2020 is no doubt an extraordinary year. Not only is it the year of the 55th National Convention of Alcoholics Anonymous in Australia, and the 75th Anniversary of the fellowship in Australia, circumstances have led to 2020 also being the first time a National Convention is held entirely online.

Following on from the wonderful book One to Another: The Beginnings of Alcoholics Anonymous in Australia (2014), this Special Edition Souvenir Book is a small gesture to celebrate and acknowledge our Diamond Jubilee – and importantly, is a tangible memento of the 55th AA Australian National Convention.

Whilst AA history is largely open to conjecture and debate, it is ironic that Australia’s pioneering is remarkably similar to and almost replicable of the USA’s, albeit a decade behind.

This book is factual (as factual as it can be), and is a pictorial One to Another in many respects. We have endeavoured to pay homage to how AA started in Akron, Ohio, and travelled to Australia, then to Queensland, and finally made its way to Toowoomba and the Darling Downs.

So while the world grapples with COVID-19 – which has affected world events and the way we live, postponed the Olympic Games, and cancelled our International Convention – we celebrate the worldwide fellowship of AA and pay tribute to those who came before us and carried the message.