Annual WJ Craig Lecture

The Annual WJ Craig Lecture aims to stimulate and encourage debate on important social issues.

The Lecture honours Connections’ history and the philanthropic legacy of William John Craig (1839–1899) and his family that endures in the work of Connections to this day.

    Previous Lectures have covered...

  • Engaging the community – the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
  • Social Justice in Australia – What is the future?
  • The New Social Capital: Helping people, families and communities plan for 100 years of life.
  • Poverty, marriage & mass transit – more connected than they might appear.

Background to Lecture

William J Craig (known to his friends as WJ) was an affluent Melbourne importer and retailer in the 1890s. A dedicated family man and a prominent member of the Presbyterian Church, he and his family were committed to helping families experiencing poverty and hardship.

William John Craig
William John Craig (1839 – 1899)

Without the altruism of philanthropists such as WJ Craig and our current supporters and partners, who donate according to their means, tens of thousands of children and their families would not have received our support for more than 80 years.

WJ Craig’s daughter Elizabeth McNeill McCormick honoured her father with a major donation in 1925 of the mansion ‘Linda’ in Canterbury Road allowing for the establishment of the Presbyterian Babies Home, later to become what we know today as Connections.

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Historical images of activities at ‘Linda’ when it was the Presbyterian Babies Home

Previous Lecture Publications

To download copies of our Lecture publications click here to go through to our publications page.