History website launched to celebrate Resthaven’s 90th anniversary
A history of Murray Bridge's oldest nursing home has been published on a new website.
Established in 1935, Resthaven has been supporting older South Australians for 90 years, and those in Murray Bridge for almost as long.
It was Resthaven founder Reverend Harry Griffiths who felt a pull to provide assistance for people in the Murray Mallee area and set about finding a suitable location.
In 1957 Jenkins House was purchased from a local owner and in October of that year the regulations for the new home at Murray Bridge, and the bylaws for its operation, were accepted.
Local businesses and the wider community raised £1500, roughly equal to $50,000 today, to assist with alterations and construction.
Resthaven Murray Bridge had been a strong part of the community ever since, said CEO Darren Birbeck.
“Resthaven’s history sits within South Australia’s wider experience,” he said.
“Our very foundation came as a result of the economic hardships and social challenges that South Australians were facing because of the Great Depression.
“It was a time when services for older people were scarce, and many relied on Christian charity to survive.”
As part of History Month, Resthaven has launched a new “living history” website, Resthaven: A History of Caring, which features a comprehensive history of the organisation’s Murray Bridge site and others.
For easier navigation the website uses a scrolling chronological timeline format and is divided into eras, highlighting the influences and features of each period.
In some instances, users can click through for more information, transporting them deeper into the time and place of the action.
A range of photographs, videos, building plans and newspaper clippings enhance the browsing experience.
The website includes photos taken at Resthaven Murray Bridge from 1958 to 1999 and beyond. Photos: Resthaven.
The website builds on the work of the late historian Rob Linn, who first captured the history of the organisation forits60th anniversary in 1995.
“It’s been wonderful to speak with people and hear the rich and invaluable memories they have of Resthaven over the years,” Mr Birbeck said.
“Above all, our history website is an evolving repository, and now that we have launched, we hope to hear even more from our community.
“It is a living history that will continue to evolve over time.”
- More information: Visit www.history.resthaven.asn.au.
