John Fawcett, former ceramacist, educationalist and Deputy Director of the Perth Technical College, has been living continuously in Bali since 1983, after relocating there to recover from a life-threatening medical accident in May 1981, which kept him hospitalized for nearly three years.

John quickly recognized the great medical need on the island and, with assistance from Rotary Australia and Rotary International, began his humanitarian work which then took over his life, first establishing a Cleft Lip and Palate Program in 1989 and later the Mobile Clinic for Cataract Surgery in 1991. Several other Rotary programs followed, with the establishment of The John Fawcett Foundation and its Indonesian counterpart, the Yayasan Kemanusiaan Indonesia in 2000, which brought all the projects together under one umbrella organization.

John Fawcett has received the following awards for his humanitarian work:

• Paul Harris Fellow (Rotary International Award) – 1999 - In appreciation of tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations between peoples of the world
• John Curtin University Medal – 2003 – awarded for his ‘humanitarian work with the sick and poor in Bali, Indonesia’.
• Order of Australia (AM) – 2004 – ‘for service to the community and to international relations over many years through humanitarian projects to improve health and living standards for people in Bali’.
• Satyalancana Kebaktian Sosial (National Indonesian Award) – 2008 - in recognition of his outstanding humanitarian work in Indonesia, especially in the provision of free cataract surgery to the poor in Bali and Nusa Tenggara Barat.
• Bishop Hale Medal – 2010 – awarded to former students of Hale School, Perth, Western Australia, ‘recognising unselfish devotion to duty, exemplifying Bishop Hale’s philosophy of voluntary service to and in the community’.