Lionel Bowen Library and Community Centre, Maroubra
Lionel Bowen Library was officially opened as the Bowen Library on Sunday 25 August 1991 and is named after the late Deputy Prime Minister Lionel Bowen, in appreciation of the contribution he made to the local community. It houses the main library as well as the library's administrative offices, and a community centre on level three, which opened in 2004. The library was officially renamed the Lionel Bowen Library on the 25 August 2016 to celebrate its 25th Anniversary.
The Junction Neighbourhood Centre (JNC) is located on the ground floor next to the library. There is a coffee shop, Morningshot Espresso, in the foyer where you can meet friends and enjoy coffee and other refreshments before heading up to level one where the main library and the Vonnie Young Auditorium are located. The coffee shop opens before the library at 7.30am and closes at 5.00pm weekdays, 8.00am to 1.30pm on Saturdays and offers a 50c discount if you BYO cup.
Lionel Bowen Library boasts a collection of 124,000 items including books, magazines, CDs and DVDs. The library has a dedicated Local History room, study room (bookings required), has free Wi-Fi, 30 PCs (including three PCs reserved for seniors and four reserved for children), as well as photocopying, scanning and printing facilities.
Contact details
Lionel Bowen Library and Community Centre can be contacted via (02) 9093 6400 or contactus@randwick.nsw.gov.au.
24-hour renewals can be made online or by using the myLibrary App.
Address
Opening hours (max 300 people)
Lionel Bowen Library and the Lionel Bowen Toy and Game Library is open 7 days a week with the exception of public holidays. Located in the foyer, Morningshot Espresso is open weekdays only from 7.00am to 5.00pm.
Please note: public computers will become unavailable 15 minutes before closing time.
Day of the week | Regular opening hours |
|---|---|
Monday - Friday | 9.30am - 8pm |
Saturday | 9.30am - 4pm |
Sunday | 12pm - 4pm |
Visitor information
Directions and parking
Lionel Bowen Library and Community Centre is located on the corner of Gale Road and Anzac Parade in Maroubra Junction, 8.5km from the Sydney CBD. It is a short walk away from the Pacific Square shopping plaza.
There is a small undercover car park, accessible from Gale Road and open during library operating hours. Patrons are reminded not to park in the reserved spaces for Randwick City Council vehicles. On-street parking is also available in surrounding streets. Please check signs for time limits and restrictions.
Public transport
Whether it be by train, light rail and/or bus, visit the Transport NSW Trip Planner to find the most up-to-date public transport information to plan your journey, or download the TripView app.
The closest train stations to Lionel Bowen Library and Community Centre are Central or Bondi Junction. From either station connecting bus services take you towards Maroubra Junction, with buses stopping on Anzac Parade.
The closest Sydney Light Rail stop is Juniors Kingsford (Stop ID 203288) on the L3 Kingsford Line. View the Juniors Kingsford Stop Guide from Transport NSW. From here, find connecting bus services taking you towards Maroubra Junction, with buses stopping on Anzac Parade.
Wheelchair accessibility
Lionel Bowen Library and Community Centre has lift access to all floors. Four disabled parking bays are available in the ground floor car park.