The Salthouse Community Centre has opened in Haig Park, providing a shared space for creativity, learning, physical activity, and connection.
A Welcome Day event hosted by Northside Community Service on Saturday 6 May saw hundreds of people visit the versatile new centre.
City Renewal Authority Acting CEO Craig Gillman said the event – which featured a free BBQ, children’s games, and entertainment – showcased how the centre will bring further life to Haig Park.
Image: A budding young artist contributes to a First Nations art piece that will be displayed in the centre.
“It was great to see Haig Park humming with people exploring the new centre and learning about how it will be used in the future,” Mr Gillman said.
“With Tree Week activities taking place nearby, there was a fun and festival-like atmosphere that stretched all the way into Lonsdale Street.
“It showed just how important the Salthouse Community Centre will be as a public resource that enlivens the park and has flow-on benefits for local business.”
Image: a group of friends enjoy live jazz at the nearby Tree Week event.
The centre’s name honours the late Sue Salthouse for her advocacy for people – particularly women – with a disability.
The single-level centre has an important focus on inclusivity in line with Ms Salthouse's legacy.
Image: Luisa Fearnside attends the naming ceremony at the Salthouse Community Centre, which honours her late mother Sue Salthouse.
Its features include:
The centre is also a showcase for ‘adaptive reuse’ methods, where existing materials are used for a new purpose. The centre reuses wood from Acton jetty and Tharwa Bridge, pavers from City Walk, and bricks from the 1950s depot shed on the same site.
Make an enquiry about the centre by contacting Northside Community Service on 02 6171 8000 or emailing venue.hire@northside.asn.au
View the webpage for more on the centre and its history.
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We acknowledge the Ngunnawal people as traditional custodians of the ACT and recognise any other people or families with connection to the lands of the ACT and region. We acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of this city and this region.
