Celebrating ten years of community-led support for women and children escaping domestic and family violence, Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, hosted a reception at Admiralty House on Friday, 1 May.
In her first official engagement as Patron of Mary’s House Services, Her Excellency acknowledged the Mary’s House Community and the profound difference they are making in the lives of some of the most vulnerable women and children.
“Ten years ago, we were seen as attempting the impossible,” said a founding representative of Mary’s House Services. “Today, we reflect with a deep sense of purpose and achievement, even as demand for our services continues to exceed our capacity.”
Over the past decade, Mary’s House Services has provided more than 18,000 safe room nights, offering crisis accommodation and specialist support to women and children escaping domestic and family violence.
Midway through its development, the organisation expanded beyond a refuge, to offer domestic and family violence social work support to women in the community and a range of therapeutic and wellbeing programs, and advice clinics. Today, its integrated service model includes a suite of community programs including counselling, technology safety checks, and legal and financial clinics.
Established by the community, for the community, Mary’s House Services provides expert and practical support to families at every stage of their journey, from immediate safety through to longer-term healing, housing, and financial stability.
The reception at Admiralty House brought together supporters, partners, and community to mark a decade of impact, and reaffirm a shared commitment to addressing domestic and family violence.
“This is a place of peace and belonging, where everyone is welcome – an ethos that is so deeply embedded within Mary’s House Services. On your tenth birthday, it is an honour to celebrate with you here, and reflect on the gift of refuge, safety, compassion, and care that you share with women and children impacted by domestic and family violence.” The Governor-General said.
Demand for support continues to rise. In 2025, referrals to Mary’s House Services increased by 63%, reflecting growing awareness and the escalating need for support across Sydney’s northern suburbs.
New South Wales Police receive a domestic and family violence-related call approximately every three minutes, with these incidents accounting for around 60% of police resources. Mary’s House Services notes that domestic and family violence remains significantly underreported, with research indicating over one third of women never report their experiences of partner violence to the police.
Chair of Mary’s House Services, Helen Conway, said it was a privilege to have the organisation’s work recognised by Her Excellency who has always spoken of gender equity, kindness, care, and respect as being important to Australia’s social fabric.
“It was an honour to have Her Excellency recognise the work of Mary’s House Services at this intimate gathering which represented a small number of the generous and dedicated community members who have been part of the last decade – no venue would have been large enough ,” Ms Conway said. “This occasion reflected not only the impact of the past decade, but the care and determination of the community to support critical care and crisis accommodation in the region for women and children seeking safety and hope.”
