The Annual Meeting presenting the Annual Report was held on the 21st of September 1886 at the Melbourne Athenaeum. In the Standard (Port Melbourne, Vic. : 1884 - 1914), Saturday 25 September 1886, page 2 VICTORIAN SEAMEN'S MISSION. This institution held its annual meeting in the Melbourne Athenæum on Tuesday evening under the most favourable auspices. The hall was filled in every part, a very large pro portion of the audience being seamen. The half hour previous to the com mencement of the meeting was very pleasantly occupied bv listening to the capital playing of the band of the Naval Brigade, and precisely at eight o'clock the musicians heralded the entrance of the vice-regal party by playing ' The National Anthem.' Sir Henry and Lady Loch were received by the Mayor of Melbourne (Mr. Stewart), the Hon. F. T. Derham, Captain Pasco, Mr. H. R. Reid (hon. secretary), and Lieutenant - Colonel Templeton, and His Excellency imme diately took the chair. The venerable ex-chaplain, the Rev. Kerr Johnson, was present, but as he did not feel equal to taking part in the proceedings, the Rev. E. T. Miles opened the meeting with prayer. Nothing could have been more cal culated to give a distinctive character to the meeting than the singing of the Sailors' Hymn by the 300 odd seamen present. The rugged yet tuneful voices of the men blending with those of the ladies present, who heartily joined in, gave a most spirit-stirring effect to the beautiful words of the refrain : — Rocks and streams I'll fear no more, When on that eternal shore; Drop the anchor ! furl the sail ! I am safe within the vail. Next followed His Excellency's address as chairman. The Governor threw himself heartily into the pro ceedings, and his remarks, expressive of the utmost sympathy with the sea men of the empire, were applauded to the echo. In fact from the start all the speakers struck the right key-note. The institution was not held up as a charity on which Jack was more or less dependent. According to the gentlemen who one and all welcomed him as a friend, and a right useful friend too, the thing was all the other way. To the sailor it was, they de clared, that they owed all that the colony possessed, and more — the great ness and prosperity of the Empire, He was the sort of man who never turned his back on a fellow creature, or refused to give a hand to a comrade in distress. Therefore it was deter mined that Jack should not come to these shores and think there were none to care for the comfort of his body or the welfare of his soul, and with the object of greeting the sailor on his arrival, of grasping his hand as a friend, beguiling his hours on shore, and saving him from the scores of dangers and temptations which beset a sea-faring man's stay in port, the institution had in '57 been started. Its claims on the Victorian public, not as a charity, but as a means of show ing some recognition of the services of the brave men who man our mercan tile marine, were ably put before the meeting. The Rev. G. D. Buchanan de clared that if the Melbourne merchants contributed to the mission a tithe of the amount they spent in insurance, they would find their goods better looked after by the seamen than by the insurance companies. Captain McCallum, the treasurer, read the following report of the com mittees of the Port Melbourne and Williamstown Rests : — In no part of the Queen's dominions have there been more changes during the last thirty years than in the colony bearing her gracious name ; and it is therefore all the more pleasant to report that the Victorian Mission to seamen, which started so long ago as 1857, still pursues an active career of usefulness, holding out a helping hand to mariners of all nations, without distinction of colour, race or creed. Eight years ago, some of the supporters of the Mission, feeling the want of a Temperance Club, where the crews of the various ships might recreate themselves and enjoy the three ' C's' — Coffee — Comfort — Company, appealed to the public for assistance, resulting in sufficient funds being obtained to justify the establishment of Sailors' Rests at Sandridge and Williamstown. Both these institutions were opened by a distinguished gentleman who has always taken a practical interest in sea men, and who, but for illness, would have been present at this meeting — Sir W. F. Stawell — and the result jof several years' experience fully justifies the statement that these institutions have supplied a felt want — the attendance of visitors reaching now about 30,000 per annum ; whilst so economically are they managed, that the annual cost to the public is less than L150 The thanks of the committee are specially due to those ladies and gentlemen who so kindly made a special and successful effort to supply both of the Bests with new piano fortes, to the great enjoyment of ' Jack ashore.' The instrument which was pre sented to the Port Melbourne institution by Mr. J. M. Bruce, on behalf of the sub scribers, the funds having been collected by his daughter yet in her teens, being espec ially one of great value. Concerts free to all seamen, given by amateur singers, are held weekly on both sides of the bay, and are largely attended and much appreciated. The building at Port Melbourne, which, being of wood, is merely of a temporary character, is free from debt ; but there is a mortgage of L500 on the Williamstown institution, which cripples its usefulness. The committee have regretfully to report that during the year under review they have lost, through the weakness of increas ing years, tbe loving services of the Rev. Kerr Johnston, their venerable friend and chaplain, whose life is, indeed, the history of the Mission, for he has been connected with it from the commencement of the work. Mr. Johnston has proved himself a true disciple of his Divine Master, and the com mittee trust that in the evening of his days he may enjoy that peace and rest which he lias so well earned. The com mittee presented Mr. Johnston, on retiring, with an honorarium of L100. Mr. E. James has been appointed iu Mr. JohuBton'u room, and the committee believe that their choice lias been a fortunate one. The Mission aud Sailors' Bests have been kept afloat by the unwearied and self -deny-ing exertions of the Ladies1 Committee, who have personally collected nearly the whole of the income ; but it may fairly be asked whether, in this great seaport, where last year there entered in at Her Majesty's Customs 1711 ships, manned by 61,256 men, the mercantile community of Melbourne should net take a more active interest in the welfare of the thousands of brave men who, for a few weeks, temporary sojourners on our shores, away from friends and relatives, have a special claim on our sympathy and help. We are of the old