The Church of England National Emergency Fund, known as CENEF, was a volunteer organisation within the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, Australia.

CENEF was formed by Archbishop Howard Mowll in October 1939, one month after Australia's entry into World War II.

At the same time his wife, Dorothy Mowll, started the Sydney Diocesan Churchwomen's Association (SDCA) to act as an auxiliary to CENEF - to supply volunteers, raise funds and make ‘comforts’.

The role of CENEF initially was to ‘provide chaplains and recreation huts at military camps, naval depots, and air force stations’.

St Peter's Church Hall, Watson's Bay in June 1943,[12] and was sited near the naval base Large army and air force bases were set up around Sydney during the war and CENEF put recreation huts at Ingleburn, Wallgrove (now in Blacktown) and Liverpool, then Richmond followed by Narellan [13] and finally Sydney Showground [14] These huts were called Cenef Huts and ‘no soldier has to be told what those letters stand for.’.

[15] At first Chaplains who were stationed at the barracks could ‘live in these Church huts and use them as centres for social relaxation and as Chapels for voluntary worship.

Comforts included things like socks, pyjamas, vests, scarves, balaclava caps, shirts.

The first, in Sydney [23][24] initially delivered to National Emergency Services sites at Balmain, Leichhardt and other districts.

It was also part of a plan for a national emergency - in which contingency all Church of England halls would be called into service.

[25] The Sydney mobile canteen had an oven capacity of 200-300 pies, and a large stock of food and urns for hot drinks.

At the fourth annual meeting of the SDCA Lady Wakehurst congratulated the 1,700 volunteers who had taken part in activities.

The St Andrew’s canteen used 300 lb of sausages, 90 dozen eggs - as well as joints, cold meats and sweets of all kinds.

This was such a problem that they advertised for ‘Woman, over 45, for kitchen work and general cleaning, full-time, congenial position.

Beer, sausage and dance night held by the Country Women's Association[56] In their book “Sydney Anglicans”[57] Stephen Judd and Kenneth Cable note that Archbishop Mowll was a ‘high profile, high energy leader’ with two special interests; the Home Mission Society and Moore Theological College.

However, as busy as he was with those interests he and his wife Dorothy were constantly involved in encouraging fundraising in the SDCA and CENEF.

An example is this, from the Sydney Morning Herald: “Tribute to “long-suffering husbands” who allowed their wives to spend so much time working for canteens and hostels was paid by Archbishop Mowll at the second anniversary of the C.E.N.E.F.

[62] Rear-Admiral H J Feakes opened the canteen and recreation centre in St Peter's parish hall, Watson's Bay.

[67] Lady Gowrie opened the Women's Officers Club [68] at St Philip's Church Hill, even writing a 'birthday' letter from England after she'd left.

d. A constructive Church approach to the problems of rehabilitation.“ [69] After demobbing was complete the building would house a youth centre.

[74] That the huts remained after the War created some criticism in the letters section of the Sydney Morning Herald.

This led R B Robinson, the honorary secretary of CENEF, to write a reply, explaining that the huts were still ‘catering for the needs of serving and returned personnel’.

The decision to provide for military personnel after the completion of World War 2 would leave a significant legacy in Sydney Diocese.

[77] Prior to this youth meetings were held in Lower Chapter House sitting on ‘butter boxes’.

[78] At the same time as the new Youth Director was holding his meetings in Lower Chapter House it was still a hostel for service women.

Some of the uses of the auditorium during this period were: However, it was in using the property as capital against loans, and eventually it's resale, that the fundraising for the initial building has left a lasting legacy.

People using the hostel had to find other lodging,[87] and there was a bit of disagreement over the sale carried on in the Sydney Morning Herald.