English-born Rathmines resident Stephanie Rodger formed the group when she discovered the nearest branch was in Newcastle.

Mrs Rodger moved to Australia in 1976, seven years after the Amnesty International movement started in London.

Drawn to the campaign, Mrs Rodger became a member that same year.

She wrote letters to prime ministers in war-torn countries where people had been unfairly imprisoned.

"I was at home with young children so I had a lot of time on my hands," Mrs Rodger said.

"I really felt as if I was achieving something."

But in the past 12 months, Mrs Rodger wanted to become more involved, so she took it upon herself to start a group.

So far the group has nine members and another handful have expressed interest.

The group will hold its first meeting tomorrow, Thursday, September 25, at 6.30pm at Warners Bay Sports Club.

Further to this, the group has a stall at the Living Smart Festival this Saturday, September 27 at Speers Point Park.

Its members will be promoting the group's efforts to challenge the federal government's policies on offshore detention.

Mrs Rodger has written to Prime Minister Tony Abbott's office and Immigration Minister Scott Morrison on the Stop the Boats asylum seeker campaign many times.

"The government works by promoting fear," she said.

"People are happy for [the government] to be doing all this really terrible stuff because they think it's keeping them safe."

With three daughter-in-laws and a grandson of Asian descent, protecting asylum seekers' rights is something she feels strongly about.

"What I really like about Australia is the multiculturalism and we're going to miss out on that if we lock [asylum seekers] up," she said.

"I don't see any problem with assimilating them into the community.

"The government has spent billions and billions of dollars on its Stop the Boats campaign, when we could have spent that money assimilating refugees."

Go to facebook.com/amnestylakemacquarie.