Brisbane Couple Donates $40M to Fight MND

A Brisbane couple who donated $100 million to charity in two years insists they're not trying to be philanthropists.

Quentin and Kylie Birt recently gave $40 million to Neale Daniher's FightMND foundation at Melbourne's Big Freeze event. The donation came after Quentin read Daniher's book and saw the devastating impact of motor neuron disease firsthand through employees and friends.

"We said if we can do it, we will," the 86-year-old explained. "We had lunch with the bank and the rest is history."

The couple tried to keep the donation anonymous, but those plans fell through. Quentin doesn't see their gift as extraordinary, comparing it to a child saving bottle tops to donate $22.

"He's done what he could, and I've done what I could," he said simply.

Quentin's journey to this moment started on a dairy farm north of Gympie, where he grew up "very poor." His father encouraged him to become the first child in his district to attend high school, opening doors he never imagined.

After working as a railway engineer, Quentin started his civil construction company in 1973 as a personal challenge. He showed up to his first job with a station wagon, wheelbarrow and shovel to build a Moorooka carpark for $10,000.

Today, Q H & M Birt operates Australia's largest civil construction fleet, completing over $2 billion in work during the past decade.

The Ripple Effect

The Birts started giving about seven years ago after Quentin visited the School for Life facility in Uganda. The experience "blew him away," and he's supported the cause ever since.

In 2025, they donated $57 million to the Redtails Pinktails Right Tracks Program, creating pathways for athletes in Northern Territory and South Australian football leagues.

Quentin sees their giving as almost selfish. "It's what I want to do," he said, calling the business his hobby and the profits "surplus" to that passion.

The couple doesn't hunt for causes. They respond to passionate people who just need help getting things done.

"You see people are anxious to get something done, and know that they will get it done with a little bit of help," Quentin explained. "In the end, we play the minor part because you're hoping it gets done."

For motor neuron disease, Quentin holds onto hope that researchers will find a cure, believing the people working on solutions aren't motivated by money but by purpose.