Life& L ve

Issue 39 | Autumn

Djeran (WA)

Time of Marrai’gang (NSW)

EDITOR

Gabi Mills

GMills@hallprior.com.au

DESIGNER

Jennifer Mattison

JMattison@hallprior.com.au

PHOTOGRAPHY

Ammon Creative

COVER IMAGE

Uncle Rob, ANZAC veteran and resident of Grafton Aged Care Home.

Portrait by Simon Hughes Photography.

Printed by VANGUARD PRESS, WA

EDITOR'S LETTER

In Noongar country, April and May is known as Djeran. This is the season of adulthood and is represented by the colour green.

Many flying ants can be seen cruising around in the light winds. Djeran is a time of red flowers, especially from the red flowering gum (Corymbiaficifolia), as well as the smaller flowers of the summer flame (Beaufortia aestiva). Karingal Green has some beautiful Beaufortia blooms right now.

In Sydney, it is the time of Marrai’gang when the weather turns wetter and cooler (Bana’murrai’yung). The D’harawal Country and language area extends from the southern shores of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) to the northern shores of the Shoalhaven River, and from the eastern shores of the Wollondilly River system to the eastern seaboard. It’s the time of the year when the cries of the Marrai’gang (quoll) seeking his mate can be heard through the forests and woodlands, and when the lilly pillys ripen on the trees. However, when they start to fall, it is time to mend the old warm cloaks from last cold season, or make new ones, and begin the yearly trek to the coastal areas.

HOGAN PRINT, NSW

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Chief Executive Officer

hen I recently sat down with Uncle Rob, an ANZAC Indigenous veteran in our Grafton Aged Care Home, I was struck once again by the extraordinary lives many of our residents have lived.

A proud Gumbaynggir man, he was one of a few RAAF Aboriginal servicemen who maintained the Airforce’s Iroquois fleet during the Vietnam War.

We filmed my conversation with this eloquent man, who went on to be a leading light in his community, and he speaks movingly of the respect he felt from fellow Australian airmen, and the pride he took in wearing his country’s uniform. It was a very moving encounter and I hope you enjoy reading about Uncle Rob and other veteran’s stories in this issue, as well as watching the video we compiled in due course via our social media channels and website.

As ever, ANZAC Day is a very important date on the calendar for all our Hall & Prior homes, with services held to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country. We will remember them all.

In other news, it was with great pride that I invited WA Premier the Hon Mark McGowan to attend the official tree planting ceremony and opening of the new Jennifer Mary Grieve Home & Community Care Centre next to Clarence Estate in Albany at the end of March. It was a wonderful day, and as you’ll see from the photographs, many friends, staff and dignitaries attended this important event in Hall & Prior’s story to date.

The new centre will become an important hub for extending specialist aged care to the Great Southern region, and is a vision of mine and Jennifer Grieve’s that took some 15 years to come to fruition. I would like to thank my team and all those who contributed to its successful opening.

I will be heading overseas to Thailand in June, to preside over the International Federation on Ageing’s 16th Global Conference. I’m looking forward to meeting in person my fellow aged care leaders and advancing the discource around aged care in new and innovative ways.

I hope you enjoy this issue of Life & Love.

GRAEME PRIOR Chief Executive Officer