Advance Australia Fair

4th May 2026, Reading time: 5 minutes

 WALKING WITH THE EXCLUDED 

Jesuit Mission Australia’s much loved Maytime Fair was held on Saturday 2 May at Xavier College, bringing together the community for a day of connection and meaningful impact. A longstanding highlight on the Melbourne calendar, the Fair attracts thousands of people each year, uniting families, students, teachers and supporters in an effort to stand in solidarity with communities around the world.

Visitors enjoyed a full program of live music, international food, rides, games, face painting, raffles, showbags, and the popular wine auction, with something on offer for all ages. This year’s event had an added dimension, with Jesuit Mission marking 75 years of global mission, adding an extra element of celebration to a day already known for its vibrant atmosphere and strong community spirit.

Helen Forde, CEO of Jesuit Mission, said: “The Maytime Fair is about people coming together in a really practical way to support others. It is a day that captures the generosity and compassion of this community. Behind all the fun is a very real impact. The funds raised help create opportunities through education, livelihoods, and access to essential services for communities who need it most.”

Since 1952, the Maytime Fair has supported Jesuit Mission’s work across more than 10 countries in Asia and Africa, including Cambodia, Timor Leste, India, Myanmar, Thailand, and Malawi.

Ms Forde said the event would not be possible without the dedication of volunteers. “So many people give their time to make this day happen. It is a true community effort, and that spirit is what makes the Fair so special year after year.”

Jesuit Mission works in over 10 countries across Asia and Africa to uphold the innate dignity of people living with the effects of poverty, especially the most marginalised and vulnerable. Funds received from supporters:

• Break cycles of poverty through teaching and education
• Protect the health of communities by providing medical care and programs that improve access to clean water and toilets
• Develop independent, sustainable communities through livelihood training and income-generating projects
• Provide vulnerable individuals with pastoral care, social inclusion and advocacy
• Support refugees in crisis
• Enable effective disaster response and relief.

Fr Chris Middleton SJ, Rector of Xavier College, wrote: “The Maytime Fair, an extraordinary commitment over the last 74 years, and now a part of our Xavier story, has its origin in the idealism of the first four groups of Australian Jesuits who left for Hazaribagh in India in 1951.

“Their stories are rich in adventure and achievements, as well as some failures and disappointments. What drew them on as missionaries, committing their lives to a foreign land with, at that time, no expectation of ever returning home even for visits? It was the ideal of making a difference in the conviction that preaching the gospel of Christ was indeed good news that could transform the lives of individuals and communities.

“They involved themselves with the poor, trying to increase their standard of living and free them from the oppression of the caste system. They became advocates for tribal peoples on the margins of Indian society. In their schools they taught children of all faiths, they trained teachers, and they taught at universities. There were outstanding contributors like Paul Jackson SJ, who was one of India’s pre-eminent scholars on Islam.“

Seven among these first groups of Australian Jesuit missionaries were Xaverians. Altogether, 58 Australian Jesuits would serve in Hazaribagh. Today, more than 170 Indian Jesuits work in the Hazaribagh province, with just three Australian Jesuits still among them – Fr Bob Slattery, Fr Tony Herbert and Fr Bob Billings.

“The fidelity of Xavier College’s involvement as a community in the Maytime Fair is another sign of generosity. In many ways, this Fair has for more than seventy years exemplified the spirit of volunteerism. Firstly, it depends on the generosity of so many volunteers, both on the day and the months leading to the day, in the innumerable stalls and activities run by so many groups, including a dozen or so run be our students, others by various parent groups, old boys, other schools, parishes etc.

“Secondly, the monies raised go completely to the Jesuit Mission of the Australian Province, which last year was able to run programmes that directly supported over 45,000 people in sixteen countries, in East Asia, South Asia and Africa. The Maytime Fair is arguably the largest fundraiser of its type in Melbourne, attracting thousands of visitors during the day, and not one cent goes to Xavier, which still comes as a surprise to many, even in our own community.”