We want to find out whether the community sees value in the creation of a maritime heritage area for Melbourne.

How do residents, workers and visitors imagine that the Mission to Seafarers building can be part of this?

Keeping the core seafarer services, what are other uses for the iconic building?

The area has a rich Aboriginal history. For many thousands of years, the area now known as Docklands was used as a hunting ground and meeting place by the Traditional Custodians of the land, the Bunurong Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation. After colonial settlement, the Port of Melbourne became a major trade gateway and it's now Australia’s largest container and cargo port. In 2018-19, trade through the port amounted to nearly 97 million tonnes of cargo, worth $104 billion. We want to acknowledge our city’s rich seafaring history and modern maritime operations.

While the building is successfully operating as a seafarers’ welfare service, the building needs some repair and refurbishment. We are also looking at new and exciting ways to draw people back to the city, as part of our COVID-19 Reactivation and Recovery Plan. A celebration of Melbourne’s rich maritime heritage could help attract visitors and residents to the Docklands.

The timing depends on the outcomes of the feasibility study. If it goes ahead, we are anticipating that this project will be realised within five years.

Built in 1917 by Mission to Seafarers, this heritage-listed building at 717 Flinders Street, North Wharf, Docklands, is a core part of Melbourne’s maritime history. The Mission to Seafarers Victoria has operated from this iconic building for more than 100 years. The building also houses the Mission's archival collection of over 10,000 items of maritime and social history.

Seafarers are people who are employed, engaged or working on board a ship. This includes sailors, ship operations, cleaning, catering and maintenance staff.

The building is run by Mission to Seafarers Victoria, a not-for-profit that provides daily services to seafarers from around the world. Staff and volunteers run a ‘Flying Angel Club’ where seafarers – sailors and other ship operations and maintenance staff – can receive support and provisions.

The core seafarers’ services will be part of any future developments. We are engaging with other current tenants about their needs and possible future plans for the building.

The heritage listed building is managed under Crown Land by the Victorian Government. Mission to Seafarers Victoria currently manages the operation of the building.

No, not yet, we are just at the exploratory stage. We want to gauge the community’s interest in celebrating and preserving our maritime and seafaring heritage. This is an initial study.

No. This project is about engaging with the community about preserving our maritime heritage. A refurbishment of the Mission to Seafarers building could form part of this.

Stella Maris Seafarer’s Centre in Collins Street also provides welfare services, pastoral care and support for seafaring people.