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Meals On Wheels

The City of Sydney's History Program conducted an oral history project about Meals on Wheels in 2007 to commemorate 50 years of the service within our boundaries.

In 1957 the City was the first council to implement Meals on Wheels in New South Wales and the service has been operating continuously ever since. Meals on Wheels is supported by City staff, however, volunteers are the mainstay of the service.

Members of the community donate their time as either drivers who bring their own cars to transport the meals, or as runners, who go with the drivers and then carry the meals into the client's dwelling. The diversity of the City's many communities is reflected in the equally diverse nature of Meals on Wheels volunteers, and their clients.

The oral history project is based on an illustrated booklet called Sydney Stories: Meals on Wheels, which you can download below.

Thelma Crawley


Thelma Crawley Thelma Crawley volunteered for Meals on Wheels in the City for nearly 50 years. She remembers a famous Sydney identity, Rosaleen Norton, who was known as the 'Witch of Kings Cross', and was a Meals on Wheels client.


Transcript - Thelma Crawley (PDF, 185.6 KB)

Thelma Crawley


Thelma Crawley Thelma Crawley volunteered for Meals on Wheels in the City for nearly 50 years. She remembers a famous Sydney identity, Rosaleen Norton, who was known as the 'Witch of Kings Cross', and was a Meals on Wheels client.


Transcript - Thelma Crawley (PDF, 185.6 KB)

Thelma Crawley, Extract
Thelma Crawley, Full

Ely Koo


Ely Koo Ely Koo emigrated from China to Australia in the late 1990s. He began volunteering with Meals on Wheels in 2000 because, he says, Australia has been good to him and he wanted to give something back. He is learning English and says his work as a runner for Meals on Wheels is also beneficial for developing his languages skills.


Transcript - Ely Koo (PDF, 138.1 KB)

Ely Koo


Ely Koo Ely Koo emigrated from China to Australia in the late 1990s. He began volunteering with Meals on Wheels in 2000 because, he says, Australia has been good to him and he wanted to give something back. He is learning English and says his work as a runner for Meals on Wheels is also beneficial for developing his languages skills.


Transcript - Ely Koo (PDF, 138.1 KB)

Ely Koo, Extract
Ely Koo, Full

Linda Stangherlin


Linda StangherlinState manager of financial services company the Russell Investment Group Linda Stangherlin is one of a growing number of corporate Meals on Wheels volunteers. She is part of a large roster of Russell employees who take responsibility for Meals on Wheels deliveries once a week.


Transcript - Linda Stangherlin (PDF, 130.8 KB)

Linda Stangherlin


Linda StangherlinState manager of financial services company the Russell Investment Group Linda Stangherlin is one of a growing number of corporate Meals on Wheels volunteers. She is part of a large roster of Russell employees who take responsibility for Meals on Wheels deliveries once a week.


Transcript - Linda Stangherlin (PDF, 130.8 KB)

Linda Stangherlin, Extract
Linda Stangherlin, Full

Gwen Cordner


Gwen Cordner Gwen Cordner is a member of the 'Old Grammarians', a group of women who live in Sydney but who attended the same girls' school in Melbourne. She recalls the Christmas parties that Meals on Wheels volunteers once provided, additional to the delivery of meals to clients' homes.


Transcript - Gwen Cordner (PDF, 150.0 KB)

Gwen Cordner


Gwen Cordner Gwen Cordner is a member of the 'Old Grammarians', a group of women who live in Sydney but who attended the same girls' school in Melbourne. She recalls the Christmas parties that Meals on Wheels volunteers once provided, additional to the delivery of meals to clients' homes.


Transcript - Gwen Cordner (PDF, 150.0 KB)

Gwen Cordner, Extract
Gwen Cordner, Full

Pauline O'Halloran


Pauline O'Halloran Another long-term volunteer, Pauline O'Halloran, recalls some of the extra services that Meals on Wheels has sometimes provided.



Transcript - Pauline OHalloran (PDF, 118.0 KB)

Pauline O'Halloran


Pauline O'Halloran Another long-term volunteer, Pauline O'Halloran, recalls some of the extra services that Meals on Wheels has sometimes provided.



Transcript - Pauline OHalloran (PDF, 118.0 KB)

Pauline O'Halloran, Extract
Pauline O'Halloran, Full

Craig Morris


Craig Morris Marketing and Communications Director for the Russell Investment Group Craig Morris discusses the necessity for services such as Meals on Wheels now, and into the future.


Transcript - Craig Morris (PDF, 130.8 KB)

Craig Morris


Craig Morris Marketing and Communications Director for the Russell Investment Group Craig Morris discusses the necessity for services such as Meals on Wheels now, and into the future.


Transcript - Craig Morris (PDF, 130.8 KB)

Craig Morris, Extract
Craig Morris, Full

Mark Spruhan


Mark Spruhan Mark Spruhan was Manager of Aged, Disability and Food Services (now Over 55 Services) for the City until 2009. He describes the range of people who volunteer for Meals on Wheels.


Transcript - Mark Spruhan (PDF, 144.1 KB)

Mark Spruhan


Mark Spruhan Mark Spruhan was Manager of Aged, Disability and Food Services (now Over 55 Services) for the City until 2009. He describes the range of people who volunteer for Meals on Wheels.


Transcript - Mark Spruhan (PDF, 144.1 KB)

Mark Spruhan, Extract
Mark Spruhan, Full

Accessing the collection

Computer access to the online oral history collection is available at all branches in the City's library network.

CDs and printed copies of interview transcripts are available at the Waterloo Branch Library: Waterloo Town Hall, 770 Elizabeth St, Waterloo NSW 2017; Telephone: 02 9288 5688

Please be aware that for reasons of privacy and/or coherence audio excerpts may not be precisely identical to the way that they appeared in the original recording. For the same reasons full audio files and transcripts may also have been slightly edited where necessary.

Last updated: Tuesday, 21 May 2013