This 110-Year-Old Service Helps 110,000 Travelers Annually

When 83-year-old Bev Keane arrives at Southern Cross Station in Melbourne, she can barely walk due to her breathing disability, but she's never worried because someone is always waiting with what she calls "the billycart."

Travellers Aid has been meeting travelers at Australian stations since 1916, making it one of the country's longest-running support services. What started as volunteers protecting women and children traveling alone during World War I has grown into a sophisticated operation helping more than 110,000 people each year.

The organization was born from necessity when men left to fight in WWI and women flooded cities for work. Volunteers met weary arrivals at boat docks and train stations, finding them safe housing and jobs. Some volunteers even helped arrange marriages.

Over 110 years, Travellers Aid adapted to each era's needs. They welcomed post-WWII migrants stepping off ships into unfamiliar territory. They greeted anxious Asian students arriving through the 1950s Colombo Plan. During the recent pandemic, they calmed nervous passengers returning to public transit.

Today, 100 staff members and 150 volunteers operate at seven locations including Southern Cross, Flinders Street, Melbourne Airport, and the new Parkville station near major hospitals. Their buggies zip through underground tunnels at Southern Cross, ferrying passengers with mobility challenges to distant platforms.

Best friends Bev and Wendy Poulter, 79, rely on the service for their regular visits between Warrnambool and Melbourne. Wendy has low vision and waits at the station while Bev gets chauffeured in what they jokingly call "the limousine."

"I don't think I'd be confident to go without this," Wendy says.

The Ripple Effect: When a Telstra outage shut down Victoria's entire V/Line network in July, Travellers Aid became a lifeline for stranded passengers. Staff helped thousands contact family, find replacement coaches, and navigate the chaos. At Parkville station alone, the team has assisted nearly 3,400 people since opening last December, many heading to chemotherapy appointments or visiting sick relatives during their most stressful moments.

Site supervisor Joel Ubias and his team don't wait to be asked. They proactively approach anyone who looks lost or overwhelmed.

The free service runs on government grants, corporate partnerships, and public donations. It offers buggy rides, wheelchair assistance, shower facilities, quiet lounges for resting, and answers to endless questions about directions and timetables. They've even expanded to help fans with mobility challenges attend the Australian Open and Formula One races.

CEO Elias Lebbos says the mission remains unchanged since 1916: make sure nobody navigates the journey alone.