Recently, we interviewed Kevin, one of our valued residents at Warrigal Stirling Residential Care Home. Keep reading to learn more about Kevin, his passion for reading, and his special donation to establish the resident libraries at Stirling and Calwell.

Meet Kevin!

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 

My name is Kevin Jones. I grew up in Queanbeyan. My parents moved there to follow the movement of people who were displaced after the war to work in the Snowy Mountain scheme. Since I lived there as a young man, I’ve had three different tertiary educations, which have given me a large range of books.

I’ve been a resident at Stirling for six years. When I reached the age of 75 and I was brought here to Warrigal, I had about 3,500 books and I offered them as a donation to the management here if they provided a bespoke library.

Since then, with the balance of the books, I’ve built another library at Warrigal Calwell, which is not as big as this but a bit more glamorous. It’s got a baby grand piano and a little fire inside. It’s quite different to the ambiance that we were able to create here.

Passions & Interests

What is your favourite genre to read? 

When you ask me which genres I like best, that is so difficult. For most of my life I have not liked science fiction, but I’ve turned to like that now. I like Tolkien’s novels very much and I have gone back in my reading to the era of the 18th and 19th century. I particularly like Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte and the authors of that era.

But I’ve got to say, my principal reading these days is about history. Australian history specifically because I used to teach that at university level.

What is your favourite book?

Daniel Martin by John Fowles is probably my favourite book. I particularly like the recent works of Margaret Cameron-Ash, she has written a couple of books on Australian history which has turned Australian history upside down! I can’t get enough of her observations and the results of her studies.