Flying Angel Club

The Seafarers’ Centres are known as "Flying Angel Clubs." The original logo depicts the angel of the Book of Revelation chapter 11 bringing the word to humankind. The logo has since been modified to highlight the open-handed caring of the Mission’s work to seafarers of all nations.

HISTORY

The origin of the Mission to Seafarers rests with one man who saw a need and responded to it. In 1835, whilst on holiday at Clevedon, Somerset, the Rev Dr John Ashley had occasion to visit the island of Steep Holm in the Bristol Channel during which time he became aware of the plight of seafarers. He was so moved by their harsh and dangerous conditions and lonely lives that he dedicated the next 15 years to their welfare until forced to give up his chaplaincy as a result of ill health. In 1857 the Victorian Seaman’s Mission was founded in Melbourne. In 1906/07 it merged with the organisation that is now known worldwide as the Mission to Seafarers.

VICTORIAN HISTORY

The Mission was established on July 1, 1857 and began its work on a ex-prison hulk (The Emily) anchored in Hudson Bay at Williamstown. The hulk was painted with the title “The Bethel Sailors’ Church” but was known as the Bethel Floating Church. The Reverend Kerr Johnston conducted two services each Sunday until 1859 when a boathouse, was acquired at Port Melbourne and was used until 1878. A new building was erected and this became “Bethel of the Victorian Seamen’s Union”

The changing nature of shipping in Melbourne meant that by the mid-1890’s, there was a definite need to establish a new branch of the Mission in the central Melbourne area, as most ships at this stage were berthing along the Yarra River rather than at Port Melbourne.
A decade later after much negotiation and under the impetus of the Reverend Alfred Gurney Goldsmith a site was leased from the Melbourne Harbour Trust fronting Australia Wharf in Siddeley Street, near to an existing Sailor’s Rest. During 1905 the Victorian Mission to Seamen was created from the amalgamation of the London Seamen’s Mission and the Victorian Seamen’s Mission.

The Ladies Harbour Lights Guild was also formed in 1905 for the purposes of raising awareness of the Mission and fund raising, and later, they were responsible for raising money for both the St Peter The Mariner’s Memorial Chapel and the domed Norla Gymnasium.  The Guild was well patronised by prominent members of Melbourne society and grew to be a substantial organisation.

In 1917 the Mission moved to its current site, a short distance away, as the Melbourne Harbour Trust required the use of the Siddeley Street site.

Further heritage details can be found on the Victorian Government's Heritage Council website

Thanks to the Public Records Office of Victoria the MTSV has received a grant under the Local History Grants Program and is currently archiving historical records, photographs and other documentation.  The Archive Project is being managed by World Trade Centre Historian Amy Zurrer in consultation with Liz Marsden, Collections Manager, Victoria Police Museum & Historical Unit Victoria Police.  The Norla Dome has a permanent exhibition featuring replicas of archival photographs compiled with thanks to World Trade Centre.  Visitors are welcome to view the exhibition daily from 11am – 7pm.

The Mission to Seafarers Victoria is grateful to the state government and for the expertise and volunteer time of Amy, Elizabeth and Beth Humphries whom have initiated and managed this project to be finalised in 2011.

Comment from Curator – Project Manager Amy Zurrer.

The Mission has been continuously working in Melbourne since 1857 and early documents from this time are held in the archive. Important material, such as marriage and baptismal certificates are also held in the archive, which are of great interest to the general public.

Many photos are over 80 years old, and several of the scrapbooks contain historically significant material, such as the death of Queen Victoria. We also have love letters sent to a young woman of the Harbour Lights Guild, and letters to and from the Mission from various people and organizations.

Once this project is complete the public will be able to access documents online. Although this is the first time in the 153 year history of the Mission that an archive has been created it is my hope that we are laying the ground work that will preserve this material and future items for another century to come.

The archive will continue to be added to with photos, documents and certificates from today and tomorrow, each item will be catalogued and preserved for future generations.

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