Stop A4: Former Manse
Click on the above to listen to audio of Wesley Place’s history
More than the minister’s home
Built in 1859, the Manse was part of the church complex designed by Joseph Reed. Originally the minister’s residence, it was later used for the Wesley Central Mission’s programs. In the early to mid-twentieth century it was known as Wesley House and was a rest home for older women. In the early 2000s, it housed the offices of The Big Issue magazine, that helps empower homeless people to positively change their lives.
Joseph Reed’s vision
There was some discussion as to whether the Manse at the new church should be built next to the Church’s immigrant home in Carlton. However, the Trustees Committee recommended the city as more appropriate. Reed had intended for the Manse to be located closer to Lonsdale Street to keep the south elevation in line with the church, however the siting of the original 1850s Wesleyan School House most likely resulted in the Manse being situated in its present location.
The Manse had a rear yard, which in 1919 featured a row of bamboo and the Olive Tree that you’ll see in a different location on the trail today. It also housed stables, located at the north-east corner of the site.
Wesleyan ministers and their families
From its construction in 1859 until 1905, it was occupied by the succession of Wesleyan ministers. They had an influence on the interior of the building, with a renovation by Rev Alexander Edgar aimed at removing the ‘old gloomy aspect’ of the Manse.1 Rev. Edgar lived there with his wife and eight children for six years from 1893.
In 1899, the family of Rev. Samuel Hoban moved into the Manse and remained there until 1905, when it ceased to function as a residence.
In 1982, the Green family was the first ministerial family to occupy the Manse since 1905. They lived there until 1990.
Uncover more about Rev Alexander Edgar here
Addressing the challenges of the city
The Manse has had many different uses aside from a residence. From 1905, the Rev. Edward Sugden, Master of Queens College at the University of Melbourne established an evangelical college in the building, where young men from the University could board and ‘work among the poor and submerged of the great city’. The college operated for six years and accommodated nearly 100 young men over this time.
Young girls and women had boarded at the Manse before the opening of the purpose-built Princess Mary Club in 1926. The Manse then became a rest home for elderly women, known as Wesley House. In the 1960s, a coffee shop was located in the ground floor, with the upper floors used for offices and meeting rooms.
From 1996-2016, the Big Issue was based at the Manse and shared space with the Wesley Support Service, which provided material aid, counselling and referrals to thousands of clients.
References
1 A J Derrick, The Diamond Jubilee of the Wesley Church, c. 1914 p.7
Image References
- The south elevation of the Manse, 1938. Source: Wesley Church Archives
- West elevation of the Manse, 1859. Source: University of Melbourne Archives, 1968.0013
- Residents of Wesley House, outside the Manse, 1929. Source: The Challenge of the City, 1993
