Our History

The current day Wombat was formed by an amalgamation of two similar agencies (Wombat & Lanigiro) in 1998. Both were small but had substantial links to local communities. At the time of amalgamation Lanigiro had 3 family support workers and owned a block of 7 townhouses in Newport. Wombat was primarily focused on the Kensington, Flemington and North Melbourne areas and was one of the first youth housing programs in the inner metro area. Wombat also managed a rooming house for men in Ascot Vale and was in the process of developing a purpose built property for women in Kensington. A team of just 4.5 staff provided emergency housing and Bond Assistance to adults and families.

After much exploration the perfect premises for the new organisation was found in North Melbourne at the old Melrose Hotel. We are fortunate to call this historical gem home and are proud of all we have achieved here together with the help of our partners.