Karabar Housing Cooperative

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Karabar Housing Cooperative Registered charity and not for profit providing quality low cost housing in the Queanbeyan region.

Some lovely photos of our anniversary celebrations.
24/09/2026

Some lovely photos of our anniversary celebrations.

23/09/2026

Watch the dialogue between Fr Michael Cockayne and David Horton on the inception of KHC.

🎉 Happy 90th Birthday, David! 🎉Today we’re celebrating a very special member of the Karabar Housing Cooperative family —...
17/09/2026

🎉 Happy 90th Birthday, David! 🎉

Today we’re celebrating a very special member of the Karabar Housing Cooperative family — our Chair Emeritus and ongoing advisor, David Horton.

David, we hope you have a wonderful 90th birthday surrounded by family and friends. Thank you for your friendship, your wisdom, your wonderful sense of humour and for continuing to share your knowledge and advice with us.

We’re very lucky to have you still involved with KHC and we look forward to many more conversations, stories and good times together.

Happy birthday, David! 🥂🎂

🎉🏡 TODAY WE TURN 40! 🏡🎉On 4 September 1986, Karabar Housing Cooperative Ltd was officially incorporated.Today, exactly 4...
03/09/2026

🎉🏡 TODAY WE TURN 40! 🏡🎉

On 4 September 1986, Karabar Housing Cooperative Ltd was officially incorporated.

Today, exactly 40 years later, we are incredibly proud to celebrate four decades of providing affordable rental housing to the Queanbeyan community.

What began with a simple idea shared by a small group of determined local people has grown into something they could perhaps only have imagined.

Over 40 years, hundreds of people have called a Karabar Housing property home. Families have been raised in our homes, friendships have formed, gardens have grown and lives have changed.

And none of it happened alone.

Today we remember and honour our founders — Hope Marland MBE, Fr Michael Cockayne OAM and David Horton OAM — whose vision, compassion and determination gave Karabar Housing its beginning.

We also acknowledge our current Chair, Viv Cox, whose leadership is carrying that vision forward. Building on the strong foundations laid by those who came before, Viv has helped guide the Cooperative through an extraordinary period of growth and opportunity, as we pursue new housing projects, strengthen partnerships and prepare for the future.

We celebrate the generations of volunteer Board members who have guided the Cooperative, the staff who have cared for it, and the tradespeople, advisers and professionals who have generously shared their skills.

We thank the churches, governments, councils, community organisations, businesses, donors and supporters who have believed in what we do — some from the very beginning and others who have joined us along the way.

And, most importantly, we thank our tenants — past and present.

You are the reason Karabar Housing exists.

Some have called our properties home for decades. Others stayed for a shorter chapter of their lives. Every one of you has been part of our story.

Today we celebrate everything that has been achieved together, but we are also looking forward.

With Carinya Horizons moving towards construction, plans progressing for new affordable housing at Uriarra Road, and new opportunities still to be explored, our 40th birthday doesn't feel like an ending. It feels like the beginning of our next chapter.

To every person who has been part of Karabar Housing Cooperative since those first conversations in 1983:

Thank you. This 40th birthday belongs to all of you. 💚

Happy 40th Birthday, Karabar Housing Cooperative! 🎂🏡

1986–2026 — and still building on a vision that began more than four decades ago.

40 Years of Karabar Housing: A New Era of Growth: 2020–2026By 2020, Karabar Housing Cooperative had been part of the Qu...
29/08/2026

40 Years of Karabar Housing: A New Era of Growth: 2020–2026

By 2020, Karabar Housing Cooperative had been part of the Queanbeyan community for more than three decades. We had strong foundations, valued community partnerships and a long history of providing affordable rental housing.

When COVID-19 arrived in 2020, our immediate concern was our tenants. Board members established a Tenant Support Fund, largely through their own voluntary donations, to help those experiencing financial hardship, while regular contact with tenants provided connection and reassurance during an uncertain time.

