The Northern Community Hub is a new multi-purpose community and educational centre that will officially open in early 2011.

In October 2009 construction commenced on the Hub.  After 10 years of planning this major milestone was celebrated in a “Turning of the Sod” event held on site in November 2009.   Richard Marles, Federal Member for Corio, John Eren, State Member for Lara and Ian Tresize, State Member for Geelong were given the  honor of turning the first sod.  The event was attended by over 100 people from the community who all expressed their joy at finally seeing their dreams of a community centre come to fruition.

The Hub is located on the former site of the Migrant Hostels of Geelong, historically significant to Diversitat and its 40 affiliated ethnic communities.

The site currently houses the German, Filipino and Spanish club rooms and the Hub has been built around these facilities making it a vibrant cultural precinct unique to the region.

 The Hub consists of 8 meeting/training/activity rooms that will run a comprehensive range of Diversitat’s programs and services for newly-arrived migrant groups, young people, seniors and local residents experiencing disadvantage. The services will be available to Culturally And Linguistically Diverse (CALD) and disadvantaged communities’  across  Geelong.
The facility will be available weekdays, evenings and weekends to these communities to enable various groups to gather for events, participate in activities and to conduct meetings.

The site is also home to a community garden that has been developed by the Karen and Afghan communities with further development of a community workshop and art space expected to commence construction early 2011.

As an innovative project that brings together over 40 different ethnic community groups, the Hub will provide an opportunity for individuals to share ideas, cultural values and beliefs and most importantly the challenges they experience settling into a new country. 

The Northern Community Hub is a long term project that will be delivered in 3 stages over the next 10 years.

Stage 1 of the project involves the construction of a community centre that will be known as the Northern Community Hub.

Click here for progress photos from the construction of the Northern Community Hub.