Our Story
It all started with one kid.
“Home is like hell. We have nowhere to go. Doesn’t anyone care about us?”
These were the angry words of a gang kid that prompted our founder George Farrington, in 1971, to form a team dedicated to helping troubled and disadvantaged youths who didn’t fit in.
Half a century later, that team, which later came to be known as Open House Christian Involvement Centres, has evolved into an institution dedicated to caring for and supporting people of all ages from all walks of life.
Our mission is to provide those with no one to turn to and nowhere to go a place to belong.
Open House began in 1971 as a safe place for young people, offering positive activities as a healthier alternative to the pub.
Over time, it has grown to support a diverse range of people, responding to community needs with friendship, connection, and activities for all ages. These support those experiencing loneliness, isolation, anxiety, mental illness, addiction, or challenges with belonging and growing up.
At the heart of Open House is a belief that strong, positive relationships help people navigate life’s struggles and grow through them.
Many original founders remain active as volunteers, board members, and advisers.
After several locations, Open House is now based in Macleod, Victoria, at a former Uniting Church site near shops and the railway station. The site includes a large hall (the Welcome Centre) with full catering facilities, workshops, youth worker offices, and a converted manse for administration and meetings, along with extensive indoor and outdoor areas being developed into community spaces.
