Archbishop praises people-first approach at laundry

By Wendy Shaw

Archbishop Julian has praised the work of Blueline Laundry, following a tour of the Hobart site to coincide with the social enterprise’s 130th anniversary.

The laundry operates under the auspices of the Archdiocese of Hobart.  

The Archbishop toured the laundry at New Town early last month with Blueline’s chief executive officer, Michael Sylvester.

He met staff and even tried his hand at feeding pillow slips into an ironer.

Archbishop Julian said afterwards: “What has always impressed me about Blueline Laundry is that in its business operations, people always come first.

“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 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 ceased its operations at Mount St Canice and moved to Creek Road, New Town. It 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.