The Tamarama Surf Life Saving Club and the heritage Boot Factory building in Bondi Junction are undergoing major upgrades and restorations. The projects are progressing well and expected to finish in early 2024.
Read: Bondi’s Historic Boot Factory Gets New Lease on Life
Tamarama SLSC upgrade
The upcoming upgrade of the Tamarama Surf Life Saving Club will modernise the facility to better serve lifesavers, educators, and the local community. The renovation is a partnership between Waverley Council and the Club.
The improved Club will have new amenities tailored for contemporary lifesaving activities and patrols. There will be enhanced spaces for female club members along with facilities for increased community and public use. The design also addresses noise bleed to nearby residential properties.
It’s partially funded through the Australian Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, which helps local Councils like Waverley deliver priority infrastructure projects, creating jobs and boosting local economies to aid pandemic recovery.
Boot Factory building restoration
Waverley Council has undertaken restoration and upgrades to the historic Boot Factory and Mill Hill Community Centre in Bondi Junction. The former shoemaking factory was originally built in 1892 by William Sidaway and Son.
Waverley Council last restored the historic building in 1986. Located behind Norman Lee Place at 27-33 Spring Street, the facility is now being transformed into a vibrant community hub.
A key feature of the renovated centre will be an Innovation and Knowledge Hub. This space will allow Waverley Council to foster innovative ideas and collaborate with the community to shape the future of the area as a modern, technology-enabled “smart city.”
Upgrades to the seniors and community centre will provide flexible spaces for public use. Normal Lee Place will also see improvements, and a new café is being added.
Most notably, the building will house Waverley Council’s inaugural Thinker In Residence program. This initiative will bring in experts to engage with the community on finding innovative solutions to pressing environmental sustainability challenges facing the area.
Read: Prestigious Flickerfest Returns to the Refurbished Bondi Pavilion
Alan Al Refaei, Director of Schiavello Constructions, expressed excitement about collaborating with Waverley Council on the restoration projects.
“Our focus has been to protect and restore the rich heritage elements of these buildings while undertaking major external, civil, structural and interior fitout works to create a thriving community hub,” Mr Al Refaei said.
Visit Waverley Council’s website for updates on major projects.
Published 1-September-2023
