OUR STORY
128 years of service to our community
Our History
BlueLine Laundry is a registered Charity with a long and proud history of service to the people of Tasmania. Commencing operations in 1893 as BayView Laundry, the service was developed by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd to provide employment for disadvantaged women and girls.
Since then Blueline Laundry has evolved to a fully commercial and competitive laundry while continuing to offer employment, training and personal development to disabled and disadvantaged people.
Through 128 years of service to the community, our business has survived through two World Wars, the Polio Pandemic, the Spanish Flu, the 1967 Bushfires, the Global Financial Crisis and COVID-19.
Blueline Laundry continues to look forward to continuous improvement in our customer service and quality of products.
Timeline
1835 -•
Sisters of the Good Shepherd founded
Saint Mary Euphrasia Pelletier founded the Catholic religious order in Angers, France.
1913 -•
Modern boiler house
A modern boiler house was added to the existing facilities in the laundry which included a wash area, an ironing room and a packing room
1968 -•
Bay View Laundry
A new laundry association was formed and the facility was renamed Bay View Laundry. Lat the following year the laundry commenced operation as a sheltered workshop
1986 -•
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II visited Mount St. Canice.
1995 -•
Mount St. Canice operations ceased
Bay View Laundry ceased operations at Mount St. Canice on 9 December 1995.
Blueline Commences
Operations moved to Creek Road, New Town and the name was changed to Blueline Laundry. Blueline became a Registered Training Organisation. At the start of accredited training the laundry had 52 employees including 30 people with a disability.
2000 -•
Expanding services
Blueline acquired Hobart Laundry.
2012 -•
Statewide operation
With the securement of work from the Launceston General Hospital, Blueline took a step to becoming a statewide operation by committing to establish a laundry in Launceston.
2016 -•
Re-brand
Re-brand of the organisation commenced, resulting in a new logo, website and truck signage.
2025 -•
Vision for the future
Our goal for the next 5 years is centred around our purpose - to be the most effective disability services enterprise, changing more people’s lives for the better.
•- 1893
Laundry commenced
Operations commenced as a laundry at the Magdalen Home at Mount St. Canice. It was started by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd to provide employment for disadvantaged women and girls.
•- 1955
Steady growth
Laundry operations continued with business having steadily grown throughout the two world wars and into the 1950s
•- 1974
Boiler Accident
On Thursday 5 September 1974, workmen were testing a new boiler in the laundry when it exploded. Eight people were killed with many more injured.
Rebuilding the Laundry
Following the incident, the decision was made to rebuild the laundry at Mount St. Canice with the aim of providing employment for disable people.
•- 1993
Voluntary Board
On 25 January the laundry was incorporated and a voluntary board of management appointed.
•- 1996
Factory blessed
The new factory was blessed by His Grace Archbishop D’Arcy. Blueline remains part of the Archdiocese of Hobart and is a Catholic values based agency.
•- 2006
Modernisation
Modernisation of the laundry commenced with installation of the CBWs and more recently new ironers.
•- 2014
Blueline acquires Statewide Linen
Statewide Linen was acquired by Blueline in further progression to having a statewide presence. Number of employees increased to 197 including 44 people with a disability.
•- 2020
Coronavirus Pandemic
Emergence of a global pandemic established Blueline as an expert advisor to Public Health, serving hospitals and quarantine hotels with accredited procedures to manage infectious linen and enhanced workplace safety equipment to protect staff.
Our Board & Leadership Team
It takes an incredible team to lead this special organisation. Find out more about how we put the right people in the right positions on our Board and Leadership team.