Turnbull thanked volunteers and posed for selfies at the event, which serves up about 1,000 meals for Sydney’s less fortunate.
“Merry Christmas, it’s wonderful to be here with you all. I want to thank in particular all the volunteers – the people who work at the Wayside, it is a great exercise in practical, unconditional love,” Turnbull told the crowd.
The Christmas celebration, which is now in its 14th year, brings together people who may be struggling with problems such as homelessness or addiction to enjoy the day with other members of the community.
Churches were expecting thousands to attend services across the country, with Australia’s leading Catholic saying the year’s end united people in their need for hope.
“For people of faith you might say it’s been an annus horribilis,” the Catholic archbishop of Sydney, Anthony Fisher, said in a statement on Friday. “But the Christmas story insists there is a star in the dark sky, light amidst the fears and failures. Christmas speaks of new hope.”
He said young people were not naive to the shameful chapters in the church’s past but want to help it move forward.
The Anglican primate of Australia and archbishop of Melbourne, Philip Freier, said there was “widespread mistrust and dissatisfaction” in Australia and more suffering than there should be.
“Yet, in the worst times and worst of situations, salvation is at hand through God’s precious gift of his son, Jesus Christ,” he said.