HISTORY IN BRIEF

The growth of the Bowen Old Peoples Homes Society is a proud story and one in which the citizens of Bowen may take considerable pride, as it is their willingness to help build the facilities and their generosity which has made both the Society and it’s Rotary Village / Murroona Gardens complexes what they are today.

The Society has grown from what was a Bowen Rotary project which commenced in 1964 with the building of two pensioner cottages in West’s Lane.

ROTARY VILLAGE

Such was the demand for pensioner accommodation these two cottages soon grew into what is now the 71 unit Rotary Village adjacent to the Murroona Gardens complex. A further six units are planned for construction this financial year.

As the village grew the Society was formed in 1977 to manage its growth and the demand for other aged care services.

THE MURROONA NAME

Our name was adopted to honour the original settlement of the land where the complex now stands, the name “Murroona”having belonged to the original farm established by the first settlers on this site, the Hall-Scott family. Murroona is a corruption of the Hall-Scott’s Scottish place of origin.

MURROONA GARDEN CARE SERVICES

Today comprises the Nursing Home, the Hostel and a range of ancillary services dedicated to meeting the needs of our Residents.

A Nursing Home was opened in 1982 with 16 beds and later expanded to 36 beds in 1984 with a further 5 bed wing being added to the Nursing Home in 2004 to create a special care needs area capable of housing wandering dementia Residents in a safe and secure environment.

Our Day Therapy Centre was opened in 1985 with funding from the federal Government providing services not  only to Murroona Gardens residents but also being available to community based clients.

In 1989 the Society opened the hostel complex providing 27 low care units.

In 2003 the first unit of what is to be a 71 unit Retirement Village complex was built on land fronting onto Argyle Park Road Queens Beach.

Construction of an additional sixteen rooms to the nursing home will be completed this financial year as part of a $2,400,000 expansion project partly funded by a ZRIL Loan of $800,000 from the Federal Government. This will consist of an additional four secure dementia rooms and twelve extra services rooms.”