Cooee Lodge celebrates 40th anniversary

Cooee Lodge celebrated its 40th anniversary on Saturday, September 13, 2025, with a gathering of residents, staff, volunteers and dignitaries, highlighting the facility’s origins and its future.

By Lucie Wightman

Gilgandra Shire Council general manager, David Neeves, with former general manager, Cr Paul Mann, and members of the original Cooee Lodge Association, Shirley Marks, Max Zell, Ed Wlodarczyk, and former shire engineer Noel Edgell (centre, seated). Photos by The Gilgandra Weekly.

Master of ceremonies, Gilgandra Shire Council’s (GSC) director of aged care, Donna Dobson, opened the event by welcoming guests, before introducing the speakers. She praised staff who “have volunteered their time today or [are] doing an extra shift” and said it was “a privilege… to now care for the people that actually opened and got Cooee underway”.

GSC mayor Doug Batten described Cooee Lodge and the retirement village as “the jewel in the Gilgandra community’s crown”. He traced its beginnings to Biddon CWA members who identified the need for an aged care facility, and revealed there were “tentative plans afoot to grow further this facility,” saying he would soon be seeking federal funding support. Mayor Batten also shared his personal ties, noting it had been his mother’s final home and is currently home to other family members.

Federal member for Parkes, Jamie Chaffey, addressed the crowd and pledged to advocate for any planned expansion. He said 40 years was “really something to celebrate” and emphasised the importance of residents being able to remain in their community. Chaffey also praised staff and welcomed the Filipino workforce, saying “without targeted skilled migration… communities wouldn’t be as vibrant as they are”.

Former general manager and councillor Paul Mann outlined key milestones, from the original fundraising through multiple refurbishments, to the complementary retirement village and the recent recruitment of overseas staff through the Groworx program.

Resident and founding committee member Rob Beveridge gave a heartfelt address recalling the early fundraising, his late wife’s residency, and his own move into Cooee: “I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, and I’m proud of what happened”. Across all speeches, Cooee Lodge was celebrated not just as a facility but as a community achievement built on volunteer spirit and dedicated staff, providing a “warm and welcoming home” for four decades.