The St Vincent de Paul Society is a Catholic religious organisation with a volunteer base who work to assist people in need and counter social injustice. The Society of St Vincent de Paul established its first conference in Australia in Melbourne in 1854. It then established conferences across the country, with one in New South Wales in 1881, and in Tasmania in 1899. The Society has a long involvement in child welfare across Australia, operating orphanages, family group homes, children’s homes and maternity homes.
In 1854, Father Ward established Australia’s first conference of the St Vincent de Paul Society in Melbourne. Immediately the St Vincent de Paul Orphanage, Prahran was opened to care for Catholic orphans. This was quickly followed with the building of St Vincent de Paul Orphanage on Emerald Hill. The conference lapsed upon the death of Father Ward in 1858 but work continued under the auspices of the St Vincent de Paul Society in Victoria, until it was formally reformed in 1885.
In 1896, in New South Wales, the Society partnered with the Marist Brothers and established St Vincent’s Boys Home at Westmead for orphaned or homeless boys. This partnership continued until 1968.
When the New South Wales State Children’s Relief Board introduced probation for children, through the Children’s Courts, members of St Vincent de Paul served as Honorary Probation Officers.
The Society continued to expand across Australia and opened children’s homes in Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales.
From
1854
To
Current
Alternative Names
Society of St Vincent de Paul
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