SDN Paddington celebrates 100 years of learning and laughter 

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) provider SDN Children’s Services has celebrated 100 years of its Paddington service, which opened on 29 November 1924.

SDN CEO Kay Turner welcomed children and staff, parents, board members, and special guests to the celebration which began with a ‘Welcome to Country’ from Aunty Lola Ryan, a Dharawal woman who welcomed everyone in language and spoke about her childhood growing up on the La Perouse Aboriginal mission.

Special guests at the celebration included MP Allegra Spender, independent Federal Member of Parliament for Wentworth, a unique inclusion which recognised her role not only as the co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Early Childhood, a non-partisan group for MPs and Senators to meet and interact with early childhood stakeholder groups, but also as the mother of three children, all of whom attended the centre. 

Acknowledging the specialness of the day, Ms Spender brought a gift for the children of the centre, which she presented at the event. 

A distinguished history 

Generations of children and early childhood educators have played, danced, sung, and learned within the sandstone walls of the service, once a cottage, which opened as a Sydney Day Nursery a whole century ago in 1924. 

The centre was then known as the Eastern Suburbs Day Nursery, and was run out of ‘The Grange’ in Heeley Street – a colonial-style villa built in 1868 named Olive Bank Villa. The property was acquired by SDN for £2,000 thanks to local fundraising and donations from Paddington, Waverley and Woollahra councils. 

At the time, Paddington, like many of Sydney’s inner suburbs once home to grand residences on large estates, had been subdivided into rows of terrace houses crowded with working families in need of care services for their children, Ms Turner shared in a ‘child friendly’ rendition of the life of the service which she shared when addressing the children directly.  

Cake and connection 

As part of the birthday celebration the children presently attending the service presented Ms Spender and SDN Board President Helen Hamilton-James each with a beautiful group artwork before both women joined Ms Turner to cut the cake. 

Current SDN Paddington Centre Director Carol Soleymanbik received a special thanks for all the work which went into celebrating the day. 

“The children and our staff have been busy preparing decorations, food, and creating special artworks for the day,” she said in response. 

“Everyone loves a birthday party, and we are excited to be part of the festivities!”

The event concluded with refreshments, cake, conversation and plenty of community spirit. 

Read more about SDN Paddington’s history here.