In March 1960, the Resthaven Board purchased a parcel of land at Sussex Terrance, Westbourne Park, with a view to the development of a home at the site.
Amidst a tight financial environment, the building work at Westbourne Park began. The additional space was welcomed as demand for accommodation for older people continued to increase.
On 14 October 1967, Mr John McLeay, Federal Member for Boothby, opened Resthaven Westbourne Park. It was a landmark event, as tentative plans and discussions had taken place for some time regarding the project but were delayed due to a lack of finance. The home featured 34 aged care beds, along with single and double sponsored units. Residents had been welcomed into the home just a few months before the official opening.
In the home’s first year of operation, two neighbouring bungalows were purchased, adjoining the home by a covered walkway, which added a further nine single units.
Held monthly, the ‘Dementia Carers Support Group’ encouraged the sharing of information and experiences among the carers of people living with dementia. It was a new and important initiative to support spouses who were finding it difficult to adjust to their partner’s changed personality. The success of the group inspired similar groups at other Resthaven homes.
Alterations to two bathrooms at the home greatly improved the usability of the facilities for staff and residents. A new pathway was established to connect Burnard Cottage with the hostel section, and a small lounge on the ground floor in the hostel was transformed to become a multi-purpose area and library. Residents were also invited to use this space for private dinner parties.
To assist working parents, Resthaven Westbourne Park engaged their volunteers to offer child-minding facilities at site during the school holidays. This also benefitted the residents, who enjoyed having young people in the home and participating in their activities.
Through the generosity of a resident and the financial support of the residents’ committee, two electronic doors were installed at the entrance of the home. This proved to be of great benefit to the residents who used wheelchairs and walking frames.
Resthaven Westbourne Park received significant recognition for its excellent standards of care during participation in the ‘staff mix consultancy’ undertaken by the federal government throughout Australia. The home was one of ten nursing homes selected out of the 200 homes within the study for excellence.
In mid-1990, a pilot scheme was launched for hosting ‘School for Seniors’ at Resthaven Westbourne Park. ‘School For Seniors’ was a knowledge program that featured guest speakers on a range of interesting topics. The program was initiated after a number of residents commented that they were seeking such an activity. Interactive discussions and lecture sessions were held on Tuesdays during the school term.
It was found that the large central dining room had become too small to fit everyone. Seven separate dining areas, in close proximity to residents’ rooms, were created to provide easier access for residents who were becoming increasingly frail. Alongside of this, redevelopment of the entrance was completed, including the residents’ shop and hairdressing room.
On 10–11 April 1991, the home’s ‘Friends of Resthaven’ and staff members supplied and sold afternoon tea and manned the trading table at ‘Quilts and Things’—a patchwork quilt exhibition held in a private residence in Stirling. The event was very successful and raised significant funds for the home.
On 10 June 1992, Resthaven Westbourne Park celebrated 25 years of operation with a special luncheon for residents. An Open Day was held on 14 June 1992, inviting the public to visit the site.
Redevelopment of the central garden areas was completed, with extensive work done to establish usable garden areas, pergolas, paved areas and container plantings. This was a huge transformation from the old workshop and garden shed, the outside toilets and Hills Hoist.
The home’s ‘Friends of Resthaven’ held various events to raise funds for furniture and pictures throughout the home. Events included a garage sale, cake stalls and another very successful ‘Quilts and Things’ at Stirling. More than $18,000 was raised and spent during the year. The following year, a further $800 was raised at a Pickled Onion Stall at the Mitcham Rotary Fair.
To celebrate Resthaven’s 60th anniversary, Resthaven Westbourne Park held an indoor garden party on 30 April 1995.
The home’s ‘Friends of Resthaven’ group were highly commended in the Mitcham Council Awards for outstanding community service over many years.
To maintain the modern facilities and comforts, the shared bathrooms across 22 units were converted to ensuites.
Challenging the stereotypes of hostel life, Resthaven Westbourne Park staff member Esther Lamb produced a video called ‘Tea Time’, as part of the International Year of the Older Person celebrations. Esther later received a Council on the Ageing ‘Positive Ageing Award’ for her short video.
Planning for the new nursing home was well underway, with commencement scheduled for two years’ time. Alongside this, the hostel fire system, including the sprinklers, was upgraded.
In October 2000, voluntary coordinators of the ‘School for Seniors’ educational program, Maxine and David Ennis, were awarded the Council on the Ageing ‘Arthur Cys Medal’ for their hard work and dedication.
