Celebrating 160 years of the St Vincent de Paul Society in Western Australia

Thank you. I join you in acknowledging the traditional custodians of these lands and pay my respects to Elders past, present, and emerging. 

It is a privilege to mark the St Vincent de Paul Society’s 160 years in Western Australia, which began in 1865 – a mere decade after the first Australian Conference was established in Victoria in 1854 during the gold rush, and just two decades after the Society was founded in the tumultuous streets of Paris in 1833 by Blessed Frédéric Ozanam.  

The Society quickly grew from an initial group of seven to 600 within a few years, spreading worldwide, including here in WA. 

Today, the Society’s mission remains vital, as poverty and hardship endure. Across Australia, our Members, volunteers and staff continue to “serve Christ in the poor with love, respect, justice, hope, and joy,” advancing a more just and compassionate society. 

This 160th anniversary invites us to reflect on the Society’s past, appreciate our achievements, and revitalise our hopes for the future. From humble beginnings, the Society in Australia has grown to over 1,000 Conferences nationally, with 45,000 Members and volunteers and 7,500 staff, plus around 650 iconic Vinnies retail shops — more than 50 in WA alone. 

Here and across Australia, the Society’s Good Works range from emergency relief, soup vans, groceries, fuel and clothing vouchers, and community support, to emergency accommodation, social housing, long-term accommodation for those living with mental illness, and wraparound services, such as case management, financial counselling, addiction counselling, and access to education and training.  

I would like to acknowledge the tremendous and dedicated network of the more than 3,000 Members, volunteers and staff who, last year alone, assisted over 61,000 people in Western Australia. 

Let’s also take a moment to acknowledge that last year, Members in WA clocked up 616,591 hours of service to your community. 

Special mention must also go to the assistance you provide to people who are living on the margins – those who are homeless and living with health issues. Through Tom Fisher House, the Passages Youth Engagement Hubs, Wandjoo Bidi, and the Vinnies Housing Plus and Rent Relief programs, you have provided safe and secure accommodation to many, and a pathway to a better life. 

And your financial counselling services assisted almost 1,500 clients through 21,000 counselling situations, resulting in almost $1.5M in debts being waived. This is not only a tremendous relief for people experiencing financial hardship, it also equips them with essential financial skills, which they can take forward. 

Turning momentarily to the political sphere, the Society’s National Council, which I have the privilege to lead, and our Secretariate in Canberra continue to advocate for a fairer Australia. Our focus is on addressing the causes of poverty, housing stress and homelessness, and advocating for refugees and asylum seekers and First Nations people. We are also adding children and energy efficiency to our federal advocacy efforts, as well as calling for taxation reform (to improve the welfare system), and gambling reform.  

Almost 200 years on, Blessed Frédéric Ozanam’s words guide us still: 

As we honour the Society’s 160-year history in Western Australia and look ahead, let us celebrate our achievements, continue our mission, and strive for a fairer Australia for all. 

Without the St Vincent de Paul Society, Western Australia would be diminished – and without Western Australia, the Society would be less complete.  

On behalf of National Council, thank you for your commitment, and best wishes for this 160th anniversary year and beyond. 

May God bless you and all who follow in the footsteps of Blessed Frédéric Ozanam.