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Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
From the collection of Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
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Furniture - Set of Pews, c.1944

  • Two columns of wooden pews in rows of two pews arranged in the chapel with an aisle between

    Thirteen of the set of church pews are located n St Nicholas Missions to Seamen Chapel at Flagstaff Hill, Warrnambool

  • The pew is along the west wall facing inward to the club room and backrest next to window

    Church pew in the Missions to Seamen club room, next door to the chapel.

  • The pew is inside the doorway facing into the school room. It is along the east wall with the end against the north wall.

    Pew is located in the Common School

  • The pew is inside the doorway facing into the school room. It is along the east wall against the south wall.

    Pew locatedp in the Common School

  • Black ink printed text on white fabric, pinned to the wall as a poster

    SIGN about the Missions to Seamen, on display in the Missions room

  • Two columns of wooden pews in rows of two pews arranged in the chapel with an aisle between
  • The pew is along the west wall facing inward to the club room and backrest next to window
  • The pew is inside the doorway facing into the school room. It is along the east wall with the end against the north wall.
  • The pew is inside the doorway facing into the school room. It is along the east wall against the south wall.
  • Black ink printed text on white fabric, pinned to the wall as a poster

Historical information

This set of seventeen church pews was originally used in St. Nicholas Seamen’s Church, 139 Nelson Place, Williamstown, Victoria, during religious services there. The Church was operated by the Mission to Seamen organisation.

The pews were donated to the St Nicholas Seamen’s Church by the Williamstown Lightkeepers’ Auxiliary, founded by Ethel Margaret Musther, M.B.E..

THE MISSIONS TO SEAMEN (Brief History: for more, see our Reg. No. 611, Set of Pews)

The Missions to Seamen, an Anglican charity, has served seafarers of the world since 1856 in Great Britain. It symbol is a Flying Angel, inspired by a Bible verse. Today there are centr4es in over 200 ports world-wide where seamen of all backgrounds are offered a warm welcome and provided with a wide range of facilities.

In Victoria the orgainsation began in Williamstown in 1857. It was as a Sailors’ Church, also known as ‘Bethel’ or the ‘Floating Church’. Its location was an old hulk floating in Hobson’s Bay, Port of Melbourne. It soon became part of the Missions to Seamen, Victoria. In the year 2000 the organisation, now named Mission to Seafarers, still operated locally in Melbourne, Portland, Geelong and Hastings.

The Ladies’ Harbour Lights Guild was formed in 1906 to support the Missions to Seamen in Melbourne and other centres such as Williamstown. Two of the most significant ladies of the Guild were founder Ethel Augusta Godfrey and foundation member Alice Sibthorpe Tracy (who established a branch of the Guild in Warrnambool in 1920). The Guild continued its work until the 1960s.

In 1943 a former Williamstown bank was purchased for the Missions to Seaman Club. The chapel was named St Nicholas’ Seamen’s Church and was supported by the Ladies’ Harbour Lights Guild, the Williamstown Lightkeepers’ Auxiliary and the League of Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Friends. It ceased operation in 1966.

A Missions to Seamen Chapel and Recreation Room was a significant feature of ports during the late 1800s and into the 1900s. It seemed appropriate for Flagstaff Hill to include such a representation within the new Maritime Village, so the Melbourne Board of Management of Missions to Seamen Victoria gave its permission on 21st May 1979 for the entire furnishings of the Williamstown chapel to be transferred to Flagstaff Hill. The St Nicholas Seamen’s Church was officially opened on October 11, 1981 and closely resembles the Williamstown chapel.

Significance

The set of pews is significant historically for its origin in the St Nicholas Mission to Seamen's Church in Williamstown, established in 1857 to cater for the physical, social, and spiritual needs of seafarers. It originated in Bristol, England when a Seamen's Mission was formed in 1837.

The set of pews id historically significant for their connection to the Ladies Lightkeepers’ Auxiliary, an organisation of women, formed to support seafarers.

The connection of these pews to the Mission to Seamen and to the Ladies Lightkeepers’ Auxiliary highlights the strong community awareness of the life of people at sea, their dangers and hardships, and their need for physical, financial, spiritual and moral support.

Physical description

Set of seventeen varnished oak wood church high back pews. The pews have a shelf fitted behind the backrest.
This is a set of original items in our ‘St Nicholas Seamen's Church Williamstown Collection’.

Subjects

References

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