L'Arche Sydney Community




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About L'Arche Sydney



	Community Leader Donna Rhall Administration Office Kerrie Harley PO Box 489 Belmore NSW 2192 Ph: +61 2 9787 8132 Fax: +61 2 9718 9002 Email: sydney@larche.org.au

Can you help L'Arche Sydney?

We would welcome volunteers to build relationships with our core members, cook a meal, assist with gardening or basic handy work around the houses.

If you feel you can assist L’Arche Sydney in this or any other way, please contact us!

We have 3 beautiful homes, filled with 9 unique core members, and a varying team of dedicated assistants from Australia and around the world. Our original home in Burwood is rented from the Churches Community Housing and we have two other homes in Campsie and Merrylands.

Burwood House
Bruce has been with us since the beginning of L’Arche Sydney and lives with other core members Joanne Geoffrey. We will be welcoming a fourth core member into our Burwood home this year. The team of assistants include four live-in assistants from around the world led by Michelle our live-out house coordinator.

Campsie House
Anthony, Janine, “Bonfire” (Hugh) and Katie share life together in our home in Campsie. Rosa co-ordinates the house and the team of live-in and live-out assistants.

Merryland House
Gabriel, Joseph and Andrew share life together in our Merrylands home with four live-in assistants. Martin coordinates the house and the team of assistants.

Our History

L'Arche Sydney grew from a core group of members who built friendships with people with an intellectual disability and their families. In January 1980, the group began meeting for regular picnic outings. A number of those in the first "picnic group" were people who were living at a large institution in Gladesville, Sydney.

In 1983 the group was offered the use of a large house in Burwood, a suburb about 20 minutes west of the Sydney CBD. Five people with a disability, several from Gladesville, and a number of assistants, lived together under the direction of Father Peter Toohey, who was previously the Catholic chaplain at Gladesville.

A second house was established at Merrylands, in Sydney's west, which allowed another four core members with a disability to become part of L'Arche Sydney. When the opportunity arose to open another house close to Burwood in Campsie, 3 core members were welcomed, bringing to 11 the number of people with a disability living in the community.

Over the years, L'Arche Sydney has grown to a vibrant community of friends, supporting and living the life of the community together.

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