Irene Fakas
Manager, Child and Family Services
Please contact for more information about children’s services provided in the City of Sydney’s local area.
Construction works at East Sydney Early Learning Centre
To help meet the demand for quality child care in the inner city, the City has transformed 277-279 Bourke Street, Darlinghurst, into a state-of-the-art childcare and community centre.
Project Status: Completed
The childcare centre is open.
What we’re doing
As part of the childcare centre’s facilities, we also upgraded the John Birt Memorial playground opposite the building.
Works included:
- a 3-level childcare centre for 60 children with light wells, sandpits and garden planters on the first and upper floors creating outdoor play spaces with natural light for children's activities
- multipurpose community hire space with a kitchen
- a new lift, a new roof and drainage
- removing the paint to feature the original brickwork
- a bridge linking the centre to the John Birt Memorial playground to ensure children can safely cross to the park and pedestrian access along Berwick Lane is maintained
- renewing John Birt Memorial playground including an elevated platform with shade structures linked to the bridge, new bathroom and storage facilities, landscaping and fencing.
We have also upgraded surrounding streets, including:
- new paving in sections of Bourke and Liverpool streets and Berwick Lane (next to the centre and the playground)
- new sandstone to replace the existing stairs in Berwick Lane
- 2 new LED street lights at Berwick Lane stairs.
Childcare enrolment
To find out about vacancies and enrolling your child, contact East Sydney Early Learning Centre .