Years in the making

Hawthorndale Care Village has officially opened its doors, marking a transformative moment in aged care for the Southland community.

As previously mentioned in Group News, the village is a $39 million purpose-built facility, thoughtfully designed where residents can live with dignity, purpose, and independence while living with dementia. With its official opening celebrated in March, the village began welcoming residents in May, continuing the legacy of care established by Calvary Hospital for more than 60 years. The village follows an innovative model of care centred around small, home-style living arrangements, that support personalised routines and promote social interaction. Designed to feel like a true neighbourhood, it features 13 care houses with 86 beds, offering a mix of residential, dementia, and hospital-level care, alongside 10 retirement villas for independent living. A vibrant inner-village centre sits at its heart, as if residents themselves were heading to town for an outing, they can too, complete with a café, library, theatre, chapel, and hobby craft shed—all within a safe, secure garden setting.

The project was a true community effort, made possible through the collaboration of local contractors including HWR's very own SouthRoads. It’s a proud achievement for Southland, with the opening ceremony honouring the incredible individuals, organisations, community funders and businesses, including the private support of Scott and Joc O’Donnell, and many in HWR who have helped shape it.