land, ' that gem sunk in the silver sea and we can re-echo Mr. Gladstone's recent words to the crew of the yacht Sunbeam, ' The calling which you follow is a noble one, and is calculated to bring forth the highest qualities of our common nature ; ana if it is possible for any occupation to make a man, in the highest and wideBt sense of the word, it is ' the occupation to which your lives are given. How closely it is connected with the the prosperity and fame of tbi» great nation ; how closely, indeed, it is connected with advancement of civilisation, and tiie general welfare of the world, it needs no words of mine to tell yon, for in your work and life you know it well, and feel it truly.' Look ing at what we Victorians owe to the British sailor, the committee earnestly trust that, with the blessings of the Almighty God, increased success will attend the work of the Mission and Rests. Mr. James read the chaplain's re port: — Since my appointment as chaplain to tbe Seamens' Mission, I have met with greater success than I anticipated. I have visited all the ships that have come into port, also many of the vessels on the Yarra, and am pleased with the civil and courteous manner in which I have been received by captains, officers and men, and in most cases my invitations to them to attend our meetings have been most heartily responded to. . The attendance at the services in the Bethel has much improved — on some occasions scarcely sitting room is to be found. The services have proved a great blessing to many Christian seamen ; whilst several who have come into port caring for nothing of a religious nature, have left praying. God fearing men, with the request that those left behind would remember them in their supplications, that they should be kept through all the trials and temptations to which seamen are exposed. The weekly Tuesday evening concerts got up bj the ladies of the committee and others, have proved a great benefit to the Mission, and a source of great enjoyment to the seamen in port. The programmes are excellent; and are spoken of by the sailors as the best they have heard in any port. The Sailors* Rest is provided with a library, the daily papers, and illustrated literature, with games of chess, draughts, dominoes, quoits, and other amusements, which are much taken advantage of during the evenings. Seamen ' are alio provided with writing materials, free, bo that everyone may have any opportunity of writing to their friends; for many an anxious parent is counting the days and hoping for .the time to come when they shall get a line from their sons in the far distant land, and many a son is reminded of his obligation by the opportunity thus afforded. I am much pleased at this time to acknowledge the kindness of the committee, and the great help I have received from them, also from Mr. Douglas, the manager of the Best. I do not think I could have been blest with a better co-worker. I have no hesitation in recommending the seamen to go to the Best, and telling them that they will receive a most hearty welcome, to which they can all testify ; my thanks are due to the voluntary workers, who have given every assistance ft their power, especially to Miss Lloyd, who is an invaluable help, attending in all weathers, and playing the organ at every service. The Sunday School is progressing, and we aie now about to make another addition to the library, of good readable books. The work at Williamstown is also pro gressing well, the Wednesday night concerts being well attended, and the singing and reciting supplied by local talent really good; the sailors contributing largely to the programmes. Captain McCallum is the backbone of the work at Williamstown, well supported by many warm friends of the sailors. The services held every Sunday night are productive of mnch good. The work here, too, is very encouraging, having much improved of late. I am thank ful to God that He has so blessed the efforts of His people, and hope they may be long spared to carry on the work. The Rev. G. D. Buchanan in an eloquent speech proposed the first re solution : — ' That the Reports now read be adopted, and that the following ladies and gentlemen be the Committee for the ensuing year : — SEAMEN'S MISSION. Ladies Committee. — Mesdames Templeton, Campbell, Chamberlin, Elworthy, Lormer, Gourlay, Gowan, B. Johnston, Webb, Young, Plummer, Misses Elwortny, Webb, Gowan, and M. Hastie. Gentlemen's Committee. — Captains Pasco, R. N., Adams, McCallum, J.P., Dalgarno, Garside, Messrs. Courtis, A. J. Smith, Macpherson, H. R. Reid, J.P., Henry Berry, J.P., Revs. Kerr Johnston, and A. R. Edgar.' Captain Pasco seconded, and in formed the audience that Baron Von Mueller had written regretting his inability to attend, but had sent a substantial cheque. (Applause.) A collection was then taken up and liberally responded to, the band mean-time playing airs suitable to the occa sion, such as ' The Death of Nelson' and ' Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep.' The hon. F. T. Derham next pro posed the second resolution : — ' That the success which has attended the working of the Port Melbourne Sailors' Rest justifies this meeting in taking imme diate steps to raise the funds necessary to erect a Seamen's Institute worthy of the in creasing trade and commerce of Victoria.' This was seconded by the Rev. A. R. Edgar, and both were carried by ac clamation. The Mayor of Melbourne moved a vote of thanks to His Excellency, and Sir Henry in the course of his reply said his sympathies were not only with sailors because he had been much brought into contact with them, but because he had been a sailor himself and had had the honour and privilege of serving in Her Majesty's navy. At this the men sprang to their feet and gave three deafening cheers for the Governor and another for Lady Loch, who bowed her acknowledgment and appeared very pleased at the hearty reception accorded to her. During the evening Mrs. Pearce, and Messrs. Walsh, Woods, and Robinson, members of the Liedertafel, contributed songs. The lady, who has sung at the Tuesday evening concerts, sang ' When the Tide comes in' so charmingly that an encore, although against the rule of the evening, was insisted upon, which was responded to by a beautiful rendering of the old ballad ' Robin Adair,' Altogether the meeting was a com plete success, and will doubtless afford the committee fresh encouragement in their well-directed efforts. Printed programme for the 1886 annual meeting taking place in the Melbourne AthenaeumWritten in black ink at the back by WHC Darvall: annual meeting, melbourne athenaeum, 1886, baron ferdinand von mueller, sailors' rest, hugh ronald reid, captain fullarton, captain mccallum, henry loch, captain pasco, reverend kerr johnston

