• The facility’s first resident Aileen Stove cuts the birthday cake with developer Graeme Croft.
Eden Community Aged Care celebrated its third birthday by combining the event with an official opening on Friday afternoon.
It was a full house in the main dining room as residents and their families were joined by staff to celebrate the opening, which developer Graeme Croft said was delayed until the facility was at capacity.
“Our first birthday went by so fast, and so did the second, but we wanted to wait until we were almost full to have this celebration,” he said.
Along with his own moving address, those gathered also heard from Member for Bega and Minister for Ageing Andrew Constance who had driven to Eden from Sydney after parliament rose at 3am the night before.
A full busload of Lumen Christi Catholic College choir boys held their audience captive with a rendition of “I was only 19” followed by a Catholic hymn.
Eden’s Aileen Stove was the first resident of the facility and was honoured by cutting the cake with Mr Croft.
“So much has changed,” she said afterwards.
“It’s a wonderful place to call home.”