Artists statement

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
The Mission to Seafarers, which was originally known as the ‘Bethel Union’, was established in London in 1835, a recognition of the spiritual needs of seafarers who live a lonely life at sea. In 1857, the Bethel Union began a mission in Victoria aboard the Emily, a large hulk vessel donated by the government, with the object of establishing a floating church for sailors moored in Hobson’s Bay. The first chaplain, his wife and their eight children, three servants and livestock called the Emily home for two and a half years.
Each week, sailors were taken to the Emily via a longboat to join in the Sunday services. Today following the same custom, seafarers are transported by bus to and from the docks by a volunteer bus service run from the Mission building at 717 Flinders Street.
This window, named ‘On the Seas’, was installed in 1980 and represents the origins and history of the Mission to Seafarers through the symbols of a cross, maritime and Masonic imagery.

Historical information

Reflections of the Sea was an exhibition of 10 framed montage of photographs from the mission's archive collection showcasing 10 stained glass windows from the St Peter chapel.
This exhibition curated by Georgia Melville and Catherine McLay, and funded by PROV and Creative Victoria, was displayed in the World Trade Centre Wharf Gallery in June July 2013 and toured to Queenscliff Maritime Museum.
The photographs of the windows were taken by scientific photographer Justine M. Philip.
This frame is showcasing the window by Greg Cummins with a photograph of seamen in front of a van and a view of Port Melbourne.

Physical description

Framed and mounted on black cardboard of black and white and colour reproductions from the MTSV collection for the exhibition Reflections of the Sea with brief label signage

Inscriptions & markings

on label:
ABOVE: View of the Princes Pier from the Port Melbourne Mission windows in 1928.
BELOW: A group of visiting seafarers standing in front of the Mission bus during an outing to the beach, circa 1950s.