History of BayCISS

BayCISS - Hampton East opened as the Moorabbin Citizens Advice and Aid Bureau in St David’s Church Nepean Hwy Moorabbin on the 2nd July 1973 with 24 volunteers. Established at the initiative of the Moorabbin-Highett Inter Church Council, it was open four days and two evenings a week and provided family counselling, information, referrals, an interpreter service and crisis assistance.

Within three years its services included legal advice, tax help and budget counselling.

In May 1979 it moved to its current location at Katoomba Street and the building was extended in 1993 to provide extra counselling rooms.

In 1997, as a result of council amalgamations and boundary changes, it was renamed Bayside Support and Information Services (BaySIS) and began its auspice of the Castlefield Community Centre.

BayCISS – Sandringham originally known as the Sandringham Citizens’ Advice Bureau (Sandringham CAB), commenced operation in May 1976 after the Mayor – Cr Graeme Evans and Cr Lawrence Bottomley approached Sandringham resident, Mrs Rosemary Farrow, to assist.

Originally situated in the Old Town Hall in Abbott Street it moved next door to its present premises, shared with the Infant and Maternal Health Centre, after the council sold the Town Hall in the early 1980s.

In the mid to late 1990s, also as a result of local Government amalgamations, and at the recommendation of the peak body, Community Information Victoria (CIVic), Sandringham CAB was renamed Community Information Sandringham.

BayCISS - Brighton was formed as the Brighton Citizens’ Advice Bureau on December 5th 1972 at the initiative of the Brighton Inter-Church Council. The Bureau opened in 1973 in the Salvation Army Citadel in North Brighton and moved twice to the old Brighton Town Hall and the Brighton Recreational Centre before relocating to its present site in the heritage Higinbotham Hall in North Brighton.

In the mid 1990s, also as a result of local Government amalgamations, and at the recommendation of the peak body, Community Information Victoria (CIVic), Brighton CAB was renamed Community Information Brighton.

Castlefield Community Centre opened in March 1990, as a joint project of the Ministry of Housing, Department of Community Services and the Sandringham Council.

The centre formed part of the redevelopment of the adjacent public housing estate to provide a range of modern single person and family units with occasional child care, self help and health programs for local residents. 

In 1997 Castlefield Community Centre became incorporated under the auspices of Bayside Community Support Service.

In May 2006, Bayside Support & Information Service, Community Information Brighton, Community Information Sandringham and Castlefield Community Centre amalgamated to become Bayside Community Information and Support Service Inc (BayCISS) with one Committee of Management responsible for the governance of the
organisation.