Some of the girls at Shelly spend their spare time doing taniko work. Physical culture is a popular recreation at the boys' hostel in Gillies Avenue. A meal with a Maori flavour at Gillies Avenue hostel. of the Maori”. He gave the example of an elderly pakeha woman who has saved £5 annually out of her pension in order to be able to contribute to the mission funds. As the mission motto implies, the scope of its work is interdenominational and the preaching is evangelical and not doctrinal. The hostels came about through the zeal and courage of Sister Jessie Alexander, who for many years worked with the Presbyterian Maori mission among the people on the East Coast, in the Urewera Country, and at Taupo, Sister Jessie, who now lives at 25 Eldon Road, Balmoral, Auckland, told about the beginnings of the mission in an interview. Her work in the country finished, Sister Jessie returned in 1938 from a well-earned holiday in Honolulu to find many young Maoris in Auckland at a loose end and walking the streets, particularly at weekends. “I could see,” said Sister Jessie, “if we had a house we could help the girls a lot more. They were coming to the city in large numbers to do essential war work and many of them were right from the backblocks.” As a result of her efforts a hostel for 12 girls was obtained in Union Street. But Sister Jessie realised something had to be done on a larger scale. She approached Mr H. G. R. Mason, who then Minister of Native Affairs. He visited Union Street and saw that this represented the beginning of a worthwhile project and a larger house was warranted. One evening Sister Jessie took a party of girls to the Presbyterian manse at 29 Hepburn Street. When the minister in charge heard the girls singing he expressed great interest in the work which they had helped to initiate.