The canteen is part of the Mission to Seafarers building that has catered to visiting seafarers since 1917. The canteen is operated by the Flying Angel Club, which offered services to seafarers including food, drink and souvenirs from the canteen and events held in the main hall which invloved the use of the canteen. The Ladies Harbor Lights Guild also used the canteen facilities for functions and fundraisers held at the Mission to Seafarers. One of the flyer in Chinese helps dating the photograph between 1963-66 when Padre Wong was chaplain at the Mission.Historical record of the Mission to Seafarers canteen post-1963. This is an example of the contemporaneous use of the canteen as primarily a supply shop and in a comparative fashion reveals some of the overall changes at the Mission.A white-bordered, black and white photograph of the Mission to Seafarers Canteen. From the left hand side of the photograph the image portrays an external doorway with six glass windows, emitting light from behind. This leads to the dipslay cabinet and bench of the canteen which is reflecting light from the windowed door. Central to the image is a pillar which is three-quarters wood paling starting from the floor, of which a map is displayed on one edge and a notice board on the remaining visible edge of the pillar. A bench is visible to the right side of the pillar and the far right side of the photograph, posters are hung on the wall. Purple stamp on central back of photograph. "Melbourne Harbor/Trust Photograph/Negative No......." photograph, canteen, tab, koalas, blackboard, archway, pennant, licensed-to-sell-postage-stamps, mission to seamen, mission to seafarers, melbourne, flying angel club, map, bar, milkshake machine, display case, fluorescent light, notice board, wains coting, postcards, milkshake, beverage, plastichrome, matches, razors, gillette, straw, melbourne harbour trust, melbourne harbor trust, donation tin, lighthouse

