
About
Kensington Neighbourhood House (KNH) is based in Kensington, an inner city suburb in Melbourne. KNH is a grassroots community organisation where people of all abilities, backgrounds and ages come to participate in inclusive social, educational, and recreational programs. KNH delivers programs to more than 1,000 people each year from 68 different countries. KNH is a community owned and managed organisation. It has supported the Kensington community since 1975.
The Kensington Neighbourhood House archive contains a variety of records that help to document the house’s 50 year history. The archive consists of records produced by the KNH and its predecessor, the Kensington Women’s Group and Child Care Cooperative that demonstrate changing programs over the decades, as well as changing demographics in the local area. While there are gaps in the records, notably in the late 1980s and the 1990s, the archive is a rich source of information, not only about the origins and continuing history of the Kensington Neighbourhood House, but also about the evolution of the local Kensington area and the evolution of the neighbourhood house movement in Victoria. Notably, photographic material and a collection of newsletters produced in the late 1970s-mid 1980s, provide evidence of the aspirations of the group of women who formed the early members of the Kensington Women’s Group. The archive also provides a glimpse into the changing programs offered by the KNH over the decades as it has sought to meet the needs of the local community.