The Presbyterian Sisterhood began in Warrnambool in western Victoria. It was established by the Rev. Donald A. Cameron, who was Director of Home Missions within the Presbyterian Church of Victoria. The aim of the Presbyterian Sisterhood was ‘to rescue and help women in distress’ (Argus, 1908). From around 1901, the Sisterhood ran a refuge in Warrnambool for ‘girls in distress’ and their babies. This shelter closed in 1909 and the Sisterhood moved to Melbourne, where it ran a maternity Home in North Fitzroy from 1909 to around 1978.
The Presbyterian Sisterhood was mentioned in the Commonwealth Contribution to Former Forced Adoption Policies and Practices Inquiry (2012) as an organisation that was involved in forced adoption.