Building our ethical communities

The North Wharf is home to a number of major corporations, small business owners and over 700 residents and amid the dynamics of all of these activities sits the tranquil Mission to Seafarers building that was purpose built in 1917 to create a home away from home for visiting seafarers.  

Like many operators at Docklands, the mission has faced its own challenges and may offer a small example of courage to the broader Docklands community.  

The Mission to Seafarers is one of Australia’s oldest charities established in the Port of Melbourne in 1857.  Since this time the organisation has endured its fair share of financial despair, it has survived through war times, depressions, recessions and in more recent times the global financial crisis that impacted severely on the shipping industry and donor support.  

Since the crown land lease for the building expired some five years ago, the mission has also faced uncertainty of tenure and has needed to maintain faith in the precincts’ developers and authorities to have a long-term vision for the preservation and sustainable future of its operations and investments.  In the face of all of this, the custodians of The Mission to Seafarers today have maintained hope.  

One of the perceived great challenges of the larger Docklands precinct is perhaps similar – the complexity in terms of the diversity of its population – small business, corporate business, residential, tourism and developer ventures all on one playing field. 

Even from an international perspective, Docklands is a vast conglomeration responding to the challenges of creating various platforms for investment amid a myriad of influences from short and long-term investors as well as developers and major financiers all vying to make their mark.

Whilst some Docklanders look beyond the decade, others have disappeared into the great sunset of the Yarra River waterways and for those committed to long-term outcomes for this vital and unique community there are many hurdles and challenges.  

In Docklands’ case, many would say (including Jerry Seinfeld from New York): “We created the new restaurant but nobody came.”  

As a community we need to sincerely consider and appreciate these challenges and create a new perspective by recognising that to anchor our successful future it will take a concerted community effort.  

The Mission to Seafarers in Melbourne is one of 27 port operations nationally.  As a small grass roots not for profit organization, the mission community often struggles but we have never given up.  Great communities don’t give up, they keep an eye on the big vision in the face of adversity, they look up and only see new horizons, and they keep looking forward and working hard to create, innovate and activate initiatives that support one another.

In the community sector we say “good will goes along way”. There is a lot of good will for Docklands and as we embrace this fact and recognise our assets and not our obstacles, we create a future and an opportunity for others to embrace us.

Andrea Fleming, CEO Mission to Seafarers

Philip Hill, Group Strategic Director Asset 1 WTC