Seafarer playing snooker in the Billiard Room.This photograph shows that the room marked "Billiard Room" in gold lettering on the door, was once used exclusively for that purpose, although no longer. Billiards was once a very popular pastime for visiting seafarers. The billiard table has long since gone and the room is now used as a karaoke and music room. There is still the option of playing pool or table tennis but these have been moved out in the main hall.Black and white photograph of a man leaning across the billiard table in the Billiard Room of the Mission to Seafarers Melbourne. The man is aiming to take his shot. There are curtains covering the windows in the background and pendants lights handing down over the table. There is a couch against the rear wall of the Billiard Room.Pen on reverse of photograph: "2" enclosed in a circle.couch, curtains, pendant-lighting, billiard, billiard room, balls, pool, seamen, sailors, seafarers, seamen's mission, mission to seafarers, flinders street, melbourne, billiard table, billiard cue

The image shows us one of the many dances, or functions, held at the Mission to Seafarers Melbourne, It shows the main hall in its original condition and the way it was used at the time. The dance shown here is an example of the work of the Ladies Harbour Lights Guild, which held fundfraisers and social events at the Mission.This photograph is a reflection of the main hall, in original condition, and its use circa mid-1950s. The photograph is of historical significance as it is a documentation of one of many social events held by the Ladies Harbour Lights Guild at the Mission to SeafarersBlack and white photograph of a dance held in the Mission to Seafarers main hall. The foreground shows A man to the left and a woman to the right dancing together. There is another couple dancing behind them. The background shows two of the archways leading out of the main hall. The floors are the original hardwood floorboards.dance, lhlg, flying angel club, seamen, flinders street

The photograph portrays the main hall of the Mission to Seamen as it was used c.1950.The photograph is documents a moment in history that reflects how the main hall of the Mission to Seamen was used around the 1950s. The photograph also portrays one of many events held by the Ladies Harbour Lights Guild as one of the services provided for visiting seafarers.A black and white photograph inside the Mission to Seafarers Melbourne main hall. In the foreground there are two couples; on the left side of the photograph the couple are facing the left side, a man in a suit, vest and tie and a lady to the right in a mid-length skirt, jumper and short hair. The couple on the right of the photograph are facing each other - the lady has her back to the camera, and the man facing more toward the camera, he is also in a suit and is balding. A couple are standing in the mid ground, central in the photograph; a lady is on the left in a light coloured cardigan, mid length skirt and short dark hair; the man on the right is wearing a dark suit and tie, and a light coloured shirt. There are a number of people in the background that are partly concealed by the couples in the mid-foreground. An archway is visible to the left, that leads to the 'cafeteria', and an arch window can be seen on the right side of the photograph in the background, The hardwood floorboards are visible, as is the wainscote (wood panelling) on the walls in the background. A clock is situated right of centre on the back wall.collar, clock, vest, window, suit, 1950s, main-hall, tie, wainscote, cardigan, jumper, skirt, arch, bald, lhlg, dance, socialising, events, entertainments, mission to seafarers, mission to seamen, seamen mission, flinders street, ladies harbour lights guild, hardwood, floorboards, wood panelling

