A bell rings at 10.30am around the quad, letting everyone know it’s time for morning tea. In Room 4 at the Balcombe Heights Estate, the soft furnishings and upholstery class take a break from toiling away on their various projects they have been steadily working on throughout the term and look at the progress they’ve made. They give each other tips on how to hammer in that stubborn nail or advice on what they should do with this new fabric they found as I keenly observe this wonderful space of knowledge-sharing and skill-building.
When I first contacted the Hills Community Aid (HCA), Executive Officer Mici Beer immediately knew she wanted to spotlight their biggest program, Learning in The Hills (LITH). They had already published a book on the first 25 years of HCA and have a book in the works on the next 30 years, but there were still so many stories and experiences to be told since the establishment of LITH in 1983. It seemed fitting for me to collect oral histories and I was very fortunate to lead a discussion amongst people who have had a strong connection to this program for decades and listen to the memories brought up by these conversations.
LITH was started by Betty Kean who was already involved in HCA but noticed the isolation felt by many women in the area. She realised there needed to be spaces for women outside of the home to socialise and learn. It was a reckoning with the identity of women to perceive themselves as an individual before being a wife or mother. Now LITH has over 800 enrolments and runs an amazing range of courses over four terms such as oil painting, crocheting, dressmaking, yoga and English language which is particularly significant for migrants in the area who resonate with feeling isolated.
As someone who has lived in The Hills all my life, I have always had a desire to know more about this area and working with the LITH community has already enlightened me immensely. It continues to prove itself as a gift that keeps giving to anyone lucky enough to be a part of it. The Hills area used to be known as ‘Nappy Valley’ because of all the young families in the district so LITH ran a childcare in the 1980s before it was even really an established business in Australia which opened so many avenues for women in the area to work or study. The program provided a new opportunity to socialise in affordable classes that also taught valuable skills, serving as a reminder that learning should not defined by age nor does it require a diploma at the end to be proud of what you have achieved. Perhaps most importantly, it gave new meaning to being independent: you can accomplish anything, but you don’t have to do it alone.
Long-time student, Jan Davis spoke passionately to me about how their upholstery classes resurrect forgotten pieces of furniture. It is fitting for a program like Learning in The Hills which has evolved into a place of giving new life to those in the area who have felt isolation and has continued to welcome folks into a loving community.