The compound of philosophical radicalism, evangelical religion and self reliant ability typical of its founders had given an equalitarian flavour to South Australian thinking from the beginning.
for apprentices and others, after their day's work, to enjoy books, lectures, discussions, readings, friendly relief and recreation for a leisure hour.
In September 1850 records show that this became "The Young Men's Christian Association of South Australia" as evidenced by a member's letter in London Y.M.C.A.
[citation needed] With the YMCA of Adelaide one of the very early organisations for social good it attracted some of the state's leading influential figures to its board and men of high calibre as General Secretary.
[citation needed] The history of the organisation in South Australia is very much tied to the leadership by both General Secretaries (CEOs) and the presidents along with the boards who backed them.
In court and before Chief Justice Sir Samuel Way, Walker revealed the money had gone on assisting impecunious young men.
Walker was regarded as a very hard working Secretary who said he did not have a night off in any month and the board believed he did not have fraudulent intent but compassion rather than criminality.
For young men, activities included Bible classes, sporting teams, lectures, debating and choral societies, a gymnasium, camps and an employment and immigration department.
[11] By 1916, the army department was the largest work done by the Adelaide YMCA with operations at Mitcham, Cheltenham, Balaklava, Murray Bridge, Torrens Island, Gawler.
[12] Jack Massey began his YMCA career as a field secretary attached to the Australian Imperial Forces[13][14] A Christian (Anglican) and a pacifist he served in England France and Belgium assisting soldiers awaiting repatriation.
He was appointed as General Secretary of the Adelaide YMCA in 1920 and went on to build and expand the organisation as well as develop programmes and advocate for young people with accomplishments including establishing a court for juvenile offenders and guiding amateur football in SA.
He attended the 100 years of Adelaide YMCA in 1978 not long before his death in 1981 and was acclaimed as one of the great men of the organisation and the community for his life of service.
In 1956 he negotiated the purchase of the Presbyterian Church[16] in Flinders Street which was demolished the following year and a new modern YMCA youth complex[17] and residential facility was constructed.
Gibbs led the fundraising that enabled the construction of YMCA youth facilities at Walkerville (demolished 12–18 September 2024), Kilburn, Elizabeth and Glenelg.
In 1945 "Loftia Park," a large block of land in the lovely Mount Lofty Ranges, was purchased with swimming pool, tennis courts, sports grounds and other facilities partly completed.
After his Army service he joined the Adelaide Y as Extension Secretary under Irvine having responsibility for developing boards, programmes and ensuring the viability of Walkerville, Northern Districts (Kilburn), West Croydon and Elizabeth Branches.
He personally led groups of senior leaders on Outward Bound-type expeditions to New Zealand, Tasmania (Cradle Mountain Track, Flinders Ranges and the Grampians).
Daly went on become a Senior Office, then assistant director in the newly formed South Australian Government Department of Tourism, Recreation and Sport.
Other initiatives included Dollar Day a door knocking fundraiser and the City Port Fun Run which attracted thousands of runners.
This created a crisis which inspired the recruitment to the board of some former Y members high in the corporate world who could use there expertise to review the organisation.
With the Flinders Street property becoming outdated and run down Dowling sought to redevelop site.. A 12-story, strata titled building with the Y having some floors and selling off others.
The Flinders' Street property was then sold as cost of fire compliance and the age of the building proved uneconomical to refurbish.
This chewed up significant funds which ultimately delivered no results and the money from the sale of Flinders Street property began to diminish.
Supported by a senior leadership team he assembled, he took the organisation from near insolvency to financial security and a higher level of service delivery.
While CEO, Robins instituted "reciprocal rights" which made the facilities across South Australia available to any resident in the state rather than being limited to the closest YMCA.
[22] In addition, under his leadership the Fleurieu Aquatic Centre offered free memberships to children under ten in an effort to combat childhood obesity.
Mundy stepped in at short notice from his role as General manager Operations and earned his name on the baton that is passed from one CEO to the next.
In 2020 the Covid pandemic struck sending the community into various lockdowns and causing YMCA facilities to shut and then impose limits on proximity.