Kathleen Syme celebrates 10 years

The Kathleen Syme Library and Community Centre marked its 10th anniversary on June 21 with a vibrant community celebration that drew around 250 to 300 locals.

Hosted by the City of Melbourne, the event featured live music, African drumming workshops by Rhythm of Life, face painting, a sausage sizzle, craft and Makerspace activities, and a community lunch – where 150 meals were served through the Local Lunch Club in partnership with Open Table.

Located at 251 Faraday St, Carlton, the centre has welcomed more than two million visits and hosted 19,000 bookings by more than 4000 local groups since opening in 2015.

Lord Mayor Nick Reece said the centre had become “a second home” for many.

The building itself dates back to the 1850s and has long served the Carlton community as a school, a nurse training facility, and now, a dynamic community hub offering a library, creative tech spaces, meeting rooms and a recording studio.

The legacy of its namesake, journalist and welfare advocate Kathleen Syme OBE, remains central to the centre’s mission.

Cr Gladys Liu said it was “especially fitting that her name lives on in a place dedicated to inclusion and support”. •