Our history

Watsonia Neighbourhood House opened at 47 Lambourn Road in 1991. What follows is most of what we have kept since — clippings, before-and-afters, and one very large mosaic.

The opening

A newspaper clipping headed “Opening of Neighbourhood House”

“History was made on October 25th when the Neighbourhood House at 47 Lambourne Road, Watsonia was officially opened by Sheryl Garbutt MP.”

The inaugural committee was chaired by Rev. R.J. Davies, the Watsonia-Macleod Uniting Church minister, with Pam Hutchinson as secretary and Graham Wilson as treasurer. Eleven other local residents made up the rest of it. The first co-ordinator was Angela Myer.

The clipping lists what was on offer that first year: Women's Support Groups, Time Out Group, Women for Sobriety, Agoraphobic Self-help, Money and You, Living and Survivor Skills, Walking Club, Skin and Make-up — “with the idea that there is something for everyone in the community.”

Enquiries, it said, to the House on 434 6717 — “or pop in and say Hello. A big welcome awaits you.” Three-and-a-bit decades and one extra digit later, it's still 9434 6717, and the invitation hasn't changed either.

Then and now

The building has changed a good deal more than the phone number.

The house in its early years: plain brick with an overgrown front garden — Then

The house today: warm brick with a large mosaic mural beside the door — Now

The front of the house before the garden was built, bare earth and lawn — The front garden, before

The rear of the house before renovation, with an old timber deck — The back, before

The same area after renovation, with new decking, paths and planting — The back, after

A detail of the community mosaic, spelling out Watsonia Neighbourhood House in coloured tiles — The mosaic, made by the community

In the paper

A local house turns up in the local paper. Openings, grants, a new portable building, a green makeover — and, once, some broken windows.

Open house party
New co-ordinator appointed for neighbourhood house
Work is worth millions
Green light for portable building
Neighbourhood houses receive a green makeover
Brushing up on their skills
Carol loves to inspire
Grandma keeps up with kids
Shireen’s at home at house
Malicious act

Thirty years

Staff and committee members gathered around a cake at the 30th birthday celebration

The House marked thirty years of creating community, fostering friendship, living and learning — the line that went on the anniversary badge, and a fair summary of the three decades before it.

Most of the images on this page come from that anniversary collection, which is why several of them carry the badge.

And still going

Some things haven't changed at all. People still turn up, make something, and take it home.

A room full of people of all ages building billy carts together on the floor — A billy cart workshop, all hands down

An adult and a child working together to build a billy cart from timber — Building one

A child standing proudly beside a finished billy cart painted with a rainbow and a heart — Finishing one

A child sitting on a finished billy cart outside on the gravel — And taking it outside

The whole collection

42 photographs — tap any to see it larger.

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