Recently the RSL LifeCare celebrated its centenary of aged care in Australia. RSL LifeCare is pleased to announce it is assuming ownership of Riverside Palms Village, Port Macquarie, from Port Macquarie RSL Sub-Branch.
Riverside Palms is a 35-bed retirement village. The Village is being re-named ‘Le Hamel’in keeping with a RSL LifeCare tradition to name facilities after significant battles and defence force members. The Battle of Hamel, on July 4, 1918, was a successful attack launched by the Australian Corps and several American units against German positions in and around the town of Le Hamel in northern France, on the Western Front in WWI. It was led by General Monash, was amazingly successful and short — completed in just 93 minutes, sadly with 800 Australian deaths.
Port Macquarie Sub-Branch’s Greg Laird said, “Our Sub-Branch is pleased to have created and managed Riverside Palms for the last 25 years. Our dedicated team of volunteers has worked hard to deliver care and service, but continued legislative and regulatory change has made it harder for us to operate in a professional manner.
“RSL LifeCare is a team of highly skilled individuals, who have impressed us from the outset with their professionalism, their integrity, and their shared commitment to the well-being of veterans and clients in their care. We are delighted to retain care for our residents under the RSL banner, and we would not have wanted to go to anyone else,” he said.
“Transfer of ownership provides our residents with a greater sense of security, and ensures the longevity of the Village for the future. Residents can relax knowing that they are in good hands, with a great team in place to meet their needs.
“We understand that Riverside Palms came into being due to the foresight and hard work of many people, and our involvement will continue in this tradition,” said RSL LifeCare Northern Region General Manager, Matthew Ashby.
“We have already recruited a Village Manager, local Cathy Snook, and in time we will implement a program of improvements including exterior refurbishments, road improvements and upgrade of the community room,” he said.
“RSL LifeCare enjoys a high profile on the NSW North and Mid-North Coast, with care and excellence delivered through our facilities at ‘Myall Lodge’ and ‘Tea Gardens Grange’ – Great Lakes; ‘Bayside @ Byron’ — Byron Bay and ‘Florence Price Gardens’— Ballina. It’s an exciting time and we are looking forward to welcoming ‘Le Hamel’ to our stable.”
The Community Centre at the Village will be renamed ‘The Wilson Brothers Lounge’, in memory of Port Macquarie brothers Samuel, Eric and James Wilson, who fought on the Western Front at Fromelles during World War I. James was injured, but recovered and returned home at war’s end, whilst Samuel and Eric made the supreme sacrifice on July 19, 1916 at the Battle of Fromelles. The bodies of both brothers were not recovered until 2008, when archeologists removed the remains of 250 British and Australian soldiers found buried behind enemy lines. DNA testing confirmed the identity of the brothers, who had been buried side by side. Today, the brothers are laid to rest at a new Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery at Pheasant Wood, Fromelles.
