It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Father Chris Riley AM, beloved founder of Youth Off The Streets, who died on 1 August 2025 after a prolonged period of ill health. He was 70.
Father Riley dedicated his life to supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged young Australians. In 1991, he founded Youth Off The Streets with a single food van, delivering meals to homeless youth in Sydney’s inner city. What began as a modest outreach grew into a major non-profit organisation offering a broad range of services to thousands of young people across New South Wales and Queensland.
He served as the organisation’s CEO for nearly 30 years before transitioning to the role of Founder and Executive Director in 2020. He stepped down in 2022 due to his declining health.
Under his vision and leadership, Youth Off The Streets evolved into a nationally recognised organisation with over 220 dedicated staff, delivering more than 30 programs and services. These include education, crisis accommodation, drug and alcohol counselling, youth justice initiatives, and targeted support for First Nations youth and those facing complex disadvantage.
Tributes to a tireless champion for youth
Anne Fitzgerald, Chairperson of the Youth Off The Streets Board, reflected on the immense loss:
“The Youth Off The Streets family mourns the passing of our founder, Father Chris Riley. He was a tireless advocate for homeless and disadvantaged youth who inspired and changed thousands of lives. He will be remembered for his compassion, tenacity and unwavering belief that every young person deserves a chance to reach their full potential.”
Judy Barraclough, current CEO, added:
“Father Riley’s legacy is profound. His dedication to empowering young Australians will continue to guide our work. His vision and passion will live on in every program we deliver and in every life we touch.”
Donations in memory of Father Chris Riley can be made at youthoffthestreets.com.au or by calling 1800 06 22 88.
A LIFE DEVOTED TO OTHERS: THE STORY OF FATHER CHRIS RILEY AM
Early Life and Calling
Christopher Keith Riley was born on 24 November 1954 in Echuca, Victoria. From the age of 14, he felt called to work with disadvantaged youth, a conviction sparked by the 1938 film Boys’ Town, which depicted the life of Father Edward Flanagan and his mission to help underprivileged boys. Inspired, Riley enrolled at the Salesian-run Rupertswood College in Sunbury, Victoria.
At 18, he joined the Salesian Order’s teacher training college and, after earning degrees in English, sociology, psychology, and counselling, he began working with vulnerable youth. He was ordained as a Catholic priest on 8 May 1982 and took on the role of Religious Educator at Chadstone Salesian College, where he also set up a small refuge for homeless youth.
From Boys’ Town to the Streets
In 1985, Riley was appointed principal of Boys’ Town in Engadine, Sydney, where he maintained a punishing schedule—working with students by day and serving food to homeless teens in the city by night. It was during these years that his sense of mission deepened. A memorable moment came one rainy night when a young boy gave Riley his only coat, apologising for its smell. That gesture of selflessness solidified Riley’s calling to dedicate his life to street kids.
“I begged for three years to leave Boys’ Town. I needed to get out and work with these kids,” Riley later said. He left in 1991 to start Youth Off The Streets.
Building Youth Off The Streets
Starting with one food van, Father Riley built Youth Off The Streets into a national network. He believed education was the key to breaking the cycle of poverty and in 1996 launched Key College in Redfern, an independent high school for disengaged youth. Eventually, six accredited high schools were established under his leadership.
Throughout his three-decade tenure as CEO, he could often be seen travelling between sites with his beloved Great Danes – Collingwood, Magpie, and Woods – using animal therapy in his approach to healing trauma.
Expanding Hope: From Australia to Overseas
Riley’s compassion knew no borders. During the East Timorese conflict and after the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, he launched international efforts to support vulnerable children, establishing orphanages and aid projects through the Youth Off The Streets Overseas Relief Fund. Today, over 200 children in Indonesia and Tanzania benefit from these programs.
Macquarie Fields and Rural Youth Outreach
In 2011, Father Riley opened the Koch Centre for Youth and Learning in Macquarie Fields, following the 2005 riots in the area. The centre became a model for community rebuilding, aimed at helping local youth find safety, direction, and hope.
Understanding the service gap in rural areas, Father Riley also pioneered Australia’s first Mobile Youth Centre, bringing programs to remote communities such as Dubbo, Wellington, and Bourke.
“You need infrastructure in troubled suburbs where the kids can be looked after,” he said. “We have to work with families to keep kids at home—not removed into state care.”
Recognition and Advocacy
Father Riley’s tireless work did not go unnoticed. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2006, the same year he received the Human Rights Medal. In 2010, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Western Sydney University and was named NSW Australian of the Year in 2012.
He was also the subject of Sue Williams’ bestselling biography Mean Streets, Kind Hearts, and co-authored two books with her: World Beyond Tears (2005) and Growing Great Kids (2015).
Throughout his career, he remained a passionate voice for youth facing homelessness, mental health struggles, substance abuse, and systemic disadvantage. He also campaigned strongly for social inclusion and advocated for young refugees and culturally diverse communities.
REMEMBERING A LEGACY OF HOPE
Father Riley’s message was always one of optimism and persistence.
“If you save one child, you save the world,” he said. “That’s my focus. One kid at a time. And if they put on my tombstone that I saved one kid, then that would be more than enough for me.”
Even in the face of adversity, he remained focused:
“Their courage, resilience and strength are what get me through. Their stories of pain and abuse keep me tightly focussed on my mission.”
Father Chris Riley leaves behind a powerful legacy—one of kindness, advocacy, and unshakeable belief in the potential of every young person. His passing is a loss felt deeply across the nation.
He saved more than just one child. He helped save thousands.
