Happy days for Pioneers

THE sound of construction workers hammers were replaced with the more amiable murmur of residents chatting at the official opening of the $7.5 million refurbishment of RSL Care’s Pioneers Retirement Community.

While it was a happy day for many, there was also a tinge of sadness for the few remaining Longreach and District Aged People society members who will disband over the next few months.

During Tuesday’s official ceremony society chairman David Dawes paid tribute to the many members of the organisation which came up with a simple idea for a few cottages on land on the edge of Longreach in 1959, which ultimately lead to the state-of-the-art infrastructure today.

"On behalf of the board I’d like to commend RSL Care on what they’ve done – I think the new facilities are tremendous."

Members of the society joined invited guests and RSL representatives for a tour around the refurbished facility, heralded by RSL Care chairman Ray De Vere as "second to none seen on the coast or in Brisbane".

"Since we were asked to take over it has always been somewhat of a challenge.

"We guaranteed the spending of millions of dollars, and now there is a new dementia wing and a high-care unit.
"We were very conscious [of the fact that] Pioneers is the largest aged care complex in Central Western Queensland and provides an incredibly important service for elderly people in the area.
"Members of the Longreach and District Aged People society, who originally established Pioneers, worked so hard to fundraise and lobby for services – they can be very proud of the long-lasting contribution they’ve made to the community."