The Bosco Youth Centre has been around for a while!
- 1964 – Meeting convened in July by Father Ciantar to form a Boys Club to promote cultural, sporting and social activities for the youth of Engadine and surrounding districts
- 1964 – September, Father Ciantar offers the George Nathan Hall for activities which were predominately Gymnastics and boxing – this hall is now the site of the College
- 1965 – Activities moved to the Parish Hall and Boys’ Town Gymnasium
- 1965 – Rugby League Club formed sharing facilities at Kareela with St Josephs
- 1968 – Cricket Club formed
- 1972 – Soccer Club formed with its home ground at Waterfall
- 1977 – Factory Office purchased from a firm in Marrickville and relocated to Boystown Fields
- 1978 – First Annual Father and Son Camp held
- 1978 – Soccer Club transfers its home ground to Dobell Rd, Engadine
- 1978 – Basketball Club is formed
- 1979 – Grant for $20,000 obtained from NSW Government for the refurbishment of the office building and construction of canteen facilities at Boys’ Town
- 1980 – Baseball Club formed
- 1982 – Softball Club formed
- 1983 – Touch Football Club formed
- 1984 – Father Briffa blesses and opens the Youth Centre Club House – “The hut” is born
- 1985 – Baton Twirling centre formed
- 1984 – A Memorandum and Articles of Association are adopted and The Youth Centre registers as an incorporated body
- 1985 – Soccer Club secures an additional ground at Old Bush Rd
- 1986 – Social Group formed for boys and girls in the last 2 years of high school – this was the for runner of todays Youth Matter Group
- 1986 – Hockey Club formed
- 1988 – The Netball Club officially becomes a member of the Youth Centre
- 1995– Summer Soccer Club formed & relocates to Boys’ Town Oval in 1998
- 1998 – Soccer Club relocates from Dobell Rd and Old Bush Rd to new facilities at Woronora Heights
- 1999 – Baseball Club relocates to Heathcote Oval
- 2000 – Hockey Club relocates to Dobell Rd
- 2000 – Oz Tag Club formed replacing Touch Football
- 2003 – “The Hut” is destroyed by fire – an act of vandalism
Today
From its humble beginnings with that first meeting chaired by Father Ciantar, The Youth Centre today is the largest single provider of sporting activities for the Engadine/Heathcote area.
Quoting from The Youth Centre’s Memorandum of Association the following clauses should be noted which are embedded in the Salesian philosophy;
To afford boys & girls of Engadine and surrounding districts the opportunity of participating in clean healthy recreation and to make Club facilities available to them for that purpose and especially to underprivileged youth and those in necessitous circumstances.
To be non-sectarian and non political.
Current activities, which the Youth Centre promotes for all ages from juniors to seniors, are Cricket, Summer Soccer, Basketball, Gymnastics, Baseball, Softball, Netball, Hockey, Soccer, Rugby League & The Father and Son Camp. Membership and registrations exceed 5,000 over all activities promoted by the Youth Centre.
Whilst the Youth Centre now has an annual turnover of in excess of $600,000.00 most if not all of this is absorbed in expenses and providing equipment and gear for the youth and families of St John Bosco Engadine.
Like most centres volunteers carry out all organisation and work.