It’s not just the name – everyone who’s driven through the former Ingleburn military camp on old Campbelltown Road knows Bambi Kindergarten.
It’s without a doubt a south west Sydney icon, one of those places everyone knows when you mention it.
Bambi Kindergarten began as a Department of Defence building off Stevens Road at Ingleburn in the early 1950s to serve Defence families.
It continued offering early education to civilian families once the military camp was decommissioned and rezoned for housing.
But once the Edmondson Park housing started sprouting all around it there was a need for Bambi Kindergarten to find new premises.
Still in the same area and not too far from the old location and – most importantly – continue to offer excellent early education to local youngsters for many more years to come.
Who knows, maybe it will be around for another 60 years or more.
Today a ceremony was held to turn the first sod in the construction of the new $1.5 million Bambi Kindergarten at Edmondson Park.
The purpose designed kindergarten will accommodate up to 60 children a day aged between two and five years of age, increasing its current capacity by 50 per cent.
UrbanGrowth NSW is behind the new Bambi Kindergarten
“With the subdivision of the surrounding land and the forthcoming creation of the Edmondson Park Town Centre, Bambi needed new accommodation,” said UrbanGrowth NSW’s head of Western Sydney projects Matthew Beggs.
“Bambi’s new location near Mont Saint Quentin Reserve means that the kindergarten retains a wonderful parkland setting and strong connections with the area’s military history,” Mr Beggs said.
“The architecturally designed building features a wide porch, office space, a staff room, kitchen, program rooms, toilets, a laundry, generous storage and air conditioning.
“We are delighted to provide this much nicer and more efficient space for them to operate.”
Construction of the new kindergarten is expected to take around six months.
UrbanGrowth NSW will then pass ownership of the new kindergarten and adjoining car park to Campbelltown City Council.
“Today marks a new beginning for everyone associated with Bambi,’’ said Bambi Kindergarten director Alicia Harrington.
“On behalf of our management committee, I’d like to thank UrbanGrowth NSW and Campbelltown City Council for making this possible,” Ms Harrington said.
The Mayor of Campbelltown, Councillor Paul Hawker, said he was pleased that the kindergarten would continue to service the local community.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“Bambi Kindergarten has a long and proud history in the Campbelltown local government area, having operated here for 64 years,’’ he said.[/social_quote]
“The new facility will go a long way towards ensuring the youngest members of our community have access to quality early education opportunities,” Cr Hawker said.
♦ Edmondson Park is one of the Priority Precincts in South West Sydney, announced by the NSW Government in September 2013. With its centrally located new bus-rail interchange and easy access to the M5 and M7 motorways, it is one of the best connected new urban developments in Sydney. Edmondson Park is located 8km from Liverpool CBD and about 45km from the Sydney CBD. Over the next 10 to 15 years it will welcome around 25,000 new residents to approximately 8,200 homes.
♦ UrbanGrowth NSW is the NSW Government’s city transformation agency. Its aim is to drive world class urban renewal that delivers sustainable housing and jobs growth and improves the liveability of our urban spaces. It collaborate with government, private and community stakeholders to deliver projects that create a globally competitive Sydney and NSW. Visit its website here for more information on how UrbanGrowth NSW are creating resilient, diverse and connected places.
