Tag: aboriginal

Aboriginal Chaplains for Melbourne

AN ANSWER TO THE GREAT NEED OF PASTORAL CARE OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN MELBOURNE – Launched recently by Rev. Neville Lilley of the Aboriginal Evangelical Fellowship CHAPLAINS FOR MELBOURNE are community support workers who serve the Indigenous people in hospitals, schools, prisons. PLEASE SUPPORT with prayer and finance. For further information contact AEF Family & Youth Services Phone: 03 9890-2615 Fax: 03 9898-9911, Email: nlilley@aef.org.au

THE VISION for these chaplains is seeing Indigenous people

  • Overcome the impacts of marginalization, evidenced in poor health and education, unemployment, drug and alcohol abuse, violence and other destructive behaviour
  • Empowered to live fulfilling and productive lives in Australian society.

These will be Chaplains to Youth, to Women and Hospital and Funeral Chaplains

Because of the emotional drain this ministry involves, it is important that the Chaplain

  • Be connected to the Aboriginal Evangelical Church in Melbourne
  • Connect to a mainstream church for added support and encouragement
  • Connect to a personal support group and prayer chain
  • Establish a mentor, which could include a local leader, elder or colleague

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Darebin City

Area / Location:

The city of Darebin covers an area of 53 square kilometres and includes the suburbs of Fairfield, Northcote, Thornbury, Preston, Reservoir, Kingsbury, Bundoora and parts of the suburbs of Macleod and Alphington.

Darebin contains a mixture of residential and industrial areas.

Population:

  • 131,000 (1996 census)
  • 0.8% of the population is Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
  • People with disabilities constitute 10% of the population
  • 25% of the population are over 55 and this figure is growing
  • Age structure

Age Group

Darebin %

Melbourne %

0 – 4

6.9%

5 – 14

13.1%

15 – 24

15.5%

25 – 34

16.7%

35 – 49

22.5%

50 – 59

10.0%

60 – 69

7.3%

70 – 84

6.8%

85 Plus

1.2%

Birthplace and Language

  • Over one third of the population in Darebin are born overseas
  • Among the city’s larger birthplace groups are people born in Italy, Greece, UK and Ireland, China, Macedonia, Lebanon and New Zealand
  • 90% of the overseas born residents were born in countries where English was not the primary language
  • Country of origin reflect languages spoken at home

Religion

  • Decline of traditional churches
  • Growth in Islamic and Buddist faiths, with substantial infrastructures from both religions set up in the municipality

Employment

  • Darebin’s two major employers are the manufacturing industry and the retail sector.
  • Darebin is the home to approximately 55,000 businesses which employ around 49,400 jobs, of which one third are taken by Darebin residents.

Unemployment rate is 11.8% which is higher than the Melbourne average (6.3%).

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