This image shows of the Ladies Harbour Lights Guild events held in the 1950s.The Ladies Harbour Lights Guild organised many functions at the Mission to Seafarers Melbourne. As well as providing dance partners, members of the Ladies Harbour Lights Guild provided other services such as serving behind the refreshments counter in the main hall. The photograph is an historic document of the operations at Missions to Seamen and the Ladies Harbour Lights Guild in the 1950sA black and white photograph, with a white border. The photograph shows two ladies behind the refreshments counter, looking out toward the dance held in the main hall. The lady central in the photograph is standing with her arms folded, looking towards the stage-end of the main hall. The lady behind is mostly concealed by the central lady, only part of her torso and skirt can be seen behind the central lady; the lady in the background appears to be leaning forwards against the counter.A man is leaning on the counter to the right of the photograph; his back is facing the camera, and his head is turned toward the ladies behind the counter, or perhaps to the dancers in the background in front of the refreshments counter.dance, mission-to-seafarers, missions-to-seamen, ladies-harbour-lights-guild, main-hall, refreshments-counter, harbour lights guild, hlg

An historical visual record of some of the members of the Ladies Harbour Lights Guild, circa 1950. Many events run by the LHLG founded in 1906, were initially held in venues across Melbourne. In later years the main hall of the building opened in 1917 became a main venue for entertainment, meals and dancing. The LHLG organisation eventually amalgamated with the Flying Angels at the Mission circa 1962 and many LHLG members such as Dora Simpson, later elected as FA President went on to officiate.The Ladies Harbour Lights Guild (LHLG) a Melbourne and statewide network initially raised funds and held events for the Mission to Seafarers. Originally founded in 1906 the LHLG were responsible in 1917 for raising the funding for the Chapel and Dome at the Mission. The group and network developed a structure promoted to and adopted in one form or another by other similar auxiliary groups supporting Missions around the world. Black and white photograph. Image shows a number of women sitting in front of the stage in the main hall of the Mission to Seafarers Melbourne. In the background there is a three-piece band situated on the stage. Depicts the MtSV stage decorated with flowers, and lengths of material woven through an arch.The ladies seated in two rows in front of the stage all wearing summer dresses and have short hair styles typical of the 1950s Printed title and donor information printed across the top of the mount. See also historical informationpiano, drums, band, floorboards, stage, 1950s, dresses, main-hall, curtain, celebrations, lhlg, ladies harbour lights guild, mission to seafarers, seamen mission, mission to seamen, flying angel, melbourne, flinders street, prue leggoe, music, dance, entertainment, events, sailors, seafarers, seamen, lynette reynolds (nee madson), king george vi

Black and white photograph with a white border. Image is taken from inside the main hall of the Mission to Seafarers Melbourne. It shows a radiator, noticeboard, group of six chairs around a coffee table (all situated on a mat), jukebox, two chairs next to a wall and three vases of flowers in front of two of the main hall's arch windows. The hardwood floorboards are visible, as is the wainscote (wood panelling) on the walls in the background. Overhead lights are also visible as is a fan next to one of the windows.window, jukebox, main-hall, wainscote, wood-panelling, arch, chairs, mission to seafarers, mission to seamen, music, arched windows, floorboards, flowers

Digital copy of one of 7 slides depicting photographs of police from 1858 to 1930s. This image is of an officer on traffic duty at the Melbourne Town Hall, Swanston Street, with the Toorak tram in background.Digital copy of black and white slide.victoria police, melbourne town hall

Commemorate the landing of Edward Henty at Portland Bay 19 November 1834Record of Henty Commemoration Dinner hosted by the C.E.M.A Historical Group Folded programme for Henty Commemoration Dinner, 21 November 1970. White paper, black type. cema historical group, wesley hall portland victoria, edward henty, pioneers, p gorman, c lightbody, e neeson, j k loney, portland floral art group