The rain last Friday didn’t dampen the enthusiasm for residents and visitors in celebrating the 40th birthday of Carramar with an open day of the Noosa Care facility.
The event also coincided with the 100th birthday of resident Trish Bates.
NoosaCare chair Johanne Wright told guests the story behind Carramar, as it evolved from a dream to become an essential part of the Noosa community and a pioneer in creating small homelike villas at a time in the 1970s when institutional dormitory-like settings were the norm.
“It was inspired by the whole feel of Noosa, a place where the environment is paramount and the built footprint is discrete, not loud and brash,“ she said.
Ms Wright paid tribute to prominent Noosa residents, Thelma Cahill of the Daddow family of Cooroy and then Quota Club president, and former Noosa Council chairman Ian Macdonald, who were aware of the need for a residential aged care facility in Noosa and worked to achieve it.
“They held a public meeting, gained community support and Ian set the ball rolling tossing in $10 as the very first donation, challenging others to stump up as well,“ she said.
“The Noosa community responded to the challenge, donating generously.
“Noosa Council supported the purchase of the land, which was at the time owned by Harry Davis who’s a pineapple farmer among other enterprises. The name Carramar is an Aboriginal word meaning “in the shade of the tree“ or “a place of shade“ which was inspired by a very large mango tree that was at the edge of the land. All around you today you can see symbols of Carramar’s beginning from the logo designed by Thelma on the gate to the pineapple at the entrance and the name of our cafe and restaurant – Harry’s.“
Ms Wright said the community owed a great debt of thanks to those whose foresight and dedication led to Carramar and Kabara at Cooroy that we have today – “a legacy we will continue to maintain as a not-for-profit organisation that is deeply embedded in the Noosa community“.
Noosa MP Sandy Bolton congratulated the team at Carramar on their milestone and for the incredible, beautiful sense of warmth and family that emanates from the facility, where her own mum has once stayed for respite.
“To think a not for profit has delivered to our community such love and care, compassion and dedication – please never take it for granted because others are not so fortunate,“ she said.
