Resthaven Melrose Park holds triple celebration
It was a triple celebration at Resthaven Melrose Park Retirement Living on Monday 17 November, when the site community came together to mark Resthaven’s 90th anniversary, the 40th anniversary of the site, and also one year of the retirement living village being in Resthaven’s portfolio.
Before the event itself began, residents gathered on the lawns outside, along with special guests Dr Heather Holmes-Ross, Mayor of the City of Mitcham, and Mel Ottaway, Executive Manager Community Services & Retirement Living, to recreate a photo from 1986, when the site community buried a time capsule on the then-newly developed site.
The new photo will be included in a new time capsule, along with the front page of The Advertiser newspaper from the day, a USB stick full of photos, and some of the original paperwork from when the village was built.
The capsule will be buried again, and the plan is to dig it up in 10 years’ time, when the village will celebrate its 50th year, and Resthaven will celebrate its 100th anniversary.
Following the photo, Michael Safralidis, Resthaven Melrose Park Retirement Living Manager, invited everyone to the dining room, where he welcomed guests to the event, including Sylvia Powell, Acting CEO, and senior members of the Retirement Living team.
In a speech to the crowd, Mayor Holmes-Ross said: ‘In talking to the staff, it has been wonderful to see how committed you all are to caring and making lives better for older people. Thank you for being who you are. And to the residents – you are an important part of the fabric of the City of Mitcham. You have built a strong community and have brought people together. Thank you for welcoming me – it’s been wonderful to experience the full sense of warmth, belonging and community.’
Former President of the Residents’ Association, Mrs Coralie Hills, also addressed the audience, welcoming new residents to the village and taking the opportunity to formally hand over the reins to the new president, Mrs Robyn Place.
The residents and guests enjoyed a spectacular three course meal created by the village’s onsite chef, Jay – another amazing benefit of living at Resthaven Melrose Park Retirement Living.
One year on from joining the Resthaven community, Resthaven Melrose Park Retirement Living is going from strength to strength.
To find out more about the history of retirement living at Resthaven, visit Resthaven: A History of Caring. The website captures the history and innovation of Resthaven since its conception at the 1932 South Australian Methodist Conference and the opening of its first home in 1935, through to its current position as a leader in the aged care sector.
Click here to view a full list of the 90th anniversary events held at Resthaven locations this year.
