Mary’s House Services will save more lives with second domestic violence refuge.

As Mary’s House Services marks a decade of providing life-saving support to women and children escaping domestic and family violence, it has announced a vital milestone, the imminent acquisition of a refuge property in Sydney’s northern suburbs.

Over the past 10 years, Mary’s House Services has leased a property to operate its original refuge and has provided more than 20,000 safe room nights to families in trauma.

The new property will complement the existing refuge and will be the only refuge with self-contained apartments for women and children in the area and will more than double Mary’s House Services’ refuge capacity. The second Mary’s House refuge will provide temporary crisis housing for women and children of all ages, including families with pets.

This vital new service was made possible only through the extraordinary generosity of philanthropic individuals who united behind the founders’ vision that everyone has the right to live free from abuse and violence.

With a strategic commitment to support more women and children, this second refuge was identified as an essential project for the organisation.

What began as a small community organisation has grown into one of the region’s leading specialist domestic and family violence services, supporting hundreds of women and children annually through refuge accommodation, specialised social worker services, housing coordination, trauma-informed counselling, legal and financial support, and a range of therapeutic and wellbeing programs.

Chair of Mary’s House Services, Helen Conway AO, said the project reflects the commitment of an entire community.

“Ten years ago, a group of caring community members on Sydney’s lower North Shore decided that more women and children experiencing domestic and family violence should be provided with safety, critical care and hope. They recognised a gap in services in the lower northern suburbs of Sydney. The founders say that their vision has now grown beyond anything they imagined.”

Demand for specialist domestic and family violence support is rising across Sydney’s northern suburbs, with Mary’s House Services experiencing sustained annual increases in requests for refuge accommodation and specialised support services.

Mary’s House Services’ CEO Yvette Vignando said the new refuge will transform the organisation’s ability to meet growing demand, and save lives.

“Mary’s House Services has been advocating and applying to government for funds, because we cannot offer refuge accommodation to all the women and children referred to us. We are not alone in this. Specialist domestic violence refuges in Sydney’s northern suburbs are in dangerously short supply. I’m deeply grateful to our supporters, who understand that families in trauma who are seeking safe refuge, should be offered hope, healing and housing. Our clients leave our refuge feeling more confident, connected and safe.”

Mary’s House Services will welcome its first families to the new refuge in 2027. Their CEO expressed gratitude for the ongoing community support: “We don’t receive a cent from government to operate our existing refuge and refuge casework services. I’m confident that caring community donors, corporate and individual philanthropists will continue to believe in and support our belief: that everyone has the right to live in safety.”