Page 87 - moondani kyema
P. 87
ndani kyema, My Story - Ray Moore 87
contemplated suicide. But my next attempt at job hunting, which was successful was
with Rootes.
While I was there I started to think about my long term future. I knew that Bev was
definitely a part of that. But what about a career? Being a MK (missionaries' kid) I
had been soaked in an atmosphere of fundamentalist Christianity and a value system
that put the missionary at the top of God's favoured people. A close second were
pastors, then Christian workers and they were followed by Christians working in
secular work. At the bottom of this heap was the rest of the world with the 'heathen'
in Third World countries at the base of the pyramid.
To get started in some kind of Christian work I found a position with the Melbourne
City Mission in its Men’s Hostel. The City Mission had worked amongst “down and
out” people for many years in the centre of Melbourne. It was looking for an assistant
missioner and I applied and was accepted. The year was 1956, Olympic year in
Melbourne. I really loved this job.
Founded by the city churches of Melbourne in 1854, Melbourne City Mission initially
employed six missioners to work alongside people living in poverty and struggling to
survive in the tent cities that sprung up along the Yarra River during the Victorian
Gold Rush. By the early part of the twentieth century, Little Lonsdale Street,
especially that part of it between Exhibition and Spring Street, was renowned as a
red light area. And it was in the centre of this area that the Melbourne City Mission
built a Men's Hostel. This news item appeared in the Age
The Age Date: 3 Mar 1937
MELBOURNE CITY MISSION FOUNDATION STONE
LAID BY LORD MAYOR
NEW HOME FOR DESTITUTE MEN
The foundation stone of the Melbourne City Mission’s –
new hostel for hungry and homeless men was laid
yesterday afternoon by the Lord Mayor (Cr. A. G.
Wales). The building is situated at the corner of
McCormac Place and Merritt Place, a short distance
from the Melbourne City Mission. In the new hostel
provision will be made for the supply of meals, a hall for
meetings and religious services, rooms for storage and
distribution of clothing, restrooms, baths, showers and a
laundry.
In 1956 there was little to remind anyone of the area's disreputable past, except for
one woman who lived in a room in McCormac Place opposite the Men's Hostel. She
was old and worn out, and used to wave to me from time to time when I saw her, and
she still carried on her profession. But these days it was only with the same type of
clients that we had visiting us.
If you walked up “Little Lon” as Little Lonsdale Street was called, from Exhibition
Street, about half way along towards Spring Street was McCormac Place on your left.
If you turned into this lane, you would see on the corner of yet another tiny lane
running off to the right, a building with a sign, “Men’s Hostel”, above a corner
entrance way, with steps up to a front door.
contemplated suicide. But my next attempt at job hunting, which was successful was
with Rootes.
While I was there I started to think about my long term future. I knew that Bev was
definitely a part of that. But what about a career? Being a MK (missionaries' kid) I
had been soaked in an atmosphere of fundamentalist Christianity and a value system
that put the missionary at the top of God's favoured people. A close second were
pastors, then Christian workers and they were followed by Christians working in
secular work. At the bottom of this heap was the rest of the world with the 'heathen'
in Third World countries at the base of the pyramid.
To get started in some kind of Christian work I found a position with the Melbourne
City Mission in its Men’s Hostel. The City Mission had worked amongst “down and
out” people for many years in the centre of Melbourne. It was looking for an assistant
missioner and I applied and was accepted. The year was 1956, Olympic year in
Melbourne. I really loved this job.
Founded by the city churches of Melbourne in 1854, Melbourne City Mission initially
employed six missioners to work alongside people living in poverty and struggling to
survive in the tent cities that sprung up along the Yarra River during the Victorian
Gold Rush. By the early part of the twentieth century, Little Lonsdale Street,
especially that part of it between Exhibition and Spring Street, was renowned as a
red light area. And it was in the centre of this area that the Melbourne City Mission
built a Men's Hostel. This news item appeared in the Age
The Age Date: 3 Mar 1937
MELBOURNE CITY MISSION FOUNDATION STONE
LAID BY LORD MAYOR
NEW HOME FOR DESTITUTE MEN
The foundation stone of the Melbourne City Mission’s –
new hostel for hungry and homeless men was laid
yesterday afternoon by the Lord Mayor (Cr. A. G.
Wales). The building is situated at the corner of
McCormac Place and Merritt Place, a short distance
from the Melbourne City Mission. In the new hostel
provision will be made for the supply of meals, a hall for
meetings and religious services, rooms for storage and
distribution of clothing, restrooms, baths, showers and a
laundry.
In 1956 there was little to remind anyone of the area's disreputable past, except for
one woman who lived in a room in McCormac Place opposite the Men's Hostel. She
was old and worn out, and used to wave to me from time to time when I saw her, and
she still carried on her profession. But these days it was only with the same type of
clients that we had visiting us.
If you walked up “Little Lon” as Little Lonsdale Street was called, from Exhibition
Street, about half way along towards Spring Street was McCormac Place on your left.
If you turned into this lane, you would see on the corner of yet another tiny lane
running off to the right, a building with a sign, “Men’s Hostel”, above a corner
entrance way, with steps up to a front door.