In November 2001, the Mitcham Council approved the application to upgrade Resthaven Westbourne Park. Plans were approved for a new high-care nursing home to accommodate 47 residents, an additional 11 people. It was expected that upgrading this facility would significantly improve the standard of accommodation for frail, older people who required 24-hour nursing care.
The home’s kitchen was temporarily relocated to make way for the redevelopment. This resulted in extra work for the delivery of meals.
The completion of the redevelopment’s first stage occurred in March 2003, with residents moving into the new 47-bed high care facility.
In January 2004, Resthaven Westbourne Park won an Australia Day award from the City of Mitcham.
An official dedication service was held on 26 March 2004 to mark the opening of the new redevelopment.
After 40 years of dedicated service and support, the home’s ‘Friends of Resthaven’ group met for the last time on 27 March 2007. During the meeting, it was agreed that the remaining funds raised would go towards installing a hearing loop system in the high-care lounge. The end of this era demonstrated the major role that volunteers have played in the life of Resthaven, with several of the ‘Friends’ involved for 20–30 years. Many expressed their intention of continuing their involvement by volunteering at the home.
Over the course of a week commencing 7 May 2007, Resthaven Westbourne Park celebrated its 40th anniversary. State Leader of the Opposition and local Member for Waite, Martin Hamilton-Smith, launched the event to an audience of residents, staff, families and volunteers. The life and work of notable Resthaven volunteer, the late Miss Gladys Taylor OAM, was also recognised at this time with a commemorative plaque hung in the foyer. For more than 40 years, Gladys was volunteer ‘Purchasing Officer’ and furnished all the Resthaven homes until her ‘retirement’ aged 80.
In July 2009, Resthaven Westbourne Park volunteer, Helen Doley, received a Palliative Care Award for her contribution in helping older people in the palliative stage of life.
Housekeeping staff worked with aged care dieticians to develop an innovative texture-modified menu for residents with swallowing difficulties, resulting in positive outcomes.
To mark Resthaven’s 75th anniversary, Resthaven Westbourne Park held an Open Day on 11 April 2010.
To maintain the modern facilities, sections of the home were set for renovation. Properties adjacent to the site were also acquired for future use.
An upgrade to sections of Resthaven Westbourne Park was completed in June 2015.
Upgrades commenced at Resthaven Westbourne Park in May 2017 with the first-stage concrete pour completed on 6 November 2017. Part of the work included installing a generator to provide for continuous power in the event of an unplanned outage.
On 23 June 2017, an Open Day was held to mark the 40th anniversary of the formation of the Uniting Church in Australia. Events on the day included a concert by the Police Band’s brass quintet and a guitar performance to accompany afternoon tea.
On 15 November 2018, residents, staff, volunteers, and stakeholders gathered at Resthaven Westbourne Park to celebrate the completion of the $6m site redevelopment. By updating all shared rooms to single rooms with ensuite bathrooms, the works aligned Resthaven Westbourne Park with Resthaven’s long-term strategy of meeting current and future expectations.
Rotarians from the Mitcham Rotary Club joined with Resthaven Westbourne Park to create a sensory garden at the home. The garden provided an opportunity for residents to reminisce and enjoy the textures, colours and scent of the plants.
On 14 January 2020, Resthaven’s Multicultural Services Officer visited the home and spoke with residents about Resthaven’s Diversity Action Plan. Attendees were encouraged to provide feedback regarding how cultural differences could be overcome to better meet their needs.
Unfortunately, with the advent of the COVID 19 pandemic, the home’s planned celebrations to mark Resthaven’s 85th anniversary were not able to go ahead. To ensure the safety of the vulnerable resident community, social events went ‘online,’ with Resthaven purchasing extra iPads and other technology to ensure that residents could virtually stay connected with loved ones.
The culmination of more than three years of planning and consultation with residents, staff, volunteers, and the local community, a $50 million major redevelopment at Resthaven Westbourne Park was approved to go ahead. A ‘Turn the Turf’ ceremony was held on 16 June 2023. The redevelopment was set to involve an upgrade of the entire site, including demolition and replacement of residents’ rooms, a new entrance, café, hall, and casual meeting/recreation areas, a large central garden with seating and wide pathways, and a children’s play area.
The first stage of the major redevelopment was completed in June 2024. Wellbeing improvements, such as increased natural light and more external garden outlooks, were incorporated into the design. The project also had a clear focus on environmental sustainability to minimise the carbon footprint of the home, including a large rooftop solar system and energy-efficient heating systems.
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