Learn about our history.
The Uniting Church is deeply committed to providing care and support to vulnerable people and communities and has done so in a variety of forms for over 2 centuries.
Our history
Supporting people and communities since 1890.
For over 2 centuries we have responded to the needs of many Australians—some of our earliest work dates to the mid-1800s where individuals and congregations of the Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregational churches responded to the need they saw in their communities.
Social enterprise TADPAC becomes part of Uniting Vic.Tas
Uniting Vic.Tas is formed by the coming together of 21 UnitingCare agencies, Wesley Mission Victoria, Share and UnitingCare Victoria and Tasmania Early Childhood Services.
The major strategic review report to Synod Standing Committee recommends that a single body oversee the Synod’s UnitingCare agencies and that the legal entity adopt the Uniting brand. Synod
accepts the recommendations.
Synod of Victoria and Tasmania resolves to undertake a major strategic review of the life and work of the Uniting Church.
Orana UnitingCare and UnitingCare Sunshine and Broadmeadows join to form Lentara UnitingCare. UnitingCare Moreland Hall becomes UnitingCare ReGen.
UnitingCare Family Services and Scots Child Care Centres join with
Gagebrook Community Services to create UnitingCare Tasmania.
Hobart Benevolent Society, Tadpac Print and Cerebral Palsy Tasmania to join UnitingCare Tasmania over
subsequent years.
UnitingCare Australia network formally launched.
Uniting Church Assembly Standing Committee approves the name of UnitingCare Australia for the national
body for the UnitingCare network, one of the largest providers of community services in Australia.
Bendigo UnitingCare Outreach formally begins as a volunteer-led agency. Later becomes UnitingCare Bendigo.
St Stephen’s Uniting Church, Wodonga, initiates a co-ordinated approach to service provision in the local community with other
church denominations.
Community Options Victoria formed to support people with dementia. Later renamed UnitingCare lifeAssist.
Werribee Youth Housing established by Crossroads Uniting Church and the
Presbytery of Maribyrnong Valley. Later becomes UnitingCare Werribee Support and Housing. Services are
expanded in 2005, incorporating
Care and Concern.
Wesley Church, Ballarat, commences its Outreach service providing
emergency relief.
Share is established to create awareness and financial assistance for the welfare work of the Uniting Church in Victoria and Tasmania.
Wimmera Family Group Homes (Horsham, then Stawell) created by the Uniting Church Presbytery of Grampians with support from Orana. Wimmera Emergency Housing begins in Horsham. They later join to become Wimmera UnitingCare.
The Uniting Church is formed by the coming together of three denominations— Congregational Union in Australia, the Methodist
Church of Australasia, and the Presbyterian Church of Australia.
Lifeline Ballarat begins in a Congregational Church manse in Ballarat, Victoria. Central Methodist Mission establishes Lifeline Melbourne.
Central Methodist Mission establishes a centre for the treatment of alcoholism at Moreland Hall, and later included other drug dependencies. In 1978 the service became UnitingCare
Moreland Hall.
Harrison House is established
by West Hawthorn Presbyterian Church. In 1994 becomes Harrison Community Services. Later known as UnitingCare Harrison.
Prahran Methodist Mission and Christian Community Centre is established by the Prahran Methodist church circuit as a response to postwar poverty. Later to become known as Prahran Mission.
Neglected Children’s Aid Society adopts the name of the original North Melbourne property used by the agency - Kildonan. Various versions of the name are used over the next 70 years before becoming Kildonan UnitingCare in 2007.
Methodist Babies’ Home established in South Yarra.
Methodist Homes for Children opens in Cheltenham. In 1953 relocates to Burwood and adopts the name Orana – Methodist Peace Memorial Homes for Children, reflecting the family group homes approach used.
Scots’ Church Neglected Children’s Aid Society purchases property in North Melbourne named Kildonan.