Meerilinga

Welcome to Meerilinga, Leonie!

Leonie joins us in the newly created role of Family Partnerships Coordinator where she will be working alongside families and carers to support their access to quality Early Learning, including by connecting them with external services and supports. Leonie has a warm and welcoming presence and we can’t wait for our families to meet her!

Find out more about this role by heading to our latest news: https://meerilinga.org.au/news/

We were honoured to attend the opening of the Gidget Foundation's second House in Western Australia and celebrate 25 years of the Foundation supporting the mental health of families, especially during pregnancy and early parenthood. Manager for Parenting Services, Belynda, represented Meerilinga at the event, and strengthened our ties with this important not-for-profit along with other community services, including Playgroup WA.

If you need support, from pre-conception to early infancy, reach out to the Gidget Foundation. Our Parenting Service is also here to listen and to support parents and carers, with workshops and programs running throughout the year.

Congratulations to Gidget House for opening this new service!

Small classes. 8:30am to 3:30pm. Not for Profit.

We're seeking experienced candidates to join Meerilinga Kingsley as room leader and implement a curriculum based on children's rights and learning through play.

Discover more by heading to the careers page of our website.

(please note, we only have capacity to respond to applications and enquiries for this role that are sent via Seek)

The name Meerilinga is well known, whether you were an educator in 1926 or are one in 2026. But do you know where the name comes from?

While the meaning of the word Meerilinga is not defined, it is believed to have derived from an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island language with Meeri translating to ‘distant’ and Linga ‘thunder’.

The term began its long association with the Kindergarten Union of WA when we moved into the gold rush era Meerilinga House in 1922. This gorgeous ‘Federation Queen Anne’ style building was so well loved that people began to use it to refer to the kindergarten movement itself. The House was purchased in 1932 thanks to a bequest from grazier Henry Wills Rischbieth, husband of prominent feminist Bessie Rischbieth, and the name has stuck ever since!

Our name finally became official with the transformation of our organisation into the Meerilinga Council Inc. in 1985 and the Meerilinga Young Children’s Foundation Inc. in 1989. While the building was sold in 2003, it still stands at 1186 Hay Street in Perth and is now heritage-listed, thanks to both being an outstanding example of gold rush era architecture and for its association in the development of kindergarten in Western Australia.

Thank you to the State Library of Western Australia for allowing the use of the second, third and fourth images, featuring WA’s first educators working in and around the famous house. The first and final images are taken from Meerilinga's own archives.

Don’t let your child’s first school day be the first time they enter a classroom.

Contact us now to discuss how a single Term at Meerilinga can make a massive difference to your child's transition into school.

Our father-figures joined our Early Learning Centres as we celebrated Father’s Day together. With morning teas and learning activities on offer, it was great to welcome our dads into our services and spend time remembering everything that they do for our children each day.

We believe that having our families involved in our services and working with them to make their experience of Meerilinga the best it can be. It looks like these events did that successfully 🤙

Meerilinga is an iconic Western Australian not-for-profit organisation and registered charity that has been promoting positive childhoods since 1911. We operate multiple Early Learning Centres around Perth, provide specialised educator training through our Registered Training Organisation, and deliver parenting and community programs that strengthen children, families and communities.

We have two important positions available in our Organisation, including:
• Educational Leader (Children Services)
• Lead Administration Officer (Meerilinga Training College)

Find out more and apply now by heading to the Careers page of our website!

R U OK? 💛

We’re always looking at how we can strengthen the way we check in with the people in our community, whether that’s our educators and staff, families and carers, or the children we work with and for.

At an organisational level, this has meant strengthening our team structure to better support and care for our staff, families and community. As part of this, Meerilinga has introduced a Family Partnerships Coordinator to work alongside our services, staff and families to help reduce barriers to learning, participation and accessing the support and services they need.

In our Early Learning Centres today, that meant exploring our feelings as well as what and who can help us to feel better. Today, tomorrow and into the future, this means building genuine relationships where children, families and community members feel safe and comfortable answering the question, R U OK?

If you’re asked that question today (or any day), we’ll be prepared to listen, encourage action and check in again.

The next school year is just around the corner! But it’s not too late (or too early) to enrol at Meerilinga where just 10 weeks can make a massive difference for your child's school readiness.
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Here are the TOP FIVE ways enrolling your child at Meerilinga can prepare them for school: https://meerilinga.org.au/news/our-school-readiness-top-five/

Are you passionate about early literacy and child development outcomes?

We are so excited to be hosting our 10th National Paint the Town REaD Conference in Camden NSW.
If distance is a barrier we have set up a National Conference Hub in WA at the beautiful City of Perth Surf Life Saving Club for the same registration fee as remote access.
You get all the advantages of conference networking and sharing without the flight!
This milestone conference celebrates innovation, cutting edge research and community-led action to foster a love of reading, language and learning in children from birth. Delegates will have the opportunity to share ideas, hear inspiring stories, explore evidence-based practice and strengthen networks that support children and families to thrive.
Paint the Town REaD
Brockman Community House
Midvale Hub Parenting Service Perth North East
Midvale Early Childhood and Parenting Centre
ERICA Women's Centre
Goodstart Early Learning Stratton
City of Swan
Meerilinga
Swan Communities for Children