ETIA honours Rodney’s impact on families for over three decades and his contributions and leadership within ETIA over many years.
I am glad I exist.
From an early age, Rodney Eivers experienced life as a gift. Yet he became aware that for many, life did not feel that way. Needs went unmet. Families struggled. Relationships fractured. As a teenager, he began asking a defining question: What do people truly need?
His first answer was practical – food. He trained in agriculture at Muresk Agricultural College in Western Australia and later joined agricultural advisory services in Papua New Guinea, committed to strengthening food security and rural livelihoods. Over time, however, he recognized a deeper and more pervasive need: the capacity for people to relate to one another with understanding and respect.
Later in Australia in about 1978, Rodney and his wife Hazel were introduced to Parent Effectiveness Training by Lola Mavor. Its clear, teachable framework for communication and conflict resolution resonated deeply. With two young children Rodney and Hazel practised P.E.T. in their Brisbane home. The following year Rodney participated in a course conducted by Lola for new instructors. For about 30 years, Rodney conducted PET classes in several Brisbane suburbs.
Enjoying the fellowship of the growing number of instructors Rodney in due course became very involved with the growth and administration of Effectiveness Training in Australia. He took on a number of administrative roles including President of the Queensland governing body and Treasurer of what ultimately became the Effectiveness Training Institute of Australia Ltd – ETIA. As a niche bookseller he was also involved in supplying Effectiveness Training textbooks to instructors.
During this time Rodney was fortunate to meet Dr Thomas Gordon and his wife Linda Adams when they visited Melbourne. Dr Gordon was something of a hero to Rodney.
Through this work, Rodney observed a consistent truth: communication skills are powerful, but only when grounded in genuine care. When listening replaces control and respect replaces coercion, families change. Confidence grows. Conflict diminishes.
His enduring conviction is simple and profound – that with the right tools, guided by goodwill, relationships can flourish, and life itself can be experienced as a gift.
