Melbourne City Mission was founded in 1854 as a non-denominational charitable organisation focused on providing financial assistance to poor and homeless people in Melbourne, and they were active in Port Melbourne from the time of their establishment. One of Melbourne City Mission’s long-serving representatives in Port Melbourne was Sister Todd, who worked in the area from 1895 until 1911. During Sister Todd’s time with the Mission in 1906, the Mission opened Jubilee Hall at 460 Bay St to provide a base for their efforts in distributing food and clothing to Port Melbourne residents. Services at Jubilee Hall also included play groups and Sunday schools for local children. Sister Todd was extremely dedicated to her work, and her reports to the Emerald Hill Record suggest that she found it emotionally draining: she reported in 1904 that “from the beginning to the close of the year, one hears the same sad tales of want and distress. We see the unchanging scene of poverty, the unfurnished room, the fireless hearth, the empty cupboard.” The mission was especially busy during December, and Sister Todd reportedly worked 18 hours a day distributing aid in Port Melbourne during the week before Christmas in 1905. Sister Todd’s dedication to Port Melbourne was such that when MCM assigned her to another district in 1911, she refused to move, and several local groups wrote letters of protest. Eventually she resigned from Melbourne City Mission rather than move away from the community she had served since 1895.
by laurenpiko on Nov. 27, 2017
Reproduced in https://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/handle/11343/35580
Reproduced in https://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/handle/11343/35580
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