A ray of sunshine shone on CASS in 1986. The Board was focused on the development of child care services. With funding support from the Federal government, Campsie Child Care Centre had a total facelift and regulatory requirements were met.

On the evening of 29 March 1987, Campsie Child Care Centre was filled with drumrolls and laughter. An official opening ceremony was held to mark the significant milestone.

The occasion was attended by members of the Board, Society members, parents and staff of the Child Care Centre, neighbours, federal and state politicians as well as councilors. Over 200 people participated in the celebrations.

The Opening Ceremony was conducted by the Hon. Tom Uren, Federal Minister for Territories and Local Government at the time, representing the Minister for Children and Families.

Lion dance was performed by 2 big and 2 small lions from the Chinese Youth League. They leapt and danced to the joyous rhythm of the drums. This was a scene never witnessed before by the local community, especially the neighbours.

This was the first grand celebration event organized by the Society. The solemn yet joyous spectacle created huge excitement in the community.

Childcare is an important service widely needed by families. The founding aim of our Society was to provide such service to the community. When there is a will, there is a way! The fete held on 7 December 1985 at Campsie Child Care Centre was a huge success. It managed to raise enough funds for the 10% deposit and legal fees for the purchase of the No 48 property.

There was another exciting news at the same time: The then Treasurer, Dr Leng Tan, managed to find a bank who was willing to provide a loan. However, using the excuse that our Society ‘lacked experience in child care business” and ‘unstable business’ the bank raised the interest rate to 21%, which was 4% above the market rate!

The enrolment at the Centre improved strongly and became stable. The purchase of the property was also complete. The Board of Directors of our Society could finally settle down and focus on the development of the child Care Centre.

When the kindergarten was handed over by the private owner, the facilities were worn out and did not meet regulatory requirements. After receiving government funding in late 1985, the Board used half a year to renovate the Centre while it was still in operation. The ceilings of the classrooms were thickened; the normal glass window panels in the rooms were replaced by safety glass; new children’s toilets were installed; the administration office was refurbished; new floorings were installed; worn out car tyres in the children’s playground were cleared and the sandpit was fixed.

Many volunteers came to help after work. They helped to move the furniture around and took up the painting work. Their involvement helped to lower the cost of the renovation.

Realizing the high demand for child care services, the Society considered expanding its services to include care for children from birth to 2 years. In mid-1986, the Centre received government funding to build an additional room to provide care for children under 2.

To implement multiculturalism, the Centre added Chinese and Korean in its teaching activities. They celebrated cultural festivals and taught children traditional craft such as lantern making and dragon dance during cultural celebrations. Excursions were also organized for children to visit community facilities such as fire stations.

There was also a high demand for Before and After School care. Around 40 school aged children from the two nearby schools, Campsie Public School and Harcourt Public School, used the service. Schools at that time seldom provided the service. As the Centre did not have the financial resources to purchase a bus, the children and their educators had to walk together to and from school, rain or shine. It was certainly trying for all, but the service was in high demand.

In the early morning when most of the Centre’s children had not come, the students and the young children could share the playground. However, in the afternoon, when both the afterschool care children and child care children were around, they could not share the playground. Activities for the afterschool care children were held in two rooms upstairs.

With the joint effort of the Directors and volunteers, renovations were carried out at a minimum cost. They gradually transformed the worn-out facility into a child Care Centre trusted by families in the community.

🤔There was finally a glimmer of hope for our Society! What would be the next development? Stay tuned for the next article!

With the abolition of the White Australia Policy in the early 1970s, Australia began to implement the Multiculturalism Policy. The founding of CASS was made possible by a group of passionate people contributing their efforts to meet the social needs of the community. They raised concerns about issues affecting the rights and benefits of the community. As such, they had close ties and constant communication with the community.

Multiculturalism was often met with resistance. In March 1984, a famous Australian historian Professor Geoffrey Blainey had repeatedly expressed his opposition to multicultural policy at important meetings, voicing his concerns that it would damage the country and affect the benefits of majority Australians. John Howard, who was a federal member of parliament at the time and later became Prime Minister, openly supported the views of Professor Blainey and fortified anti-Asian remarks.

Facing political development that would affect the rights and equity of the Asian communities, the Board of our Society believed there was a need to raise awareness and concerns in the community and respond. In March 1985, the Board held a seminar at the Campsie Child Care Centre to discuss the viewpoints of Professor Blainey and Mr. Howard and explore the reasons of their concerns and impacts. Over 20 community members attended the seminar, and a record of the discussion was submitted to relevant government departments.

On the other hand, things began to settle down after the Union visit in August 1985. The Board of our Society began its work to solve the financial target of raising $40,000 for the purchase of No. 48 property.

There was suggestion to hold a fete to raise funds. Board members leapt into action. They started promoting the activity in earnest: printing flyers, placing advertisements in newspapers, promoting them on 2EA radio, and volunteers distributing flyers in the streets.

The community responded well in donating goods for garage sale. After learning that the fete was to raise funds for the child care centre, community members and members of the Society showed their interest in the future of the next generation. They were enthusiastic about donating toys, clothes and reusable household items. Some even donated whole boxes of goods. Many others joined as volunteers to help in the work of organising the fete.

On Saturday 7 December, the fete was held at the child care centre. Life was simple and frugal at the time. When people heard there were goods to be sold cheaply, residents from the neighborhood came to have a look.

The Union plays an important role in the relationship between employer and employee. An organization employing staff needs to understand various relevant legislations, or else it will land itself in trouble. During the initial period of its operation, Campsie Child Care Centre experienced trouble after a visit by a Union official.