How we got our name
St Giles was formed at a public meeting on 13 December 1937 to provide aftercare support for children affected by polio.
The Rev. R W Dobbinson OBE originally suggested the name St Giles. Rev. Dobbinson was a Baptist Minister and a member of the inaugural committee formed to create the organisation - he maintained his involvement until moving to Victoria in 1944.
St Giles was the Patron Saint of Children with Disabilities. Legend has it that on the death of his parents, St Giles moved to the mouth of the Rhone to live as a hermit. It is said that when Flavius, King of the Goths, was hunting in the area, one of his men shot an arrow that went astray. It speared right through the hand of St Giles and into the side of a deer he was caring for at the time. St Giles refused assistance and the King was so impressed with his bravery and kindness that he decided to provide him with land, on which St Giles subsequently constructed a monastery in the King's honour. Following invasions the King was forced to flee, settling in the areas now known as St Giles.
St Giles died around 725AD and both during his life and following his death there were many miracles attributed to him involving children being cured - ultimately creating the legend that made him the Patron Saint of Children with Disabilities.