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A stroll down memory lane...

During 1955 a local resident donated a block of land on Canterbury Road, Bayswater North to the local community and the Bayswater North Progress Association was formed. Two of the foundation members of the Bayswater North Progress Association, John Harrison and Frank Wilson, still reside in Bayswater North. The Progress Association raised money and built what was known as the Bayswater North Community Hall. This Hall was used for Progress Association meetings and hired out to residents until 1983.

In the 1970’s the then City of Croydon purchased land from the Education Department in Glen Park Road, Bayswater and later in that decade an oval was formed.  In 1979 negotiations began with the Progress Association who changed their name and formed the Glen Park Management Committee, for the erection of a Community Centre on the Council owned land in Glen Park Road.

The Department of Education donated two of the class rooms from the old Bayswater North Primary School (originally built in 1927) and these two rooms formed the basis of plans of the Community Centre.

The original Bayswater North Community Hall was sold early in 1980 for $120,000 and this money formed the local Community’s allocation towards the building of the now Glen Park Community Centre.  The original building cost $250,000 and consisted of the two donated class rooms (now the main hall), a hallway, committee room, kitchen and male, female and disability access toilets.  Adjoining the Community Centre are clubrooms consisting of two change rooms with separate showers and toilets, a store room and kiosk.  Public toilets were also included in the original building.  Representatives of the Glen Park Cricket Club and the Bayswater Junior Football Club were involved in the designing of the existing clubrooms.

The Glen Park Community Centre was officially opened in 1984.  The then President, Secretary and Treasurer, Kevin O’Neill, Noni Harrison and Carol Crowley, appealed to the City of Croydon at a Council Meeting for funding for a Co-ordinator for the Centre.  Council granted their request and the Centre obtained funding for a Co-ordinator for ten hours a week.

In the late 1980’s the Centre received funding for a Co-ordinator’s salary for twenty hours per week and funds were raised in order that the Centre could contribute two thirds of the cost towards building a small office and a much needed storeroom.  The City of Croydon contributed the balance of the funds required for the extensions.

The City of Croydon, now the City of Maroondah, assisted the Management Committee in many ways including the development of the playground, tennis courts, and the development of the barbecue area and car parks.

Early in the 1990’s the Centre received funding from Health and Community Services for an additional room to be used for children’s services.   In 1995 with the existing funding from City of Croydon, together with a successful application to Human Services for an additional grant, the Centre enjoyed the luxury of a full time service. In April 1998, because of State Government legislative changes, and with the encouragement of the City of Maroondah, the Glen Park Management Committee joined with the Yarrunga Management Committee at Croydon Hills to form Lynkage Inc.  Both centre's retained their own, Management Committees, but instead of operating under the auspices of the City of Maroondah worked under the umbrella of Lynkage Inc.  The Lynkage partnership concluded in 1999.

Glen Park Community Centre once again operates under deed of delegation to the City of Maroondah.  In January 2001 the Committee of Management decided again to move towards Incorporation, and in June 2001 the Centre became registered as Glen Park Community Centre Incorporated.  In the year 2000 the Centre received a small grant from Adult Community and Further Education (ACFE) to run educational programs.  During the following year participation increased dramatically, with a corresponding increase in ACFE funding.

The new hall building was donated to the centre in 2005 by Bayswater Uniting Church.  Glen Park needed to raise the funds to have the building moved to the site.  After receiving funding from both Maroondah and Knox Councils and a very generous donation from one of the centre’s art students, it looked like the move would take place.  Because the building was moving from one council to another, there was a lot of red tape involved.  Finally, the move took place and early one October 2007 morning, the building finally arrived.  It would take another 6 months of finishing touches before any classes could take place.

The Centre still operates as a non-profit organisation and over the years of its existence has been built up to the stage where an average of one thousand people attend the centre each week during the school terms. In 2009 Glen Park went through another change with further building restructures.

Today, Glen Park Community Centre offers a friendly, supportive and welcoming environment for all people in our community.