The Wentworth Point Community Centre and Library is a vibrant and versatile community hub that offers a wide range of facilities and resources for local residents and businesses.
The Community centre is situated on land that used to be mud flats. The point itself is built on a reclaimed industrial site on the southern shore of Parramatta River. Wentworth Point became a separate suburb in 2009.
The northern part of the peninsula was renamed Wentworth Point and gazetted in 1976, and officially became a new suburb on 2 October 2009. This occurred after the former Auburn Council sought public comment on a proposal to rename the Homebush Bay area, to remove confusion with its namesake suburb Homebush.
In 2013 as part of the NSW Governments Urban Activation Program, the former industrial area of Wentworth Point was put forward to be re-zoned as a residential area. This plan involved a range of residential buildings, a large park, walking paths, a new school and maritime facilities. As well as commercial and cultural elements such as a library, shopping centre and restaurants.
The Library is placed at the centre of Wentworth Point, along the Parramatta River. The state of the art building includes the library, a community centre and places for the public to meet and create.
Contemporary Library Services includes a children’s space, a learning lab, a quite room for study, meeting spaces for community that can be moulded to the needs of a group. Also in the hub are creative studio’s which can be used as dance, art spaces and music rooms. The building also includes free wi-fi and a 24-hour foyer that has a book vending machine.
The building and the services it provided are well used and well thought of by the community. This is seen in the award the Wentworth Point Community Centre and Library received in the 2021 Australian Library Design Awards.
Emma Stockburn, Research Facilitator, Family History, City of Parramatta, Parramatta Heritage Center, 2021
References:
Wentworth Point: https://historyandheritage.cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au/blog/2020/02/05/wentworth-point-a-brief-history
Wentworth Point Community Centre and Library: https://www.cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au/wentworthpointcommunitycentreandlibrary
Library Commended: https://www.alia.org.au/wentworth-point-community-centre-and-library-commended