Odyssey House McGrath Foundation was founded on October 30, 1977 by Sydney businessman, Walter McGrath. Mr. McGrath's son, James, had died of a heroin overdose and as a testament to James, Mr. McGrath committed himself to finding a program to help other young people who suffered from the same problems as James. 

Mr. McGrath after receiving a small grant from the NSW Department of Health, travelled to the United State where he viewed several programs for the rehabilitation of drug addiction. He settled on the Odyssey House Program as one of which he felt would be transferable to the Australian culture and its society.

Odyssey House opened its therapeutic community doors on 30 October, 1977. From humble beginnings the program has grown and prospered. The first residents to enroll at Odyssey House in 1977 were housed in tents obtained from the army base at Holsworthy Barracks. The residents slept on bunks made of rough-hewn timber.

Since that time Odyssey House has had tens of thousands young men, women, and their dependant children benefit from the drug free environment of its therapeutic community. Over the years Odyssey House has added other program components to complement its residential therapeutic community. The overall program services constitute a comprehensive array of interventions designed to assist those persons who participate within them. 

We, at Odyssey House, recognise drug misuse to be a chronic, relapsing condition and are therefore conscious of the fact the treatment services of Odyssey House McGrath Foundation are not suitable for everyone. For those whom it is appropriate, we pledge our commitment and professionalism to assist in their journey, and for those whom it isn't, we commit to availing them of more appropriate services through the referral process.

The treatment method used at Odyssey House is unique in that it treats addiction and associated types of anti-social behaviour as being symptomatic of underlying causes and manages clients accordingly.

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Residents deserve all the help we can give them - only they can overcome their problems , but they can't do it without the support, understanding and encouragement of the wider community.