Carinity Karinya Place: From lamingtons to birthday cake
An aged care community partly funded by money raised from door knocks, lamington drives and sales of locally-grown crops is celebrating five decades of caring for seniors this week.
Carinity Karinya Place in Laidley will turn 50 on November 30.
An initiative of Laidley Baptist Church, the aged care community was built in 1968 at a cost of $83,000 and accommodated 14 residents when it opened.
More than $26,000 for the project was raised from street stalls, lamington drives, fundraising concerts and marathon walks organised by church members over four years.
Volunteers also sought donations while doing door knocks around the streets and farms of Laidley, Gatton, Helidon, Rosewood, Esk, Toogoolawah and Kilcoy, while church members who were farmers grew crops for the appeal.
The church’s fundraising supplied 30% of funds for construction of the Karinya building, with 60% contributed by the Federal Government.
Karinya – the Indigenous word for “happy home” – was officially opened on November 30, 1968 by the then Queensland Deputy Premier, Gordon Chalk.
“Karinya Place is now a 62-room community with around 80 staff and is one of the largest employers in the Laidley district. We are proud to have such an important connection with the community over many years,” Carinity Karinya Place Residential Manager Kathy Nicholls says.
“We offer the best in aged care with a relaxing and safe lifestyle, with all the warmth and comfort of home. Our services include permanent residential care and respite care.
“Laidley is such a wonderful place to live and we are happy to have provided a comfortable home for residents who love the district for five decades.”
A 50th anniversary morning tea for Karinya Place residents, family members and staff, including the cutting of a special birthday cake, will be held on November 30.
Karinya Place is the second Carinity aged care community to celebrate a major anniversary in 2018, with Colthup Manor at Ipswich reaching the 60-year milestone in September.
Carinity Karinya Place is getting a birthday present in the form of a $1.65 million renovation, due for completion in early 2019.
The major facelift, renovation and alteration of the aged care community is the biggest building project at the aged care precinct since the Herb Mutzelburg Wing was added in 1994.
Karinya Place is one of 11 residential aged care communities operated by Carinity.
