Ethelbert Retirement Village celebrates 20th anniversary
The Ethelbert Village retirement home was established in December 1996.
ETHELBERT Retirement Village celebrated its 20th anniversary on Saturday, 3 December.
The land that the Village is on was originally bush. Ernie Nightingale, then principal of Ethelbert Child and Youth Care Centre, had his hands full with children from the home sneaking down into this area. The Ethelbert Life Rights Retirement Village came as a perfect solution to this problem.
At the end of November, beginning of December 1996, the first nine retirees moved into the Village: six women, one man, and two dogs. Frank Dale, the thorn among the six roses, was never short of cake for tea. Today, two of these original occupants are still in residence – Ngaire Morrissey and Greta Ellis.
Among the residents who have lived in the Village, four served in WWII. There have also been executives, teachers, an Anglican priest, a doctor, and a pharmacist. Cupid has even taken up residence a few times over the past 20 years, assisting a few couples in tying the knot.
Ernie Nightingale, chairman of the Village Committee said, “The Village residents are a welcoming community who make all newcomers feel at home.”
