History of Goodwin
The Goodwin Association had its beginnings in 1954 when a group of Canberra citizens met on 17 May at the Institute of Anatomy to “launch a scheme for a housing settlement for aged people in Canberra.”
The meeting was called by the National Council of Women. A provisional committee of 12 people was set up at this meeting. The members included Professor Crisp who was the then President of the Hospital Board and President of the Labor Party in Canberra and Mr A T Shakespeare one of the then owners of The Canberra Times.
By July 1954 the committee had been named “Goodwin Centre Development Committee” after the late Lt Col John Goodwin. Col Goodwin was renowned for his dedication to community affairs and helping others. Prior to his retirement from the Commonwealth Service in 1925 he was an officer in charge of Federal Capital Administration and was also a member of the Federal Capital Advisory Committee which laid the foundations of local development.
A constitution was approved and the committee became the Goodwin Centre Development Association. The first Goodwin rental cottages were opened in 1959 in Wakefield Avenue, Ainslie. In 1961 the hostel Goodwin House was officially opened. The Ainslie site was fully developed in 1964 with the opening of rental cottages in Sherbrooke Street. Plans to redevelop the Ainslie site are underway with a new aged care facility and new apartments and units planned.
In 1977 construction began on the Farrer Hostel (George Sautelle House) and 23 small self-care resident funded units. Three years later a further 31 resident funded units were completed. Construction of a further 19 apartments commenced in 2006.
In 1981 the Association became Goodwin Retirement Villages Incorporated, and from 1995 has been Goodwin Aged Care Services Incorporated, recognising its role in providing not only residential aged care but also care to residents in the community through its Outreach Program. In view of the scale of our operations, Goodwin will become a not for profit Company Limited by Guarantee (Goodwin Aged Care Services Ltd) from 1 July 2006.
Construction on Monash, the third village, commenced in 1994. The last stage of self-care resident funded units was completed in 1997. The village comprises 73 self-care units and an Activity Centre. The initial 46 bed Residential Aged Care Facility was opened on 30 August 1999 and was extended to a 66 bed facility in 2004. This Facility consists of three cottages which are used as a low level care Facility (26 beds), a high level care Facility (24 beds) and a dementia specific Facility (16 beds).
Goodwin’s Outreach Program which commenced in December 1992, provides personal care for people living in their own homes (including people living in self-care units in an aged care community). This program is supported through the Commonwealth Government’s Community Aged Care Program.
Goodwin’s philosophy and emphasis is on caring. This is carried through from the assessment of the housing needs of retired people to the detailed planning, construction and management of retirement housing to maximise the benefits for the occupants. Goodwin has been in the forefront of the provision of aged care accommodation and the introduction of many innovations in the ACT since 1959 when the first village opened in Ainslie.
Board members and staff are dedicated to Goodwin’s philosophy of care and continue to provide high quality accommodation for the aged community & services which recognise the individual’s right to be treated with dignity and respect. Residents, relatives, staff and members of the general community are all eligible to become members of the Goodwin Association.
The meeting was called by the National Council of Women. A provisional committee of 12 people was set up at this meeting. The members included Professor Crisp who was the then President of the Hospital Board and President of the Labor Party in Canberra and Mr A T Shakespeare one of the then owners of The Canberra Times.
By July 1954 the committee had been named “Goodwin Centre Development Committee” after the late Lt Col John Goodwin. Col Goodwin was renowned for his dedication to community affairs and helping others. Prior to his retirement from the Commonwealth Service in 1925 he was an officer in charge of Federal Capital Administration and was also a member of the Federal Capital Advisory Committee which laid the foundations of local development. A constitution was approved and the committee became the Goodwin Centre Development Association. The first Goodwin rental cottages were opened in 1959 in Wakefield Avenue, Ainslie. In 1961 the hostel Goodwin House was officially opened. The Ainslie site was fully developed in 1964 with the opening of rental cottages in Sherbrooke Street. Plans to redevelop the Ainslie site are underway with a new aged care facility and new apartments and units planned.
In 1977 construction began on the Farrer Hostel (George Sautelle House) and 23 small self-care resident funded units. Three years later a further 31 resident funded units were completed. Construction of a further 19 apartments commenced in 2006.
In 1981 the Association became Goodwin Retirement Villages Incorporated, and from 1995 has been Goodwin Aged Care Services Incorporated, recognising its role in providing not only residential aged care but also care to residents in the community through its Outreach Program. In view of the scale of our operations, Goodwin will become a not for profit Company Limited by Guarantee (Goodwin Aged Care Services Ltd) from 1 July 2006.
Construction on Monash, the third village, commenced in 1994. The last stage of self-care resident funded units was completed in 1997. The village comprises 73 self-care units and an Activity Centre. The initial 46 bed Residential Aged Care Facility was opened on 30 August 1999 and was extended to a 66 bed facility in 2004. This Facility consists of three cottages which are used as a low level care Facility (26 beds), a high level care Facility (24 beds) and a dementia specific Facility (16 beds).
Goodwin’s Outreach Program which commenced in December 1992, provides personal care for people living in their own homes (including people living in self-care units in an aged care community). This program is supported through the Commonwealth Government’s Community Aged Care Program.
Goodwin’s philosophy and emphasis is on caring. This is carried through from the assessment of the housing needs of retired people to the detailed planning, construction and management of retirement housing to maximise the benefits for the occupants. Goodwin has been in the forefront of the provision of aged care accommodation and the introduction of many innovations in the ACT since 1959 when the first village opened in Ainslie.
Board members and staff are dedicated to Goodwin’s philosophy of care and continue to provide high quality accommodation for the aged community & services which recognise the individual’s right to be treated with dignity and respect. Residents, relatives, staff and members of the general community are all eligible to become members of the Goodwin Association.