From migrant settlement to community service
The Dutch migrants who established Little Groningen at Kingston in 1950 contributed to more than the construction of houses, churches and schools. Over subsequent decades, members of the community also became involved in welfare initiatives serving the wider Tasmanian population.
One example was Jireh House, a refuge established in Kingston to provide accommodation and support for women experiencing domestic violence and other circumstances requiring emergency housing.
Historian Kees Wierenga documents the connections between the Dutch Reformed community and the development of Jireh House in his book Shaping Kingston: The Story of God’s Children in Kingston.
The contribution of Reg and Corrie Doedens
An important connection with the Dutch migrant community is preserved in Kees Wierenga’s account of Reg Doedens and his family.
Reg, who became a prominent Kingston businessman and community contributor, built his first home in Maranoa Road in 1955.
His wife Corrie encouraged the use of their home for community purposes. According to the family history, the house supported several missions before eventually becoming Jireh House, a refuge for women.
This illustrates how private homes and voluntary initiatives contributed to the development of community welfare services in Kingston.
Read the personal history of Reg Doedens.
The establishment and development of Jireh House
Jireh House began operating in the early 1980s.
Its purpose was to provide refuge and assistance to women affected by domestic violence and, subsequently, women and children experiencing homelessness or family violence.
The organisation developed beyond its original accommodation arrangements. By 1995, public records describe Jireh House as a non-profit organisation operating a principal refuge at Kingston, together with additional houses and units.
Its activities were supported by government funding and private fundraising, demonstrating the transition from a community initiative to an established welfare service.
In 2005, the Tasmanian Community Fund awarded Jireh House Association $150,000 towards purchasing its Kingston service building, which provided crisis accommodation for women and children.
Continuing support for women and children
Jireh House continued to develop its accommodation and support services during subsequent decades.
In 2022, the organisation described itself as a not-for-profit specialist homelessness service in southern Tasmania, providing accommodation and support for women and children.
Its work included crisis housing, transitional accommodation and assistance for families experiencing homelessness or domestic and family violence.
The development of Jireh House illustrates how an initiative associated with local Christian volunteers became an established community service extending well beyond the original Dutch migrant population.
A wider tradition of community welfare
Jireh House was one of several welfare initiatives associated with individual members of Kingston’s Reformed community.
Other initiatives included Christian aged care, support for refugees and community housing.
These activities were not necessarily undertaken by the Reformed Church as an institution. As Kees Wierenga explains, they were often established by individual church members working with Christians from other denominations and members of the wider community.
One example was the Association for Christian Homes for the Aged, incorporated in 1972 following discussions among Kingston residents about accommodation and care for elderly family members.
The association subsequently developed housing at Denison Court in Kingston and Wells Court in Blackmans Bay, becoming the organisation now known as Christian Homes Tasmania.
These separate initiatives reflected a broader commitment to community welfare that extended beyond the migrants’ original settlement needs.
Historical significance
Jireh House represents an important aspect of the Dutch-Australian contribution to Kingston.
The original migrants had arrived seeking employment, housing and opportunities to establish new lives. Their descendants and fellow community members subsequently helped develop institutions that addressed the needs of the wider population.
The connection between Reg and Corrie Doedens’s family home and the development of Jireh House provides a particularly tangible example of this transition.
The organisation’s subsequent history also demonstrates how voluntary community initiatives could develop into established services supported by government and professional staff.
Sources and acknowledgement
This article draws on Kees Wierenga’s historical research and supplementary public records.
- Reg Doedens – A life of faith, resilience and community, including the history of the Doedens family home and Jireh House.
- Christian Reformed Churches of Australia, by Kees Wierenga.
- Shaping Kingston – The story of God’s children in Kingston, Kees Wierenga, 2019.
- Tasmanian Industrial Commission, Decision T5500 of 1995, concerning Jireh House’s operations.
- Tasmanian Community Fund Annual Report 2005.
- Jireh House submission to the Tasmanian Housing Strategy, 2022.
- Christian Homes Tasmania – Our history.
The Dutch Australian Cultural Centre acknowledges the extensive research of Kees Wierenga and the historical collection assembled with Irene Wierenga.
Related research
This article forms part of the DACC’s Research Portal – Little Groningen: Dutch migration, faith and community in Kingston, Tasmania.
