The residents of Wagga Wagga’s first retirement village, Riverina Gums, have celebrated a significant milestone alongside notable guests including Retire Australia CEO Brett Robinson, Chief Operations Officer Simon Fawssett, and Assistant Regional Operations Manager Leonie Karlsson.
Around 145 residents of Riverina Gums Retirement Village gathered to help celebrate the community’s 30th birthday on April 30, 2021.
Among them included Riverina Gums Chair Bruce McMah who came up with the idea for the birthday celebrations after seeing a plaque commemorating the village’s opening day.
“I was walking through the community area and saw two plaques celebrating the village’s official opening 30 years ago and thought maybe we should do something to celebrate this,” Mr McMah said.
“Particularly after last year, I thought it was time to celebrate our community and our village. I’m a great believer that this place is not just a retirement village, but a family village.
“We are a real family here and love where we live so why not celebrate it? We all come from different backgrounds, yet we all love our community here and look after one another.
“It’s time to celebrate that and also honour this occasion with an additional two plaques for future residents to note and celebrate.”
The celebratory event kicked off at 10am with a flag-raising ceremony and welcome by Riverina Gums Retirement Village manager Meredith Parker and CEO Brett Robinson.
The festivities also included a wreath-laying and placing of the plaques ceremony, a musical performance and a barbecue lunch for the whole community.
To mark the special occasion, Mr Robinson handed over a special gift to the residents to say thank you for working alongside the team last year during COVID restrictions.
“I’m really proud of Riverina Gums and how much the residents feel a sense of home, community and ownership,” Mr Robinson said. “So much so they were the ones that came up with the idea for the 30th birthday celebrations.
“Thirty years is a long time for a village to be operating and we are immensely proud of the work the team have done to create such a community and home for our residents of Riverina Gums.
“It’s important for me to see our residents receiving the quality care they deserve. Our staff are dedicated, lovely people that always go out of their way to ensure the residents are comfortable and happy.
“Everything we are doing at RetireAustralia is about creating a sense of place and a village where people live respectfully, healthily, independently and with purpose.
“We look forward to continuing this for the next 30 years and more.”
ENDS