That same year, we were enormously proud to receive both the Monaro Service Award and Outstanding Community Group Award, recognising our longstanding contribution to the Queanbeyan community and broader Monaro region.

New partnerships — and a changing of the guard: In 2021, we began working with Braidwood Life Centre and St Benedict’s Community Centre, a partnership that grew to support Gumtree Cottage, providing transitional accommodation and a pathway towards longer-term housing. One of the outcomes we are proudest of in terms of this partnership is that two Gumtree Cottage residents have moved into permanent affordable rental housing with Karabar Housing.

But 2021 also brought one of the biggest changes in our history. After an extraordinary 35 years as our inaugural Chair, David Horton OAM stepped down from the role he had held since 1986.
Viv Cox became only the second Chair in the Cooperative’s history, marking a genuine changing of the guard and the beginning of a new chapter. Thankfully, David wasn’t going anywhere! He continued, and continues today, in his 90th year, as Chair Emeritus, adviser and member of the Executive Committee.

Then we started thinking bigger…. In 2022, an opportunity emerged to explore an affordable housing development at Googong. Although the project has not yet proceeded, the experience proved transformational. Working with architects, professional advisers, community advocates and development partners gave us new skills, new relationships and the confidence to pursue housing projects on a scale we had never contemplated before.

2023 was a remarkable year.

A $95,000 NSW Government grant enabled solar panels to be installed across all 12 homes at Karabar Village, significantly reducing electricity costs for tenants.

We became a registered Tier 3 Community Housing Provider, recognising the strength of our governance, financial, tenancy and property management systems.

New government funding enabled us to expand our tiny staff team and increase our community education and tenant support work.

And then came an extraordinary act of generosity none of us will ever forget. At our inaugural Fundraising Launch in July 2023, we announced an extraordinary anonymous donation of $1 million.

For a small community housing cooperative, it was transformational — and gave us enormous confidence that others believed not only in what we had achieved, but in what we might be capable of doing next. The same benefactor donated a further $500,000 in 2025 and $500,000 in 2026, bringing their extraordinary support to $2 million over three years.

In 2024, with the support of Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council and Crown Lands NSW, we secured land at Carinya Street, Queanbeyan. An extraordinary team of professional partners came together around what became Carinya Horizons, many contributing significant expertise pro bono. With their help, we secured Australian Government funding through the Housing Australia Future Fund for 13 purpose-built homes for older women experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.

And in 2026, development approval was received.

Meanwhile, in 2025, we purchased a property at Uriarra Road, Crestwood, where we are planning new affordable rental housing for essential and key workers. Funds from the strategic sale of our ageing Charles Street properties have been set aside to help turn those plans into new purpose-built homes.

Forty years after Hope Marland, Fr Michael Cockayne and David Horton first imagined what a small community housing cooperative might achieve, we’re still asking the same question: what more can we do?

As we enter our fifth decade, we are enormously grateful to everyone who has been part of the journey.

The first 40 years have given us a remarkable story to tell. We can’t wait to see what comes next. 💚

📸 And as we finish sharing these chapters from our history, we’d love to see your Karabar Housing memories. If you have photographs or stories from any time over the past 40 years, please share them in the comments.

40 Years of Karabar Housing — Building on Strong Foundations: 2012–2019. The foundations were firmly in place — and a v...
22/08/2026

40 Years of Karabar Housing — Building on Strong Foundations: 2012–2019. The foundations were firmly in place — and a very different period in Karabar Housing’s story was about to begin. These are the transition years.

By 2012, Karabar Housing Cooperative had been providing affordable rental housing in Queanbeyan for more than 25 years. The years ahead would bring change, some difficult moments and new opportunities — while laying important foundations for the future.

In 2012, negotiations began to renew the lease over Karabar Village following the expiry of the original 25-year agreement. Because the Cooperative’s homes had been built on leased church land, securing a new agreement was critical — not only for the future of Karabar Housing, but for the tenants who called those properties home.

That same year, the Cooperative became a Registered Charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC) and added four one-bedroom units at Charles Street to its portfolio, responding to increasing demand for smaller, affordable homes.

