Newcomer FAQ

So you’ve heard a bit about us and you want to get involved or see more what we’re about – great! Here’s a few Frequently Asked Questions we often get from newbies.

When can I come down to the HackerSpace?

Come to any General Session. Monday 7pm, Tuesday 7pm, Saturday 12.30pm – check out our calendar for general sessions.

Where is it?

We’re at 5 Kent Lane, Hawthorn and you can find us on Google Maps.

Please note that we’re on Kent Lane which is behind Burwood Road – there’s no access from the Burwood Road side! Turn down Launder Street or St Columbs Street and walk along Kent Lane until you find our floodlights and big yellow door.
Pay attention to street parking signs. The parking inspectors check cars at all times.

What can I expect on my first session?

Make sure to introduce yourself and let us know it’s your first time! One of our members will give you a tour of the space and our equipment. Then it’s really up to you what you’d like to do – we recommend bringing a project to work on while you chat to people about theirs.

Do I need to bring anything?

We recommend bringing a laptop and/or a project to work on. If you don’t have a project that’s fine! You’ll probably get plenty of ideas while you’re at the space but having something to do while you’re here is the best introduction. There are plenty of CCHS projects to work on that help improve the space.

I need help with [Laser Cutting/3D Printing/Programming/etc], can the CCHS help me?

For hobby projects, yes! The strength of being a part of the CCHS is the community; sharing of ideas and collaboration are what we’re all about. We’re focussed on the ‘teach a person to fish, it’ll feed them for a lifetime’ approach where we’re happy to help you get started or if you hit a wall there’s usually somebody who’s been there and able to help. There’s also plenty of people available to help you use the equipment safely and we also run workshops on various topics on an ad-hoc basis so keep an eye out for those too!

That said, we are not a commercial space. If you need somebody to do a job for you, or help with a commercial or large run project/start-up you’re free to ask around to see if anybody is interested in a more professional collaboration, but it’s not really our focus here. There is a jobs channel on our discord used for this purpose but it’s not something we normally do.

If you have received help from a member please consider making a monetary donation to the space. All monies go towards keeping the space open.