27 November 2024
Sydney CBD’s ‘Hidden Gem’ KU Phillip Park Children’s Centre celebrated its 70th anniversary with the theme of Past, Present and Future, commemorating its rich history of providing high-quality early childhood education as part of KU Children’s Services (KU).
Staff, children, families, and guests gathered in the service’s leafy outdoor space, where the celebrations opened with an Acknowledgment of Country from Director, Sheryl Xu, and a Smoking Ceremony performed by Raymond Weatherall from the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council. The event included speeches from Sydney’s newly appointed Deputy Lord Mayor Zann Maxwell and KU Children’s Services Senior Manager Education and Quality, Rachelle McMahon who attended on behalf of KU’s CEO Christine Legg. Each speaker highlighted the significant history of the preschool and its impact on the community.
The service’s history was showcased on the day with photos and documents, illustrating the celebration’s theme of Past, Present and Future.
Originally built as the first women’s public lavatory in Sydney in 1910 near Hyde Park, the building was soon converted into a Family Centre to provide facilities for visiting women and children, including childcare in 1954. KU Children’s Services officially took over running the service in 1995 and in 2000, the service was moved to its current location in Phillip Park.
At the end of the anniversary event children, staff and guests enjoyed cake, cupcakes and refreshments.
KU Children’s Services CEO Christine Legg said, “We are immensely proud of KU Phillip Park Preschool and the strong partnership it has fostered with families, educators, and the broader community over the years. Celebrating its 70th anniversary is a remarkable milestone. Seeing families and staff unite on this special occasion highlights the significance and valuable impact of high-quality early childhood education within local communities.”
KU is proudly not for profit and committed to supporting exceptional outcomes for children and families as well as creating optimal experiences for staff. Part of the KU Difference is the high level of support provided to our teachers and educators, and other service-based staff through the expertise of KU’s Central Office teams. Our specialist teams include Early Childhood Education, People Services, Finance, IT, Marketing and more.
As we deliver leading high quality inclusive play-based learning programs, KU continues to provide opportunities for children to become the creators, thinkers, and doers of today and tomorrow.
Established in 1895, KU Children’s Services remains proudly not for profit and enriches the lives of more than 10,000 children and their families each year through services including long day care, kindergartens, preschools, NDIS services, inclusion services, family programs and more.