Keyton CEO Nathan Cockerill and other members of the village planting a tree for the 40 year anniversary of the village

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Abervale celebrates 40 year anniversary

06 August 2023

It was a sea of red in the dining room at Abervale in southern Geelong. For its 40th anniversary celebration also known as the ruby jubilee, residents and staff all showed up in red to honour the day. Along with red balloons and table decorations, the Abervale restaurant never looked as ruby red before.

The anniversary was planned well in advance, with a series of festivities that included:

Planting of a commemorative tree
Lunch and dessert service
Musical entertainment from Chrissy Burrell
Speeches
Burying of a time capsule

The Abervale retirement village dining room decorated in red for the 40 year anniversary

Going back in time

Back in 1983, a committee from the Aberdeen Street Baptist church began construction on the Abervale retirement village. Grovedale back then was a very different place to what it is today: Church street was a dirt road that finished pretty much at the entrance of the village, and the surrounding land was farmland.

The vision and tenacity of the non-profit group behind the village cannot be overlooked as they took an idea that was born in late 1981, raised the necessary funding, found and purchased suitable land by August 1982, turned the first sod in February 1983 and remarkably opened the village just five months later in July 1983. Today, their efforts have resulted in a beautiful community that many are fortunate to enjoy.

The name Abervale was chosen as it partly reflected the name of the church and also the name of the suburb.

And with that, the history of the Abervale retirement village began.

Abervale village manager Andrew Scholten giving a speech

Community spirit like no other

A big part of the festivities was acknowledging the many residents and staff members who make Abervale the welcoming and fun loving community it is.

This included mention of the village’s dedicated receptionist, Karen, who celebrated her 24 year employment anniversary on the same day, as well as members of the resident committee who work with staff to make life at Abervale even more convenient for its residents.

Some of the projects the resident committee helped come to life include:

The village’s rejuvenation
Renovation of the pool area
Replacement of the air handling system providing heating and cooling to the community centre
Painting and re-carpeting of the community centre

The day concluded on a heartfelt note with a dedication to the individuals who, 40 years ago, envisioned a retirement village in Geelong and laid the foundation for the vibrant community that exists today.

Watch the video below to see the festivities first hand:

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