Kids Activity Centre in Mt Druitt: A Community Treasure Being Lost to Development
For more than five decades, a building in the heart of Mt Druitt quietly did something remarkable. It gave thousands of children a place to belong. Now, it faces closure! For many children growing up in Mt Druitt in the late 1980s and through the 1990s, this was their backyard. A place of freedom, creativity and genuine community connection.
a place like no other!
Originally built as Mt Druitt’s police station, the building found a new purpose in the 1976 when a woman named Jackie Deveril Co-founded the centre with Maisy Graham, in a cottage that had been earmarked for demolition, they were given the go ahead and allowed to function for twelve months, known affectionately by generations of Mt Druitt kids simply as Mrs D transformed it into the Kids Activity Centre. For over 45 years, it became a community haven where children could come before and after school, during school holidays and through vacation care.
Mrs D vision was simple but profound. She wanted to give local children somewhere safe, warm and welcoming to go somewhere that felt less like a service and more like visiting a grandmother. Over the years she cared for thousands of children from the Mt Druitt area, and the centre became deeply woven into the fabric of the community.
What made it special?
The Kids Activity Centre was not your ordinary after school care facility. Under Jackie’s care, children experienced the kind of hands-on, community-rooted activities that are increasingly rare in today’s world.
Billy cart derbies were a highlight — kids building and racing their own carts on the grounds, learning to problem solve and work together. Maypole flying brought children together in shared celebration. Pottery classes were held in a mud house on site. Children learned to sew, play piano and spin wool — skills passed down with genuine care and patience. These were not just activities. They were experiences that shaped childhoods and stayed with people for life.
The “Red Bus” went out to various suburbs throughout the week setting up in local parks through out Mount Druitt and surrounding suburbs for play group sessions in the morning, and school age session in the afternoon which would also provide afternoon tea and a variety of craft and games to school age children.
the grounds: something truly special
One of the most remarkable things about the Kids Activity Centre was the land itself. The grounds were extraordinary — a beautiful, generous open space that gave children room to explore and truly play.
Towering Moreton Bay Fig trees provided natural shade across the property, their roots and canopies forming a landscape unlike anything else in the area. There was a flying fox, a vegetable patch where children learned to grow their own food, stages built for performances and shows that are still standing today, and an outdoor firepit and fireplace where children gathered on cooler days. The play equipment was abundant and the whole space had a sense of magic that former visitors still speak about decades later.
The Loss of Jackie Deveril and What Came Next
The Kids Activity Centre stopped operating in 2022. Jackie Deveril — the heart and soul of the centre for over 45 years — worked until she was 81. Sadly, Mrs D passed away in 2023. Her daughter Sarah Deveril has been left to care for the building and carry the weight of its legacy.
Due to the dedication to the community and children’s services Mrs. D was awarded an Order of Australia Medal and various other awards and accolades in recognition of her accomplishments.
Earlier this year, Sarah received correspondence from the Department of Housing advising that they are required to vacate the premises by September 2026. The reason given is the housing crisis — with the government citing the need to repurpose the land.
A Building With History Worth Preserving
The Kids Activity Centre is not just a building. It is part of Mt Druitt’s social and cultural history. The original police station structure, the mud house pottery rooms, the performance stages, the Moreton Bay Fig trees, the outdoor firepit — these are the kinds of places that tell the story of who a community was and what it valued.
Many former attendees of the centre have expressed deep sadness at the news, with people now in their 30s, 40s and 50s sharing memories of their time there and what it meant to them growing up. For many, it was the first place they felt truly seen and cared for outside of their own homes.
what could be done instead
A refurbishment would allow Jackie Deveril’s legacy to live on. It would preserve a piece of Mt Druitt’s history. And it would keep a community asset in community hands — which is, arguably, what publicly owned land should be used for in the first place.
Community members and advocates have raised the question of whether the building and grounds could be refurbished and the centre’s legacy continued, rather than the site being vacated and sold. The building holds genuine historical significance for Mt Druitt. The performance stages are still standing. The Moreton Bay Fig trees are still there. The bones of something truly special remain.
We Want to Hear From You
Western Sydney Mums is a platform built on community. We believe the voices of the people who lived this history matter — and we want to hear from you.
Did you attend the Kids Activity Centre? Do you have memories of Mrs D the billy cart derbies, the pottery classes, the piano lessons, spinning wool, performing on the stage or sitting around the outdoor firepit? We want to share your stories and your voices with the broader Western Sydney community.
Send us a message or reach out directly. This is your community and your history. And Jackie Deveril’s legacy deserves to be remembered.
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