
Betty West celebrates her centenary!
Caring, compassionate and kind – three words that describe Resthaven Bellevue Heights resident Mrs Betty West (nee Adams).
Betty, who turns 100 on 24 January 2025, has been a resident since 2021, although she has been a fixture at the age care home for a lot longer. Betty and her husband, Lionel, moved into the home’s co-located retirement living units in 2003. When Lionel needed additional care in 2005, he moved into the aged care home, and Betty would spend each afternoon with him until, sadly, he died in 2009.
Still living ‘next door’, Betty continued to visit the home regularly, volunteering her time to help other residents. Betty often sat and chatted with people, and would even sing to them on occasion, holding their hand.
‘It was only in her 90s that Betty reluctantly handed in her volunteer badge,’ Betty’s daughter, Heather, says. ‘She has a way about her. She’s a lovely mum and her children and grandchildren love her very much.’
Early days
Betty was born in Adelaide in 1925, the youngest of three children. Growing up in Black Forest, she graduated from school and went on to study nursing at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. It was here that she met Lionel – the new pharmacist on the block. A relationship bloomed, and Betty and Lionel were married in March 1953.
‘Dad was always very interested in the defence force,’ Heather says. ‘Not long after they were married, he joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as a pharmacist, and the two of them moved to the RAAF base at Laverton, Victoria.’
While in Victoria, the couple’s first child, Robyn, was born in 1954.
The family moved with Lionel’s job to Rathmines in Sydney and then to Highett in Victoria. Heather was born in 1956, and the family returned to Laverton where Lionel began working as the dispensing pharmacist. Their third daughter, Dee, was born in 1958.
Betty’s days were filled with cooking and looking after the children, but in 1964 an opportunity came along for the whole family. Lionel was asked to equip a new RAAF hospital in Butterworth, Malaya (Malaysia as it is now known).
‘It was an exciting time for everyone,’ Heather says. ‘Mum had the luxury of domestic help, and she took the chance to learn some skills for herself.’
Betty learnt to type, as well as enjoying classes on floral art arranging, and drafting and sewing clothes.
‘With her new skills she made all of us beautiful outfits,’ Heather says.
Betty became pregnant again, and in 1966 a boy, Rod, was born.
Homeward bound
The family returned to Australia later that year and settled in Mount Waverley, Victoria. The girls completed their schooling, and Lionel moved from dispensing into pharmaceutical clinical administration. The family moved to Canberra for a two-year posting with the RAAF, and in 1975 Lionel retired as Chief Pharmacist.
As both Betty and Lionel had grown up in Adelaide, they moved back to South Australia. Initially they lived at Tusmore in the home of Lionel’s parents, who had passed away, before moving to Glenalta, and then on to Victor Harbor, where they enjoyed a quieter lifestyle.
Betty volunteered for the Victor Harbor Red Cross, leading first aid courses. She also volunteered in the canteen at Victor Harbor High School and was a prominent member of the Newland Uniting Church at Victor Harbor.
Together, Betty and Lionel volunteered to do Meals on Wheels deliveries to their local community.
Their next stop was retirement living at Resthaven Bellevue Heights, where Betty enjoyed gathering with other residents at the communal activity hall, ‘Gumtree Lodge,’ every Saturday for a game of Rummikub (and sometimes more often than just once a week!)
Now Betty is regularly visited by her family and keeps her mind active with word finder puzzles.
Happy 100th birthday Betty! We hope you enjoy your celebration with family and friends.