August 10, 2023
The 10-year anniversary of the opening of the new Castra aged care building at Murgon was celebrated with a special lunch for residents and guests on Wednesday.
The history of Castra dates back much further (see below) but 2013 marked an important turning point when a modern, new facility was opened by Southern Cross Care (SCC).
Members of the SCC Board travelled from Brisbane to celebrate alongside current residents and staff.
Chief of People & Mission Mike Hart said the new building was opened on September 25, 2013, five years after SCC took over running the facility.
After some short speeches, two of Castra’s oldest residents – Mick Purser, who turned 100 earlier this year, and Gladys Birch, who will be 99 in October – cut a special anniversary cake.
Residents, staff and guests then enjoyed a barbecue lunch and live entertainment on the verandah.
Castra currently has 61 residents and 77 staff members.
A commemorative bench to mark the 10-year celebration will be placed out the front of the building.
Mr Hart said SCC currently operates 13 aged care homes across Queensland, including Karinya in Nanango.
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Castra is named after the first house built in Murgon, which was constructed by sawmiller Mr G.W. Nutt in 1904.
Nutt called his house ‘Castra’ (“camp”) and the town sprang up around it soon afterwards when the railway arrived in 1906.
In 1988, the original Castra building was moved to the grounds of the Queensland Dairy and Heritage Museum.
When the former Murgon Shire Council built a 32-bed residential aged care complex in Cooper Street in 1978 to provide for the needs of the district’s older residents, the Council named the new facility in honour of the pioneer house.
In 2008, control of Castra passed to Southern Cross Care, an initiative begun 43 years ago by the Knights of the Southern Cross.
In 2013, Southern Cross Care opened a modern 66-bed, $14 million complex on the site.
- Related article: New-Look Castra Opens Its Doors
