Esther Hanibelsz – A loving friend to the Women’s House

If you have ever walked down Robe St in St Kilda during the week, there is a good chance you would have passed Esther on her way to the Women’s House.

For over 20 years Esther Hanibelsz was a constant visitor, filling the Women’s House with her joy and warmth. She visited nearly every day until she passed away in January 2025 at the age of 87.

“She was so cheeky and so stubborn but also so incredibly generous,” says Jess, Women’s House Coordinator.

“I started at the Women’s House three years ago and I would see her every single day. She brought so much light and happiness.”

Esther first started coming to the Women’s House in search of community and support.

While the Women’s House is a hub for women experiencing homelessness and in need of housing support, it also plays a vital role in building connection for women experiencing social isolation.

It is a community hub for women who may not have anyone else to lean on.

Esther’s daughter Amelia shared just how special the Women’s House was to her mother: “She found her tribe – people who loved her as much as she loved them. They became her lifeline, her purpose, and her extended family.”

Esther was born in Matara, Sri Lanka, into a family of eleven. From a young age she would often join her mother who volunteered to visit patients at the local hospital. These early experiences helping others played an integral part in shaping Esther’s future.

Esther moved to Australia in the 1980s with her husband Kenneth. In 1999, Kenneth sadly passed away from cancer, with Esther as his primary carer, by his side until the end.

After his passing she dedicated herself to helping others. She worked with numerous Melbourne charities, including Meals on Wheels and the Australian Red Cross. She also cared for the sick and elderly nearing the end of their lives

The Women’s House was not only a place for Esther to receive community support, but also a place where she spread her joy and warmth to others. Esther loved to feed people and would always come with something in hand to share with the other visitors at the Women’s House or at Sacred Heart Central where she would sometimes go for lunch.

“Her mission was simple and unwavering,” says her daughter Amelia, “It was to bring joy to others.”

Amelia continued her mother’s legacy by donating a sewing machine, along with arts and crafts materials, and $3,606 was raised for the Women’s House in lieu of flowers.

With these funds, the Women’s House purchased a new coffee machine for their weekly ‘toasties and special coffee Fridays’ and a worm farm.

These gifts will continue to support women in crisis, offering tools, creativity and community to those who need it most.

An apricot tree was also planted in Esther’s memory in the garden at the Women’s House. It is our hope that one day the apricot tree will grow its own fruit so that it can be picked and shared with the visitors of the Women’s House, in the true spirit of Esther.