Salvation Army Young Women's Hostel

The Salvation Army Young Women’s Hostel was opened in Adelaide, at Angas Street East, in1922. It was run by the Salvation Army as accommodation for young country girls moving to the city for work. The Hostel operated until 1988 when it closed and the building was sold.

The Salvation Army Young Women’s Hostel was purpose built for the Salvation Army to provide accommodation for young country girls moving to the city to take up employment. The land on Angas Street East in the city was purchased in 1920 and a three storey brick building was constructed. The Hostel opened on 1 March 1922.

According to the guide to Salvation Army Social Services, ‘Southern, Soup, Soap, Salvation’ by Lt.Col J.C. Kirkham, the Hostel was later renamed Sutherland Lodge Young Women’s Hostel after Captain Sutherland, the first officer in charge of the Salvation Army’s work in South Australia.

When the Hostel opened, an article in the Register referred to the new brick building as ‘handsome’ and then described the interior in glowing terms:

It contains 45 rooms, including a spacious dining-room, an attractive sitting-room with piano, seagrass chairs, and other things that make for comfort, sewing-rooms containing sewing machines, and a library. The bed- rooms are light, airy, and attractive, fitted with corner wardrobes, chests of drawers, &c. On the ground floor is a large kitchen, equipped with a huge range and a gas water-heater, which supplies boiling water in three minutes. The bathrooms, of which there are a number, are fitted with Doulton baths, constantly supplied with hot and cold water. The boiler which supplies the whole building, is also an incinerator. There is a laundry equipped with gas, coppers, and penny-in-the slot meters, and here a girl may do her washing at a cost of about threepence a week.

According to this article a ‘croquet lawn’ was being laid and the building had a ‘roof-garden’ with ‘delightful views’.

The building cost £12,000 of which £4,500 had been paid. The rest was to be sought through a large fund-raising appeal for this and many other Salvation Army projects.

Ensign Perkins of the Salvation Army was in charge at the opening of the Hostel, assisted by Miss Spence, and 52 girls were expected to move in.

Annual fetes were held by the residents and staff of the Hostel to raise money for the Salvation Army through their Self-denial Appeal. Social events and meetings of various Salvation Army endeavours related to women were often held at the Hostel.

In 1945 Adjutant Mona Perry, who had been in charge of the Hostel for two years, was replaced by Major Amy Davies.

During the early 1970s demand for accommodation decreased. However, the Army continued to run the Hostel as lodging for visitors to Adelaide and for students. The Hostel closed in 1988 and the building was sold. Today the building is owned and operated as a boarding house by the public housing company, Unity Housing, and is called Angas Lodge.