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Sambell, Geoffrey Tremayne

GEOFFREY TREMAYNE SAMBELL was born in Broadford, Victoria in 1914 and later attended Melbourne Boys High School. His leadership qualities were recognised when he was selected for the Lord Somers Camp, after which he played rugby with Powerhouse. This fostered his interest in young people and led him into a leadership role in the Church of England Boys Society. During a short but promising business career he was involved with St Mark’s Social Settlement during the 1930s. He was then called to the ministry and he entered Ridley College and was ordained in 1940. After serving a curacy at St John’s East Malvern he served with great distinction as a Chaplain with the Australian Military Forces, both in the 57/60 and 2/11 battalions in New Guinea where he was mentioned in despatches. After the war he completed his B.A. at Melbourne University. In 1947 he was appointed Director of the Melbourne Diocesan Centre, a coordinated multi-parish and chaplaincy venture based in the inner city. While in that position he was appointed as Archdeacon of Essendon in 1955 and Archdeacon of Melbourne in 1961 when he became for a time the Director of Home Missions. In the midst of his Diocesan responsibilities, and his leadership of the Brotherhood of St Laurence he was also Warden of the Mission to Streets and Lanes, and involved in other welfare activities including the Victorian Council of Social Service. He was consecrated Bishop in St Paul’s Cathedral Melbourne on 24th February 1962 and subsequently enthroned \ Archbishop of Perth in 1969 . He died in December 1980 after an outstanding Episcopate in Western Australia and throughout the national church. The G. T. Sambell Memorial Oration has been established by the Brotherhood of St Laurence to commemorate his work. His connection with the Brotherhood was longstanding and arose out of his deep social concern which had been the chief among the several forces which led him into full-time service of the church. He had great organising ability, recognised by Fr Tucker who invited him to join the Brotherhood in 1949. He was firstly involved as a member of the Board of Directors, then as Bursar, Director of Social Services and in 1956 Director and Deputy Chairman of the Board. Later in the 1960s he became Chairman of the Board, a post he retained until he moved to Perth. Geoffrey Sambell was a big man, in body, mind and spirit. Long before he died (at the early age of 66) his influence had been felt far and wide in the Anglican Communion and in the ecumenical movement beyond. He twice represented the Australian Church at the East Asia Christian Conference, and was the representative of South-East Asia on the Executive Officer’s Advisory Committee of the Lambeth Consultative Body. In Australia he was the dynamic Chairman of the General Synod Social Responsibilities Commission, which under his leadership spoke out for the national church on social questions. He was respected and listened to by Government at both State and Federal levels, and in 1978 he was appointed Chairman of the Federal Government’s Social Welfare Advisory Committee.

He was a forceful character who could, and sometimes did, ride roughshod over opposition, backing his judgment and knowing that he was right. But behind the bluff exterior he had the heart of a pastor who never spared himself for anyone, clergyman or layman, who needed his help. He had vision, but it was a very ‘down to earth’ vision; he was a loyal Anglican but at the same time a wholehearted ecumenist; he was a missioner and a missionary, but spumed paternalism or ecclesiastical triumphalism; he was an ordained priest, but no one welcomed the rediscovered ‘priesthood’ of the laity more than he did or had more friends amongst them. Leader, pastor, organiser, financier — he was all these, but much more, a man of God.

SOURCE: Why care? An attempt to state the theological basis for Christian social action: Introduction Archbishop Sir Frank Woods, 1981.

     Anglican priest; later Archbishop of Perth.

• Director of Social Work and Bursar of the Brotherhood (1947)
• Geoffrey Sambell was appointed to the BSL advisory board by Archbishop Booth following Tucker’s request for two “suitable and strong” clerics.  
• The Sambell Oration is delivered each year by a guest speaker and was named Geoffrey Sambell.  The event reflects his vision for social justice and provides a forum for community leaders to discuss topical issues.
• Travelled to UK & USA - saw American welfare groups recycling unwanted goods and introduced this to the BSL (1951)
• University students accepted a challenge from the Rt. Rev. Geoffrey Sambell, Director of the Brotherhood, “to come out of the university and meet the world” and took part in an intensive course introducing them to people and their “social problems”. Amongst this group of students was a 1st year Arts student – Peter Hollingworth.
• Archdeacon Geoffrey Sambell appointed as Director (1957).
• Takes up part-time unpaid position as Diocesan Director of Social Services in 1961
• 1962, consecrated as Bishop.
• European Australian Christian Fellowship (EACF, later to become known as the Ecumenical Migration Centre formally established as a commission of the Victorian Council of Churches, with Bishop Geoffrey Sambell, Director of the BSL, as Convenor. (1962)
• Established the donated goods division [date?]
• 1969,  Bishop Geoffrey Sambell was elected Archbishop of Perth in June and resigned as Executive Director from 30 September 1969.  In in a farewell message, urged the BSL to retain its original purpose
•  Archbishop Geoffrey Sambell, former Bursar and Executive Director of the BSL 1947-1969, died in Perth on 19 December 1980.

