I first joined Warrigal as a volunteer whilst completing a course of study. Warrigal was my second experience in aged care and I immediately saw the difference. The level of care and heart is a world away from what I had seen before. That really impressed me, and I found it quite moving after my experiences moving my mother into care – which were still pretty raw…

I was lucky that there was a team meeting during my time as a volunteer and was very impressed by their outlook and the way they went about doing things. In previous jobs I was always working with different people, I never got to feel like I belonged to a particular team. Studies completed I called up Warrigal to see if they had any work going. By chance, the Maintenance Service Officer at Bundanoon had recently left. They were happy to give me some hours to see us through until they found someone permanent. But one day my boss gave me a gentle tug on the shirt and said ‘I think you should apply for the job’! The rest is history!

I love the residents at Bundanoon; many have become the friends I happen to see every day when I am at work. You also get to know many in their family! Bundanoon is a real community, and at its heart is our aged care home and Village, Everyone is interconnected somehow. We have a mob of kangaroos that are part of our identity.

I like to draw and paint so, some years back, took on an advanced diploma in fine arts. I was planning my retirement so majored in painting and the new love that is photography! I draw any subject matter depending on what is in front of me, or not. Sometimes I compose simple still-life studies and draw them, but much still comes from the imagination!