💚 A sad farewell and a new chapter

In 2014, the Cooperative lost one of its founders and greatest driving forces, Hope Marland.

For almost three decades, Hope had served as Secretary and much of the Cooperative’s work had been carried out from her own home. Her passing marked the end of an extraordinary era of voluntary service — and presented the Board with the challenge of preserving her legacy while preparing the Cooperative for the future.

For the first time, Karabar Housing established a dedicated office and appointed a part-time staff member. The office later moved to Crawford Street, alongside HOME in Queanbeyan and St Benedict’s Community Centre, and the original office unit was returned to what it was needed for most, i.e. a home.

The Cooperative also acquired two additional two-bedroom units at Charles Street, continuing its steady growth.

In 2016, the generosity of a local Queanbeyan resident provided $15,000 to install solar panels on our Ernest Street homes — helping reduce electricity costs for tenants while delivering lasting environmental benefits.

The following year brought another important shift.

In 2017, Karabar Housing began managing additional homes on behalf of community partners, sharing its housing expertise beyond its own properties.

We also became an inaugural member of the Queanbeyan Housing Action Collective (Q-HAC), joining local housing providers, community organisations and support services to work together on the growing challenges of housing stress and homelessness in our region. One of Q-HAC’s early achievements was the community campaign to bring a Sleepbus to Queanbeyan, raising the $100,000 needed to provide a safe overnight alternative for people who would otherwise be sleeping rough or in unsafe situations. The Sleepbus commenced operating in 2021 and has since evolved into Queanbeyan Night Podz, continuing to provide a vital service to our community.

In 2018, the Cooperative achieved another important milestone, gaining Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status, enabling people who supported our work to make eligible tax-deductible donations.

And finally, some very welcome certainty!

After several years of complex negotiations, 2019 brought the news everyone had been working towards — new lease agreements were successfully secured for Karabar Village and Ernest Street. The agreements secured the properties until 2043, providing long-term certainty for the Cooperative and, most importantly, for the people who called those homes their own.

📸 And once again, we’d love your help with our history! If you have photographs, memories or stories of Karabar Housing from these years, please share them in the comments. We’d love to see them.

Next time: 2020 and beyond — when a small housing cooperative began thinking very big indeed.

40 Years of Karabar Housing — Growing, Strengthening and Looking Ahead: 1993–2009After the excitement of Karabar Housing...
15/08/2026

40 Years of Karabar Housing — Growing, Strengthening and Looking Ahead: 1993–2009

After the excitement of Karabar Housing Cooperative’s early years: forming the organisation, securing funding and building the first 12 homes at Karabar Village, the years that followed were about putting down roots, growing carefully and building a strong foundation for the future.

In 1993, the Cooperative took its first step beyond Karabar Village, building three two-bedroom villas on Anglican Church land at Ernest Street, Crestwood. Local builder Charlie Azzopardi constructed the homes, financed through a $150,000 mortgage from the Anglican Investment Development Fund.

Four years later, in 1997, another four two-bedroom villas were acquired at Bradbury Place, Karabar, adding more much-needed affordable rental housing for the Queanbeyan community.

By 2005, another important milestone was reached when the Cooperative gained Commonwealth charitable tax concessions through endorsement as a Public Benevolent Institution (PBI).

The following years brought some significant financial decisions. The Bradbury Place properties were progressively sold and, in 2008, Karabar Housing Cooperative repaid the original $577,354 capital grant that had helped establish the Cooperative more than 20 years earlier.

It was a significant achievement and gave the Cooperative greater financial independence for the years ahead.

That same year, the lease for our Ernest Street homes was successfully renewed with the Anglican Church, continuing a partnership that had played such an important role in our history.

And we were already thinking about what might come next.

In 2009, the Cooperative began developing an ambitious proposal for a Heritage Village at Christ Church Close, Queanbeyan. Working with architect Nick Pelle, the Parish Council and Queanbeyan City Council’s Heritage Adviser, considerable time and effort went into progressing the proposal.

