The Anglican Diocese
of Bunbury
Western Australia
Welcome to the Bunbury Mission to Seafarers (MtS), an Anglican
organisation caring for the spiritual and practical welfare of
visiting seafarers of all nationalities and faith.
MtS offers seafarers practical help and moral support in a homelike
atmosphere. They are a vital lifeline for the many of thousands of
seafarers around the world wanting to contact family and friends
back home. Volunteers at the Bunbury mission greet seafarers with
warm welcomes and friendship. The Bunbury MtS manager also visits
each ship on arrival, as some seafarers may not even reach land
during their time at port.
At the Bunbury Mission to Seafarers visitors can be assured a safe
environment with understanding and support from many tireless
volunteers. Services offered at the Bunbury mission include:
- Free internet and email
access.
- Bus services to and
from Port and to medical appointments.
- Pool table, table
tennis and darts.
- Free magazines, books
or clothes.
- Access to bibles and
Chapel.
- Access to music, TV and
karaoke.
- Telephone cards.
- Mail service.
- A weekly church service
is held in the station chapel of St Michael and All Angels.
- Food items and
souvenirs from mission shop.
Seafarers play a vital role
in our lives and often face loneliness and adversity. They cannot
help but feel the effects of isolation and abandonment coupled with
low wages, poor onboard conditions and inadequate food and water.
These men and women are from
the poorest parts of the world and the decision to go to sea is
driven by the need for money to support their families. This
dedication unfortunately comes at a cost. Seafarers can be away from
home and families for a year or more. These hardworking people
suffer from ill health, accidents, homesickness, bullying and
discrimination.
Life on board ship is
lonely, isolated from the wider world and fraught with danger. The
constant threat of terrorism and piracy means seafarers risk their
lives every day to bring us the food we at, the clothes we wear and
the every day items we take for granted.
They spend little time ashore with a small amount of contact with
people. The MtS can be the first and sometimes the only contact a
seafarer has with people onshore.
The humble beginnings of
John Ashley, an Anglican
priest, and his family were holidaying in
Ashley’s daughter asked “How
do the people on those ships go to church?”
A visit to the ships left
Ashley shocked and confused. He found men with broken souls, men who
had been forgotten, mistreated and isolated from the rest of the
world. They had no contact with the church, no faith to help them
through the wretched conditions they faced.
Ashley was so moved by the
situation of the seafarers that he devoted his life to them,
ministering to the sailors until his death in 1850. His work was not
forgotten, with others priests taking up the calling of the
seafarers in other ports.
In 1856 an organisation was formed to effectively coordinate and
expand the ministry. A flying angel holding the gospel in one hand
was adopted as the logo and in 2000, the name
MtS still continues to operate with the support and dedication of
hundreds of volunteers in over 230
The Bunbury station of
Statistics
and Facts
The importance of the
Bunbury Mission to Seafarers can be typified by the increasing
number of ship arrivals, bus trips and crew visits undertaken by the
mission.
- The number of crew
visiting the Bunbury mission grew 40% from 2006 to 2007,
reaching 4854. This number is expected to climb to 5500 by 2009.
- In May 2008 640
seafaring crew visited the Bunbury Mission.
-
On average there are 28 ship arrivals each month at the
-
The bus service has grown substantial, with a 56% increase from
2005 (991 bus trips) to 2007 (1551 bus trips).
- More than 3600 phone
cards are used.
- More than 1500 internet
connections are made.
- Over 1000 magazines and
books are distributed to seafarers.
- Seafarers are
provisioned with clothing from the clothing rack.
- 500 knitted beanies are
supplied.
