Church of England Boys' Society

The first branch of the Church of England Boys’ Society (CEBS) in Australia was established in around 1914 in Kew, Victoria. It was initially under the guidance of the Church of England Men’s Society. CEBS played a role in a number of children’s institutions in Victoria, sometimes delivering services in conjunction with St John’s Homes for Boys. In some jurisdictions, CEBS has changed its name to the Anglican Boys’ Society and Boys’ Ministry Australia. In 2017 CEBS is still operational in some areas, with branches in New South Wales, Western Australia, Victoria and the Northern Territory.

CEBS’ activities were based on the “foursquare ideal” in which boys were supposedly looked after spiritually, physically, intellectually and socially (The Horsham Times, 28 August 1953).

In 2016 the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse held a public hearing into the response of the Church of England Boys’ Society and the Anglican Dioceses of Tasmania, Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane to allegations of child sexual abuse (Case Study 36). The Commission’s Case Study 52: Institutional review of Anglican Church authorities also heard evidence relating to the Church of England Boys’ Society (CEBS).

A statement made by the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne for Case Study 52 contains information relating to CEBS and its involvement with a number of institutions for children and young people. It stated that the CEBS Community Services Trust ‘appears to have benefited from the proceeds of sale from time to time of the Church of England Boy’s Society Hostel and Probation Scheme and the Church of England Boys Society Farm Training Scheme assets which included Training Farms known as St Hubert’s, Yering, ‘Burton Hall’ Tatura, ‘Molloy House’ Canterbury, ‘Shrublands’ Canterbury, ‘Mountain View’ Romsey, ‘Fernhurst’ Surrey Hills and ‘Ruthven Hostel’ Reservoir’ (Anglican Diocese of Melbourne, p.11).

The statement says that the CEBS Melbourne Constitution was amended by 1969 to provide for a Hostel and Probation Scheme. CEBS ran two hostels in association with the St John’s Home for Boys and Girls: Molloy House and Shrublands (Anglican Diocese of Melbourne, p.13).

In 1974, CEBS purchased a hostel in Reservoir, known as Ruthven Hostel that accommodated 6 to 8 boys (Anglican Diocese of Melbourne, p.14).

In 1980, CEBS’ involvement in community services was limited to Ruthven Hostel and Molloy House, which had been relocated from Canterbury to Brunswick in around 1979.

In 1996/97, CEBS Community Care merged with Meridian Youth and Family Counselling Service.

By 2002, the ownership of the properties in Reservoir and Brunswick was transferred to Anglicare Victoria (Anglican Diocese of Melbourne, p.15).

From the 1930s, CEBS ran a boys’ camp at Frankston.

In 2017, the Church of England Boys Society was a ministry of the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne. It supports approximately 6 CEBS branches (parish groups), operates a campsite (Camp Bindaree) and provides grants to youth activities (Anglican Diocese of Melbourne, p.16).

The Royal Commission report from Case Study 36 states that CEBS has changed its name in some jurisdictions to the Anglican Boys’ Society and Boys’ Ministry Australia. “CEBS is still operational in some areas – it has branches in New South Wales, Western Australia, Victoria and the Northern Territory. In 2008, CEBS ceased operating in Queensland and South Australia. All CEBS branches in Tasmania have also closed down” (Royal Commission, 2017, p8).