Local Residential

Living Local: Rebecca

September 2024

4MIN READ

Every neighbourhood needs a Rebecca.

Rebecca – or Bec to just about everyone – “moved to Kensington as a young professional over 25 years ago and never left. My partner and I raised our kids here and spent years involved with the local schools and sports clubs.”

Now she works at Kensington Neighbourhood House and, it seems, she spends most of her time unravelling Kensington’s many and varied threads to connect people.

“There are so many ways to connect within the Kensington community. If you have kids, JJ Holland Park, Bayswater Road Park, Skinny Park and The Venny are great places to meet others. The parks are also great for dog owners. I met all of my first Kensington friends while dog walking! Having so many green spaces and sporting facilities means it’s easy for people to connect without ever having to leave the postcode.”

Beyond the parks, “the Kensington Good Karma Network (Facebook page) is excellent for linking up with people; and obviously all new residents should drop into Kensington Neighbourhood House for a chat. We can link people in with everything from art and exercise classes to playgroups and code clubs. Kensington Neighbourhood House also offers lots of volunteering opportunities for people who want to help out locally.”

Bec draws on deep wells of local knowledge and relationships forged over decades of Kensington living. But you get the impression that Kensington’s unique personality makes it easy.

Convenience is another Kensington specialty.

“Personally, I love the many parks and being so close to the river. I also love that everything I need is within walking distance”

“…My workplace, cafes, library, recreation centre/pool (when it reopens), GPs, dentists. If I actually have to leave the suburb, there are two train lines, a bus route (the 402) and the tram (No. 57) to get me where I want to go.”

And every now and then, locals-in-the-know enjoy something that very few people beyond Kensington even know exists. For example, “there is a Kensington Community Fresh Food Market once a month in Skinny Park. Fresh produce grown locally is sold for very low prices or given away. Zero food miles and improved food security for those who need it most. Brilliant.”

According to Bec, Kensington’s diversity is emblematic of the neighbourhood’s openness and tolerance. More than that, this diversity goes to the heart of Kensington’s unique brand of community, one built around the idea of finding room (and a home) for everyone.

“Like other inner-city neighbourhoods, Kensington has a very diverse population. At the moment, there are just under 11,000 people living here. It is a relatively young community with around 35% of residents aged between 25 and 39. It’s also a multicultural community with 35% of locals born outside Australia. Here at Kensington Neighbourhood House, we welcomed participants from over 60 different countries last year!”

And through its diversity, Kensington is Melbourne’s story of multiculturalism down through the decades. Some of the new arrivals stayed, others have moved on, leaving behind their mark – one of Melbourne’s largest Coptic churches crowns the Kensington hill.“Over the decades Kensington has seen different waves of migration – starting with Turkish and El Salvadorian people in the 1970’s, followed by Vietnamese and Chinese families, and more recently people from Somalia, Ethiopia and Sudan. These days we also have many international students and overseas workers living in our neighbourhood. This rich diversity is part of what makes Kensington special.”