history

A group of concerned residents, legal and community workers in the vicinity of Nunawading started the centre in 1974. It was established to provide free and professional legal advice to the community, and added momentum to the progressive social justice movement that was prevalent at that time. Its aim was to alleviate the social injustices experienced by people of Nunawading and to assist them to overcome difficulties in accessing the legal system.

From the time it opened its doors until 1981 a dedicated core of volunteers staffed it. The centre received its first Federal funding in 1981 which saw the employment of staff – one lawyer and a part time secretary to co-ordinate a night service operated by volunteers, as well as a day service.

At this time the centre changed its name to Nunawading and Eastern Suburbs Community Legal Service Inc. in recognition of the fact that the centre’s clients come from well beyond the suburb of Nunawading.

In 1993 the Nunawading Council advised that they were selling the property at 26 Blackburn Road where the centre was housed and as a result the service moved into a property in Railway Road, Blackburn. The demand for the services of the centre has continued to grow and the legal centre now has a vast ‘catchment’ area that includes the Cities of Boroondara, Knox, Manningham, Maroondah, Whitehorse and the Shire of Yarra Ranges.

During this period the agency had grown to employ five staff. It has added new services including outreaches at a number of locations and legal education activities. The service has produced some easy to use publications to assist the community and has also been active in law reform activities on behalf of the clients it services.

A further name change occurred in 1995 with the centre becoming the Eastern Community Legal Centre Inc.

In 2001, the centre returned to Blackburn Road, a couple of doors up from where it was originally.

In 2005 a concerted community campaign led to funding for a new CLC in the Outer East.

Eastern Community Legal Centre CLC secured the new service and in October 2005 opened in Boronia to service the communities in Knox, Yarra Ranges and Maroondah. The services both use employed staff and many volunteers and offer outreach in various locations.

In November 2006, ECLC entered a new and exciting era with its move from Blackburn to the Box Hill Town Hall Hub. This new location will enable more clients to be seen, a broader range of services to be offered and provide a highly visible and accessible site, in both transport and mobility.

The centre still has a committed team of volunteers who make the work of the agency possible and has assisted many thousands of people over thirty years to understand and access the legal system.

Without the input of over 100 volunteers, we would not be able to offer the extent and nature of services which is currently possible.

We are fortunate in having a lot of interest in our centre from volunteers, both law students and community members, and their roles are usually in either paralegal assistance to the day staff or night service solicitors, in information and referral or in legal research and law reform.

We are also seeking community members, students and people who speak a second language to join our team.

Many lawyers and law firms also volunteer their services to provide advice to clients at night service and during the day.

They are all to be commended for their valuable input into our service and the assistance they provide to the community.