Brisbane Couple Gives $40M to Fight Motor Neuron Disease

When Quentin and Kylie Birt watched thousands gather for the Big Freeze event honoring Neale Daniher, they knew it was time to act on a promise they'd made to themselves.

The Brisbane couple announced a stunning $40 million donation to FightMND this week, inspired by the late AFL great's relentless battle against motor neuron disease. "He's one extraordinary Australian," Quentin told Sunrise. "He just did his thing better than all of us put together."

But what makes this gift even more remarkable is how the Birts built the fortune they're now giving away.

In 1973, Quentin walked away from a stable engineering job with Queensland Railway to start an earthworks business. His first contract was worth just $10,000, building a carpark in south Brisbane with a Ford Falcon station wagon, a wheelbarrow, and a shovel.

While other contractors rented equipment, Quentin made an unconventional choice that changed everything. He used whatever money came in to buy machinery outright, slowly building ownership of every vehicle and tool the company used.

That decision, combined with Quentin and Kylie's reputation for reliability, opened doors to major projects. In 1985, they laid the last section of road connecting Queensland's east coast to central Australia.

Today, Q, H and M Birt owns what it calls the largest civil construction fleet in the Southern Hemisphere. The company has delivered over $2 billion worth of projects in the past decade, with more than half coming from repeat clients who trust their work.

Why This Inspires

The Birts didn't wait until retirement to share their success. Earlier this year, they donated $57 million to an AFL mentoring program in the Northern Territory and South Australia, helping young people find pathways to professional football and stronger futures.

Their combined giving this year ranks them among Australia's top five philanthropists. Yet when asked about the MND donation, Quentin's response was simple: "You can find an excuse not to do something. He didn't."

These words reveal the mindset that built both their business and their generosity. From a single wheelbarrow to $40 million donations, the Birts prove that starting small doesn't limit how big your impact can become.