Let the story begin. . .

The South East Neighbourhood Centre has undergone many changes over the years and owes an enormous debt of gratitude to the people who have come before. The community, volunteers, management committees, workers and thousands of others who have built the foundations of the Centre as it stands today.

"It was in the old Joys Brothers Shop in the Hillsdale Plaza, with a hand-made sign and second hand furniture from St. Vincent de Paul. Language lessons for Timorese women were going on in one corner, and information being given about baby health services in another. The Centre was serving one of the most ethnically diverse and densely populated communities in Sydney. The Hillsdale Community & Information Centre, I loved it from the first day I set foot in its door as a volunteer student. That was 1979."

The Centre began from a public meeting organized by Botany Council's Community Worker, Anne Pfingst and received it's first cheque of $4,800 from the Department of Youth & Community Services in August 1978. It was based in the Hillsdale Plaza. From there it moved a number of times and changed its name to the Matraville Hillsdale Community & Information Centre and finally settled at 521 Bunnerong Road, Matraville as the Matraville Neighbourhood Centre.

There were special projects, film nights, multicultural evenings, a cracker night at Rhodes Park, 'Our Times' Hillsdale newspaper, and a history project which drew on the recollections of older Hillsdale residents who knew Hillsdale when the ICI site was Whittaker's farm, and Hillsdale was comprised of dairy, pig and poultry farms.

During 1987 the Matraville Neighbourhood Centre became incorporated as an association and by 1988 funding was coming from six Government Departments and Randwick Council with twenty-two staff employed across thirteen programmes. The diversity of the community reflected the diversity of the programmes with the Centre offering a public housing support group, English classes, single parent support group, casework, workshops and involvement with the Botany Multicultural Festival.

In July 1991 the Matraville Neighbourhood Centre moved to Botany and changed it's name to the Botany Neighbourhood Centre with the Centre's programmes reflecting the demographics of the area, from 5 years old to 85 plus, with a focus on people from non-English speaking backgrounds, the frail aged, people with disabilities and their carers. Intensive programme refocussing and continually identifying needs in the changing community lead to the Centre seeking more funding and become innovative in service delivery and the provision of training courses for the unemployed. Aboriginal art workshops, drama, home visiting, respite and individual transport became some of the new programmes to begin at the Centre.

The Centre expands and by 1999 it occupies three shop fronts at 1641 Botany Road, Banksmeadow. Nine programmes operate; twenty-five staff and many volunteers keep the services working in the community. Local planning days are now a regular occurrence, interagency support, extensive networking and partnerships being implemented to meet the ever-increasing demand from the area. The Management Committee has consumer, service and council representatives with a dynamic staff to maintain new government initiatives and the changes in the wider community.

Management and Technical Solutions implements a review of the Centre in October 2001 interviewing staff, management committee and clients. The review suggests changes to the structure of the Botany Neighbourhood Centre and it is during this time that the Centre finds new premises at Eastlakes Shopping Centre. At the Annual General Meeting in November 2001 the members debate the relocation and also vote to change the name from the Botany Neighbourhood Centre to the South East Neighbourhood Centre.

By January 2002 the South East Neighbourhood Centre has relocated to Eastlakes, changed its name and undergone a complete restructure. The driving force behind this is a strong and committed management committee determined to meet the challenges ahead and make the Centre a place of excellence.

The South East Neighbourhood Centre is now in a period of consolidation. As with all community groups throughout Australia there is a move towards fee for service, accountability and cost recovery with the Government and it's Departments demanding higher levels of scrutiny with more efficient and effective servicing. The South East Neighbourhood Centre has achieved this by becoming more innovative, maintaining its social relevance, increasing its flexibility and responsiveness to the changes in the community and will continue to provide exceptional services to the people of Botany. In this period of transition the Centre has not become something else it has become something more. In this way the South East Neighbourhood Centre will survive and grow stronger. The Neighbourhood Centre has always understood that it has a responsibility to the people and the community and it will ensure that it meets their needs.