Scarth, Cath

• Commenced as Director - Community Services, 13 November 2000

Scott, David - 23 January 1925 - 22 April 2012

• David Scott joined the BSL as an assistant to his uncle, Father Tucker (1953/1954) . David joined the staff of the Brotherhood of St Laurence in 1954, with particular responsibility for social action activities. He was seconded to Community Aid Abroad, founded by Father Tucker as the Food for Peace Campaign, as National Director from 1960 to 1970.
• David Scott accepted the position of “Organising Secretary” in the Brotherhood.  As part of his role he turned the housing campaign news sheet Slum News into an influential social action publication renamed Now!-  a monthly journal to arouse public interest and action on housing, slum reclamation, care of the aged, penal reform and other social questions as part of the BSL’s education and social reform work. Published What’s Wrong with Victoria’s Housing (1954)
• Appointed Director of Social Services in 1958
• David Scott was appointed Associate Director of the Brotherhood and part-time (but primarily) National Director of CAA in May 1962 with the salary funded by Brotherhood of St Laurence as a Brotherhood contribution to international social service.
• In 1970 he became Executive Director of the Brotherhood of St Laurence, and remained in this position until retiring in 1980.
• The 70s were a time of considerable expansion in the influence of the Brotherhood, in the introduction of innovative projects, and the provision of support for the self-help movement. 
• David Scott, nephew of Father Tucker, appointed as the first non-clergy Executive Director, taking up his role on 1 October 1969.
• David Scott Honorary Secretary for the Pensions Reform Campaign  (formerly the Pensioners Little Budget Campaign) 1971
• Elected President of the Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) 1971.
• In 1973, David Scott (Executive Director) appointed head of an Advisory Council on Social Security and Welfare established by the then Federal Minister for Social Security, Bill Hayden. 
• Following the outcome of the Federal Election on 2 December 1972, the Executive Director, David Scott, wrote: As the new Australian Government begins to implement its many ideas for improved social security and welfares services, voluntary organisations like the Brotherhood have to decide I the areas of need that they should concentrate on.  In the Brotherhood we think our most useful tasks are experimenting with new ways of helping disadvantaged people to participate more fully in society; contributing our ideas to Government and public thinking and providing high quality services in areas of need, such as care of the aged, that have been left predominantly to the voluntary agencies.  (1973)
• Travelled overseas to the United Kingdom in 1974, and was Chairman of the Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS).
• In 1976, following his visit to England in 1974 where he was convinced that rental housing associations could make a valuable contribution  by providing a new form of housing management in Australia, the idea was taken up by SHELTER and a Rental Housing Association Subcommittee was formed.  In November a proposal was made to the Victorian Minister for Housing, Mr Geoff Hayes.
• In 1980, David Scott relinquished the position of Executive Director on 1 February after 10 years and accepted the role of Social Issues Associate. Rev. Peter Hollingworth was appointed as Executive Director. 
• In 1982 , wrote "Don't mourn for me - Organise ... The Social and Political uses of Voluntary Organisations", Sydney, George Allen & Unwin
• David continued his association with the Brotherhood as a Life Member - his counsel was often sought.
• David Scott’s other appointments included: President of the Australian Council of Social Service; Vice-President of the International Council on Social Welfare; founding publisher of Australian Society; member of the Committee of Inquiry - Victoria Police; Senior Fellow, University of Melbourne; and Chairman of the National Advisory Council on Social Welfare, Chairman of the Land Conservation Council; Treasurer-General of the International Council on Social Welfare; member of the Council of R.M.I.T.; and a Director of Australian Society. 
• David's biography, "Always say yes : the life of David Scott." David Scott with Carrie Hutchinson was published in 2014.
• Obituary- The Age  

Smyth, Paul

The appointment of Dr Paul Smyth as the BSL's General Manager - Social Action & Research (SAR) was announced on 9 December 2002.  The position involved managing policy development and research at the BSL (including the Library & Information Service) and reporting to the Executive Director as a member of the Executive Team.  From 2003, as a joint appointment with the University of Melbourne's Centre for Public Policy (time allocation and funding was 80% BSL and 20% University of Melbourne), the position also involved teaching and research at the University's Centre for Public Policy. See media release 9/12/2002

Resignation December 2013 (BSL Annual Report 2013 p.31). 

Southey, Marigold (Lady)

Marigold Merlyn Baillieu Southey, Lady Southey AC (née Myer; born 2 May 1928) an Australian philanthropist, who was Lieutenant-Governor of Victoria from 2001 to 2006. Lady Southey was born in San Francisco into the Myer family, the youngest of four children of Sidney and Merlyn Myer (née Baillieu).[Wikipedia viewed 17 April 2020].

Brotherhood of St Laurence - Patron ( - )

Sumner, Jessie

Began as manager of the Coolibah Club (1948-1963).