Ultimately, despite several years of planning, the Heritage Village did not proceed. It was disappointing but it demonstrated something that has remained part of Karabar Housing’s character ever since: a willingness to pursue new ideas and opportunities to create more affordable rental housing for our community.

Also in 2009, another chapter came full circle. The St Matthew’s Community Room and Preschool, built by the Cooperative alongside Karabar Village in 1987–88, were transferred debt-free to St Matthew’s Anglican Church, ensuring they would continue to benefit the local community.

These may have been quieter years in our history, but they were important ones — strengthening our finances, expanding our housing, maintaining valued partnerships and continuing to look towards the future. 💚

📸 We don’t have quite as many photographs from this chapter of our history — but perhaps you do!

If you have any old photographs of Karabar Housing, our properties, events or people from these years, we’d love to see them. Please share them in the comments below and help us add to the story of our first 40 years.

Next time, we’ll continue the story as new partnerships, new properties and new possibilities begin to emerge.

40 Years of Karabar Housing — The Beginning: 1983–1988As promised, over the next four weeks we’ll be sharing the story o...
08/08/2026

40 Years of Karabar Housing — The Beginning: 1983–1988

As promised, over the next four weeks we’ll be sharing the story of Karabar Housing Cooperative as we celebrate our 40th anniversary.

And where better to start than at the very beginning?

Our story began in 1983, when Father Michael Cockayne and Hope Marland recognised a growing need for affordable rental housing in Queanbeyan. They began exploring an idea that was simple, but ambitious: a community-owned housing cooperative providing secure, affordable homes for local people experiencing housing stress.

They were soon joined by David Horton, whose knowledge of cooperatives and governance helped turn that idea into something very real.

Three years later, on 4 September 1986, Karabar Housing Cooperative Ltd was officially incorporated, with David Horton as inaugural Chair and Hope Marland as Secretary.

Then came the funding that made the vision possible. In December 1986, the Cooperative received the first instalment of $350,000 in capital funding through the Australian Government’s Local Government and Community Housing Program, established by the Hon. Tom Uren AC.

And things moved quickly from there!

In 1987, local builder David Loft began construction of our first eight homes at Cooma Street, Karabar.

On 16 March 1987, Karabar Village was officially opened by the Federal Minister for Housing and Construction, the Hon. Stewart West MP, and we welcomed our very first tenants.

The land itself was leased to the Cooperative by the Queanbeyan and District Anglican Church — an important partnership that allowed the fledgling Cooperative to put its limited resources into building homes rather than purchasing land.

But the vision extended beyond housing. Alongside those first homes, the Cooperative also funded and built St Matthew’s Community Centre and Karabar Preschool — facilities created for the wider community that continue to serve local people today.

In 1988, a further $227,354 in capital funding enabled another four homes to be built, bringing Karabar Village to the 12 homes that remain there today.

From an idea shared by a small group of determined local people to a village of homes and community facilities — the foundations had been laid.

And Karabar Housing Cooperative’s story had only just begun.

📸 These wonderful early photographs show some of the people, planning and construction behind those first few years.

Next week: the 1990s — a decade of growth, change and new opportunities.

40 years of opening doors.What began with a simple vision in 1983 came to fruition in 1986. Forty years later that visi...
01/08/2026

40 years of opening doors.

What began with a simple vision in 1983 came to fruition in 1986. Forty years later that vision has since grown into a lasting legacy of providing affordable rental housing and changing lives across our region.

We've worked alongside tenants, staff, board members, supporters and partners who have all helped shape our story.

Thank you for being part of the journey.

Over the coming weeks we'll be sharing stories, photos, milestones and memories from the past four decades.

💙 Here's to 40 years... and the next 40.

Come and join the discussion this Homelessness Week.
21/07/2026

Come and join the discussion this Homelessness Week.

Address

284 Crawford Street
Queanbeyan, NSW

Opening Hours

Monday 9:30am - 2:30pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 2:30pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 5pm
Thursday 9:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+61429206632

Website

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