Historical information
This set of four dining chairs was part of the original furnishings of the St Nicholas' Mission to Seamen's Church at 139 Nelson Place, Williamstown, Victoria.
The Australian colonial wooden chairs date to the late 1880s and are most like to have been purchased for use in the Sailors’ Rest when it moved into Ann Street, Williamstown, around the 1880s.
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
This set of chairs 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 chairs is historically significant for its connection to the Ladies Lightkeepers’ Auxiliary, an organisation of women, formed to support seafarers.
The connection of this set of chairs 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
Chairs: set of four (4) cedar wood dining chairs. Each chair has a rounded rail back, flat cross rail, flat wooden seat, curved back legs and colonial turned front legs. Mid-brown colour, veneered finish.
The set of chairs is part of the St Nicholas Seamen's Church Williamstown Collection.
Subjects
- flagstaff hill,
- warrnambool,
- shipwrecked coast,
- flagstaff hill maritime museum,
- maritime museum,
- shipwreck coast,
- flagstaff hill maritime village,
- great ocean road,
- religion,
- religious service,
- sailors rest,
- bethel sailors’ church,
- bethel floating church,
- ladies harbour light guild,
- lightkeepers’ auxiliary,
- missions to seamen victoria,
- mission to seafarers,
- flying angel’s club,
- st nicholas mission to seamen church williamstown,
- mission to seamen williamstown,
- st nicholas seamen’s church flagstaff hill,
- 139 nelson place williamstown,
- church furniture,
- religious furniture,
- religious worship,
- anglican church,
- chair,
- dining chair,
- kitchen chair,
- domestic furniture,
- colonial chair,
- australian colonial period,
- set of chairs,
- squab chairs,
- sailors' church,
- ann street williamstown
References
- The Mission’s History in Williamstown Brault, G., Ship to Shore, Mission to Seafarers, Victoria Inc. Spring 2019, p12
- Mission to Seafarers Victoria - online database Victorian Collections website
- History of the Mission to Seafarers Mission to Seafarers, origin, history in Victoria, timeline, name change, purpose
- Fund raising for furnishing new premises, Victoria Mission to Seamen Lightkeepers’ Auxiliary Williamstown Chronicle Aug 6 1943, p.4
- Documentary ‘Harbour Lights’ – the Ladies Harbour Lights Guild and seafarers in early 20th century Melbourne Wind & Sky Productions, for Mission to Seafarers
