What a night! 50 years of our house.

On Friday the 14^th November 2025, Kensington Neigbourhood House celebrated half a century of continuous community support. Over 200 people of all ages gathered to share stories, eat great food, create art, dance, sing and celebrate the history of this very special place.

It is impossible to put into words the warmth, friendliness and joy of the night. There was a real sense of honouring our history while also looking forward to our future.

Ellen Sandell MP set the scene by acknowledging the original founders of the house and their extraordinary work and persistence (“We’re standing on the shoulders of giants”). Councillor Gladys Liu spoke of the special contribution KNH has made to the City of Melbourne.

Rebecca Smith, Manager of KNH spoke about the house’s unbroken history of community ownership and its steadfast focus on bringing people together – to share, learn and support one another:

“In a world that is increasingly fragmented and divisive; our beautiful, inclusive, welcoming, peaceful house continues to thrive. People of every age and every place; all of us just muddling along together and learning as we go. That brings me joy. And it deserves to be celebrated.”

One of the highlights of the night was the entire crowd joining in a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday to Kensington Neighbourhood House! The handmade t-shirts worn by staff also deserve a mention – depicting the current KNH logo and the original Kensington Women’s Group logo from 1975.

Over the course of the evening, people were able to view the famous KNH dolls (from 1993 and 2018); look for familiar names in a “Years & Years of Volunteers” display; and learn about KNH’s contribution to community education. The upstairs floor of the house was transformed into the “History Room” with photos, newsletters, brochures and other artefacts from the 1970’s through to the present day. Downstairs, a community art activity was in full swing. The evening concluded with a performance by the “Kensingers” community choir.

Throughout the evening children played, wonderful food was served and hundreds of memories were shared. It was a very special night.

Our thanks to everyone who attended and to all of the people who worked hard to make this celebration such a success. Visit the Kensington Neighbourhood House Facebook page for more details.

You can explore the Kensington Neighbourhood House historic archives at: https://victoriancollections.net.au/organisations/kensington-neighbourhood-house