The Kathleen Syme Centre is a building destined to become the first community hub of its kind in Carlton. It has been created in response to the needs identified in Carlton via the City of Melbourne community infrastructure implementation framework.
It is a heritage building dating back to 1876 and was acquired by the City of Melbourne in July 2011. It currently houses the City of Melbourne Family Resources, while the Carlton Baths and Family Resource Centre are undergoing renovation.
Community engagement
The City of Melbourne has engaged with the Carlton community in various ways including information sessions, meetings with key organisations, an online forum, email, phone, and a variety of workshops. We have had conversations with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, residents, seniors, students, education providers, community groups and other organisations.
We have analysed the community’s aspirations for the centre and grouped them into themes. Most of the suggestions relate to activities and uses with the exception of a group of them that relate to the operation and design of the building. These draft design and operation principles will be considered in the project design and operations planning stage of the project.
Next steps
The next step in deciding the future of Kathleen Syme Community Centre is for the Council to determine a model. This will describe the general functions, activities and spaces that will be offered in the centre (it will not recommend a specific design at this early stage in the project). The model will bring together the community’s aspirations and the service needs documented in the Community Infrastructure Implementation Framework.
The Council will consider the recommended model at the Future Melbourne Committee meeting on 8 May. The recommendation is presented in the form of a report that will be available to the public through the City of Melbourne website four calendar days prior to the meeting.
Once the model is chosen, we will start the architectural design process and the planning of the centre’s operation.
Temporary use of the centre
The City of Melbourne is committed to providing the necessary services to the Carlton community, which is why we’re also renovating the Carlton Baths and Family Resource Centre. Set to become a state-of-the-art facility, these exciting improvements will be completed by late 2012.
While the Carlton Baths and Family Resource Centre are closed, their services have been temporarily relocated to the Kathleen Syme Centre. This will ensure that essential community services such as maternal and child health, playgroup, baby capsule and bus hire remain operating in the heart of Carlton.
The Kathleen Syme Centre has meeting rooms available for community use until the building is closed for redevelopment at the end of 2012. For more information and bookings contact the Carlton Family Resource Centre on 9340 1422 or by email.
More information
Frequently asked questions (PDF, 59kb) 
Frequently asked questions (Text only, 39kb)
Community feedback summaries
Community feedback - young people and students workshop (PDF, 386kb)
Community feedback - seniors workshop (PDF, 311kb)
Community feedback - residents workshop (PDF, 386kb)
Community feedback – community organisations and groups workshop (PDF, 386kb)
Community feedback – Education, health providers and businesses workshop (PDF, 350kb)
Community feedback – all groups (text only, 210kb)