Mission to Seafarers

Hours Open
10am - 5pm (last tour at 4:40pm)

Address
717 Flinders Street

Architects
Walter Butler

Year Built
1916-1917

Building Type
Working Mission

What is Open
Chapel, garden, internal courtyard, Celia Little room, main hall and Norla gymasium

Tour Frequency
Every 20 minutes

Tram Stop
Stop D5: The Goods Shed and Docklands on routes 48, 70 and City Circle

Note: Wheelchair access to most areas however some stairs

Description
One of the earliest examples of Spanish-influenced design in Melbourne, Walter Butler's Mission to Seafarers is an intriguing experiment in combining architectural styles. Built on reinforced concrete footings the buildings are rendered in brick with tiled roofs. The original interiors are remarkably still intact including the extensive use of wall panelling in Tasmanian hardwood. The building is owned by The Mission to Seafarers, an international mission of the Anglican Church which cares for the practical and spiritual welfare of seafarers of all nationalities and faiths.

Significance
The Mission to Seafarers buildings are unusual for combining two distinct architectural styles – Spanish Mission Revival and Arts and Crafts. Butler was one of the most prominent and progressive architects of the period and the complex is one of his most unusual and distinctive works. Maritime imagery abounds throughout the complex including stained glass windows in the chapel depicting stories of seafarers lost at sea, the pulpit in the form of a ship's stern, the large mariner's compass inlaid in the terrazzo floor of the lobby and the copper ship finial on the roof. Built in cupboards, panelling and studded floors throughout the buildings evoke a ship's cabin

What’s Open?
Visitors will be taken on a short walking tour of the Mission buildings. Starting at the front entrance you will be taken to the original chapel which is one of the highlights on the tour. After the chapel, you will head to the garden and then back into the buildings via the internal courtyard. The Celia Little Room is next on the tour before heading to the main hall to view the vaulted ceilings of reinforced concrete. From the main hall, you will pass the assistant's cottage on your way to the Dome which was once used as a gymnasium. Today, only the staples in the domed room remain as reminders of the ladders, climbing ropes and trapezes that once hung in this unusual space.Tea, coffee and light refreshments will be available for sale. 

Referenced from: Victorian Heritage Database, www.heritage.vic.gov.au