Hobart Archbishop Julian Porteous has praised the work of Blueline Laundry as the social enterprise marks its 130th anniversary. Source: Hobart Archdiocese.
Archbishop Porteous toured the New Town laundry with Blueline’s chief executive officer, Michael Sylvester, met staff and even tried his hand at feeding pillow slips into an ironer.
“What has always impressed me about Blueline Laundry is that in its business operations, people always come first,” Archbishop Porteous said.
“Blueline Laundry was founded to provide for people with a disability, to help them not only find meaningful work, but also to be a place where they are respected, encouraged, and nurtured.”
Blueline is a multi-award-winning business, which operates under the auspices of Hobart Archdiocese, and is proud of the diverse abilities, cultures and backgrounds of its workforce.
“Blueline is a ‘faith in action’ outworking of the Catholic Church’s social teachings around the dignity of work and the rights of the worker,” Mr Sylvester said.
“The support of the Church and the presence of His Grace on site was a real encouragement to us all.”
Further special events are planned as the laundry continues to mark its 130-year milestone. Staff are learning a specially written song that focuses on the key values of the laundry. There are also plans for a community and stakeholder celebration in October, at both the Hobart and Launceston sites.
The laundry was founded by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in 1893 at Magdalen Home at Mount St Canice. In 1968, the operation was named Bay View Laundry.
In 1995, the laundry moved to New Town and was renamed Blueline Laundry.
Services have continued to expand and modernise over the past 20 years, and in 2014 Blueline bought Statewide Linen, making its northern base at Hobart Road, Kings Meadows.
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Archbishop praises people-first approach at laundry (By Wendy Shaw, Hobart Archdiocese)
