nicky Long for championing audiology and the Deaf community, and her exceptional Expression Audiology staff.
“Our clients have also had a big role in this legacy, making it a shared milestone,” Turner said.
Adam said the anniversary was a key milestone, representing half a century of people connecting with sound and developing their confidence to connect to community.
“It’s half a century of care, compassion, guidance and support for thousands of individuals to access the pleasure of being able to hear,” she said. “Access to community from a small clinic has grown to a trusted audiology service in Victoria and Tasmania, and in future it will become a national service.”
She paid tribute to Expression Audiology’s “remarkable founders, innovations, and exceptional leaders and audiologists”. These included Turner, former head of audiology Mr Matt Grounds, and audiologist Ms Gloria Lee who had been with the organisation for 18 years.
Mr Demetrio Zema, Expression Australia board chair, added: “We’ve come a long way in 50 years and I’m so proud that Expression Audiology exists in the way it does today because of its wonderful pioneers and outstanding audiologists and leaders including Rebecca, Jenna and her team.”
Word of Mouth Technologies, WSA, Phonak, Oticon and Unitron sponsored the event, and Audeara, Emma Memma, Zema Estate, Crown Resorts, Australian Open Tennis and Verve Portraits donated raffle prizes.
*Hearing Practitioner Australia’s next edition (December 2025-January 2026) due out a week before Christmas will include a feature on the event and the organisation’s history.
