Our commitment to history and healing

For nearly 150 years, Anglicare Victoria (AV) and our founding agencies—The Mission of St James and St John, St John’s Homes for Boys and Girls, the Mission to the Streets and Lanes, and St Luke’s Anglicare—have dedicated ourselves to caring for tens of thousands of children and young people.

We know that growing up in care has a lasting impact and that our clients may continue to struggle with their memories and emotions around their experiences today. Some may wish to find out more about their biological family or the circumstances that led to them being placed in care, while others may want to access redress schemes or tell their story in their own words, and we are committed to providing support and information that facilitates healing and resolution for the many clients we have served.

At AV, we understand that history matters. Our heritage informs the present and shapes our future, allowing us to offer the best possible support to our former clients while maintaining the highest standards of care for the young people in our services today.

Connecting with our clients

Our Heritage Services team engages with hundreds of former clients each year, providing a space for them to access their records, share their stories, and connect through regular luncheons. For additional information, please visit, https://www.anglicarevic.org.au/our-services/former-clients/past-clients-and-records/

Bronwen Sarantoulia, AV’s Heritage Services and Redress Manager, emphasises the significance of our history: “Our knowledge of AV’s history is an essential characteristic of the services we deliver today. Understanding and celebrating Anglicare Victoria’s heritage is fundamental to understanding ourselves and those who have come before us.”

Introducing the Heritage Centre

In 2023, we marked a significant milestone with the purchase of a building on Hoddle Street in Collingwood, set to become our first Heritage Centre. This centre will showcase and preserve the collective histories of AV and our founding agencies.

Our approach to developing the Heritage Centre is deeply collaborative, engaging past clients at every stage. When complete, the centre will serve as a safe space for clients and their families to explore their histories with our organisation and an educational resource for staff and students in the sector.

A welcoming space for all

The Heritage Centre is designed to acknowledge, validate, and learn from our past while informing the present and educating the future. We promise to create a welcoming environment that prioritises our clients’ needs and experiences.

We value the expertise of those with lived experience and are committed to co-designing a safe and inclusive space for everyone. This centre will be a vital connection point for past, current, and future clients, fostering understanding and community.

Max’s story

A chance meeting at one of Anglicare Victoria’s Heritage luncheons turned out to be the key to unlocking the secrets of the past for one of AV’s Heritage clients.

Max, who is now in his nineties, spent time in several of AV’s predecessor homes, including many years at St Nicholas in Glenroy. He knew nothing about his biological family but had been carrying his birth certificate around in his trouser pocket for most of his life.

At a Christmas luncheon Max met fellow Heritage client Robin, who has a keen interest in history and genealogy. They started chatting, and Robin offered to do some research into Max’s background.

Robin searched for another copy of Max’s birth certificate, because the old one had become worn from living in Max’s pocket for decades. When he found it, he realised Max’s mother’s first name had been rubbed off the original! With the correct name in hand, Robin was able to locate Max’s niece Sandra and great-niece, Emma, and finally, Max was able to celebrate his 86^th birthday with his family by his side.