Our Story
A kindergarten built by community
Norman Park Community Kindergarten's story began in 1962, when a group of local families came together with a shared vision to establish a kindergarten for their community.
In its earliest days, the kindergarten operated from St Paul's Church in East Brisbane while families and supporters worked to establish a permanent home in Norman Park. Through extraordinary community effort — fundraising, planning, volunteering and practical help — that vision became a reality.
On 3 August 1963, our kindergarten building was officially opened — beginning more than six decades of children and families learning, playing and belonging in this special place.
From the beginning, Norman Park Kindy has been shaped by its community. Across generations, families have given their time, skills, ideas and energy — serving on committees, fundraising, tending gardens, building and improving play spaces, maintaining our environment and working alongside educators to create a wonderful place for children.
Our kindy has continued to evolve too. Over the decades, our buildings and grounds have changed, our understanding of early childhood education has grown, and our program has developed in response to new knowledge and the changing needs and rights of children. Yet many of the things valued by our earliest community remain at the heart of Norman Park Kindy today: children, play, relationships, nature, family and community.
Our beautiful natural environment also carries the story of the many people who have cared for this place before us. Gardens have been planted, play spaces imagined and built, resources added and buildings lovingly maintained — often through the combined efforts of families, educators and community members.
That history helps explain why family participation remains such an important part of Norman Park Kindy today. Families aren't simply attending a service; they are joining a community that generations of families before them have helped to create and sustain. Participation can take many forms, and every family brings different skills, interests, experiences and capacity to contribute.
More than 60 years after those first families came together, Norman Park Community Kindergarten remains a not-for-profit, community kindergarten, with children and families continuing to shape its story.
Every family who joins us becomes part of what comes next.
Acknowledgment to Country: Kookaburras group
Thank you to the Jagera people, you made the land good. Now it's our turn to look after the grass, trees, flowers and air.
We need to show to the Jagera people that we are keeping the land clean for ourselves and them.
Acknowledgement to Country: Lorikeets group
Thank you to the Jagera people for looking after the land for us, before we were born. For taking care of this land and growing our land.
We will help and be kind and nice to the people, the animals, the birds, the bugs, the trees and plants and sun.
Thank you for our country, thank you for our world.