I recognise the fiftieth anniversary of one of the most loved and valued places in my community, the Addison Road Community Centre. Known to many simply as Addi Road, it is a story of country, migration, community and hope. Long before there were gates, huts, warehouses or parade grounds, the land the centre is on was part of the Gumbramorra wetland. For tens of thousands of years, the land was cared for by First Nations people whose connection to country continues today. The wetland was drained in the nineteenth century; the land was farmed and was later converted into an army barracks. In 1976, the former depot was handed over to the community for its use. Following community consultation, a clear vision emerged. Addison Road would be a place where people from across the world could maintain, celebrate and share the cultures they had brought with them to Australia. That mattered deeply in Marrickville, which was, and remains, one of the most proudly multicultural communities in our State.

Hundreds of volunteers cleaned, painted, repaired and reimagined the old army huts, transforming them from military infrastructure to community infrastructure. A place once dedicated to preparing for war became a place dedicated to peace and community. When the army left Addison Road in 1975, Australia was changing. The old certainties were being challenged, and a more confident, new and generous idea of Australia was emerging, led by the Federal Labor Government under Gough Whitlam. Addison Road is a living expression of Gough's vision. For many newly arrived Australians, Addison Road was one of the first places where they truly belonged. They came seeking practical support and found services and organisations ready to help them navigate life in a new country, but they found something deeper as well. They found community radio stations broadcasting in their language, festivals celebrating their culture, halls filled with music and conversation, community kitchens, and artists' studios and spaces where stories mattered and were celebrated.

For fifty years, the Addison Road Community Organisation has carried that legacy forward. It has been a home for migrant communities, artists, volunteers and people seeking support, and a place where difference is embraced. Behind the much-loved Sunday markets is a vibrant atmosphere of serious community work. The food justice programs, including the famous food pantry, have become a lifeline for people struggling through the cost‑of‑living crisis. People receive more than food; they receive dignity and a connection. That is also exemplified by Wednesday Night Lights. Anyone is welcome to go for a free meal and to chat and connect with outreach organisations, such as Marrickville Legal Centre and Street Side Medics. One of the reasons Addi Road has remained relevant for 50 years is its ability to innovate. The Addi Moves program is exactly that. It is a free trauma-informed exercise program designed with refugee and asylum seeker communities and delivered in partnership with universities and health and research organisations.

What makes Addison Road so special is that it is a community of communities. There are so many huts with so many organisations—too many to list, but I will give members a flavour. It is home to places like Ethnic Community Services Cooperative, Wirringa Baiya, Radio Skid Row, Flight Path Theatre, Hellenic Art Theatre and Addison Road Early Learning Centre. That co-location creates relationships and opportunities that would not otherwise exist. The result is a community asset whose impact is far greater than the sum of its parts. Addison Road exists today because governments of the day recognised that strong communities do not emerge by accident. The decision to hand the former military depot over to the community for its use and the support provided in its early years reflected a belief that public assets should be used for public good. Fifty years later, the founding vision of Addison Road remains as relevant as ever, and its success is proof of the value of that vision. We must always protect that. As our city changes and grows, there remains a shared responsibility, including by government, to make sure places like Addison Road continue to thrive.

The story of Addison Road belongs to the generations of volunteers, community leaders and locals who transformed it into one of Australia's most significant centres of multiculturalism, social justice and community life. It belongs to the visionaries of the Whitlam era, the multicultural pioneers of our country, longstanding community leaders like Vivi Germanos, today's leadership under Rosanna Barbero, and the thousands of staff and volunteers who sustain it each and every day. What has been built over 50 years is invaluable. I congratulate Addi Road on a remarkable 50 years.