1941

Employment of a social worker, Miss Imrie, to work part-time among women and children at Carrum Downs (Holden & Trembath 2008, Divine Discontent p.54).

1953

First full-time social worker appointed (the BSL became the first Victorian non-government organisation to do so (Holden & Trembath 2008, Divine Discontent p.55).

1955

Family Service Project commenced in February as an experiment with one social worker working intensively with a group of ten families in Camp Pell who had many long-term and continually recurring problems (joint BSL/Housing Commission project designed to bring so-called ‘multi-problem’ families up to Housing Commission standards of acceptability in the short term). 

“The Project commenced in February, 1955, when a worker was appointed to work intensively with a small group of families living in Camp Pell, whose applications for Housing Commission homes had been rejected because of unsatisfactory standards of house management and rent arrears. … The real value of the work lies in the fact that without this ‘preventive’ approach many of these families would be broken up and become costly and unhappy burdens on the community.

(BSL Annual Report 1958-1959 p.5.; BSL Annual Report 1955 p.8) - (NB - emphasis is in the original text). 

1957

Family Service Project continues to be subsidised by the State Government through the Housing Commission with seven social workers working intensively with families (BSL Annual Report 1956-1957, p.6) .

Social workers have first call on donated clothing and the remainder sold through the Opportunity Shops to help finance the social service work.  “Sorting is carried out by groups of voluntary ladies.” (BSL Annual Report 1956-1957 p.7). 

1958

Third social worker appointed to the Social Service Bureau (BSL Annual Report, 1957-1958 p.3). 

New headquarters building at Fitzroy, with ground and first floors completed in October.  The ground floor housed a new Social Service Bureau, a waiting room and Chapel, with  a shower and change room for the Coolibah Club.  The first floor offices accommodated Social Workers of the Family Service Project, along with the Accountant and Organiser who had been in rented premises in East Melbourne (The Accountant was Mr P.J. Stanley and Miss M.E. Rawlins was the Organiser) (BSL Annual Report 1957-1958, p.3). 

1960

BSL consultation with American social worker Alice Overton to aid in assessment of services and clarification of the aims and methods of the Family Service Project. (BSL Annual Report 1960-1961 p.5; Hughes 1967 A Survey of Anglican Social Work Agencies, The Church of England Social Service Advisory Council 1967, Pt.2 p.58; Frohmader Family Courts, Minnesota Welfare Vol.14 Fall, 1962 No.3-A pp.23-24). 

A Social Worker from the Social Service Bureau commenced work in the West Heidelberg area, working in close cooperation with the clergy and other social welfare people in the area (BSL Annual Report 1959-1960, p.2).

1962

BSL’s social worker withdrawn from West Heidelberg to review the 18 months’ experiment in a locally based service. “it is already clear that the lessons learned from the West Heidelberg project will have much more enduring value than the actual work performed there (BSL Annual Report 1961-1962 p.6). 

1963

Elaine Martin joined the BSL as the first social worker appointed in a research capacity and begins work on a major study of the housing problem of low income families.  The aim of the study is “to give a qualitative picture of the kinds of accommodation which some families are obliged to occupy, the choice available to them, the effect of living in overcrowded, obsolete housing, and the impact of high rents”. “More than 100 families have been interviewed, and information has also been obtained from estate agents, Government agencies and other social welfare organisation.  The sample group of families includes some deserted wives who face special problems. The second stage of the study is a consideration of the Commonwealth and Victorian policy relation to low-income families and will include a number of recommendations which will emerge from the research project.” (BSL Annual Report 1962-1963; Magree 1993 (ed.) Looking forward, looking back: The Brotherhood’s role in changing views of poverty, 1993 p.13). 

Social Worker Vivienne McCutcheon, in a part-time position, undertook “a brief survey of Fitzroy, the nature of its population and its welfare services … to provide some factual guidance” to the Brotherhood in planning for the development of its own services (since the planning needs to be closely related to what goes on in the immediate environment) (BSL Annual Report 1962-1963, p.14).

In December 1963, money was found to employ Alan Jordan as the centre’s social worker (a wage of £1,400 per annum). Financial support came from the Brotherhood of St Laurence, North Melbourne Mission, Central Mission, Collins Street Independent Church and the Methodist Combined Mission – a total of £4,000. The Centre would be operational from 1 January 1964  (Middendorp 2006, Hanover - An Overview 1964-2004 pp.4-5).  

1964

Reassessment of the practice and thinking of the Social Service Bureau, given the departure of three social workers to interstate and overseas and the appointment of a Chaplain (BSL Annual Report 1963-1964, pp.3-4).

1965

Professional social workers to counsel and assist some 800 families each year (The Rev G.K. Tucker and the Brotherhood of St Laurence 1965). 

1966

Janet Paterson, BSL’s Senior Social Worker,  becomes the BSL’s first Director of Research & Social Action (BSL Annual Report 1964-1965 p.3; Paterson, J in Catherine Magree (ed.) Looking forward, looking back: The Brotherhood’s role in changing views of poverty 1993 p.4).

The Brotherhood “does not provide a counselling service for homeless men, but assists the Hanover Centre where Mr Alan Jordan provides counselling and carries out research.  Assistance has also been provided for an experiment in providing a social worker service in North Melbourne.  Two Social Studies Students at the Melbourne University are being helped financially by the Brotherhood.” (BSL Annual Report 1965-1966, p.12).

1967

BSL Executive consists of “the Director, Associate Director, Secretary, Chaplain, Director of Research & Social Action and the Manager of St Laurence Park, Lara.  … The Social Service Bureau is not represented at (their meetings) except when matters of policy involving the Bureau are discussed. The Senior Social Worker has her own ‘direct line’ to the Director.” (Hughes 1967,  A Survey of Anglican Social Work Agencies, The Church of England Social Service Advisory Council 1967, Pt.1 p.5).

1971

Heavy demand for home delivery of meals, with many referrals by doctors and social workers, saw 3,529 mid-day meals delivered in the twelve months (1970-1971) (BSL Annual Report 1970-1971 p.6). 

The Brotherhood decided to close the social work service in Broadmeadows in March and offered to pay the salary of a social worker (community development worker) in the area for a two-year period.  The aim was to help develop programs which are indigenous and for which local people are responsible.   “In our involvement in Broadmeadows we are examining how best the resources of centrally based welfare agencies like the Brotherhood can be shared with areas that are seriously deficient in community resources.” (BSL Annual Report 1970-1971, p.4; BSL Annual Report 1972-1973, p.6)

Family Day Care Service, where children of working mothers are cared for by other mothers in their own homes with help and guidance from a social worker and kindergarten teacher, began in September as a three year pilot project funded by four Melbourne Trusts. Mrs Barbara Spalding carried out the studies that led to the experiment first introduced in Australia by the BSL (BSL Annual Report 1971-1972 p.4, Limurru Neighbourhood Parent & Children’s Centre (24 November 1982).

1972

Family Centre Project head officially appointed (Mrs Concetta Benn - “One of Melbourne’s most experienced social workers”)  (April).  However Connie Benn had been “sporadically involved in planning the project since November 1971”  (Brief Outline of Family Centre Proposal 15 May 1972 p.3; Benn 1972, The Family Centre Project - A Dynamic and Evolving Concept First Report November 1972, p.12).