Our beginnings

Newcastle City Mission was born on a summer’s evening in January 1940 when a small group of men – all leading citizens of the City of Newcastle – sat around a small table in solemn discussion. The men had been asked to form a committee to help alleviate the distress and poverty suffered in their region.

Those objectives remain the same today. We continue to provide food for the hungry, clothing for the needy and to relieve distress.

We remember and give thanks for the four Christian men who played such a major part in our organisation's formation.

We run a number of centres throughout the Hunter region, providing distinct and vital services.

Victor Laraghy was trained as a motor mechanic. He was a Church of England lay preacher, an idealist and devout, with both feet firmly planted on the ground. He is remembered as a man of faith with boundless energy.

Kenneth Mathieson was an administrative officer with the NSW Government Railways. He was a kindly man, with a knowledge of human nature that was second to none.

W. A. ‘Doc’ Sawyer was a keen businessman and a practical Christian. He was a merry and likeable man, who made everyone feel at ease while in his company.

H. L. ‘Bert’ Wheeler was one of the city's leading solicitors. He was highly respected, especially by the legal fraternity.

Within two months, these and other respected businessmen within the community were meeting on a weekly basis to plan how the Mission would operate to help Newcastle’s many needy people.

The story today

In 1999 Newcastle City Mission merged with Wesley Mission Sydney. This partnership has enhanced Newcastle City Mission's capacity to deliver services to the community and provide a wider range of assistance.

We are now in the exciting position where we can adopt successful programs and services from Wesley Mission and offer them to the people of Newcastle and the Hunter region. We run a number of centres throughout this region, providing distinct and vital services.

Newcastle City Mission continues to manage its own programs, and all services are delivered to the community by local people. Each program run by Newcastle City Mission has an individual manager who reports directly to the Regional Manager. We are now nationally recognised as a provider of quality services, being accredited and quality endorsed under ISO-9002 standards.

Newcastle City Mission now employs over 25 staff and relies on more than 200 volunteers to deliver its much-needed services. The extraordinary involvement of our much-valued volunteers ensures a bright future for our organisation and the services we continue to offer.