By KATHRYN BERMINGHAM
A NEW retirement village will maintain strong links to the past with the turning of the first sod next week.
The historic Federation Oak, a Pakenham landmark in Main Street, was planted in 1901 by Norman Patterson Webster.
It will be the landmark of a new retirement village named Main Street Village.
The sod will be turned by Norman Webster’s daughter Caroline Lewis and granddaughter Bronwyn Broadbent.
The modern retirement village, located between Main Street and McGregor Road in Pakenham, will maintain several connections to the history of the area.
Built on the site of the former Pakenham Consolidated School, the history of the land dates back to 1891 with the construction of State School number 1359.
Federation came 10 years later and in 1901, to celebrate the occasion, two Algerian oaks were planted on the school grounds.
The oak planted by Webster would become an icon in the area, as would the Webster family, with five generations of descendants living in the area.
The four types of villas available are Patterson, Parkes, Webster and Norman named for young Norman Patterson Webster as well as Henry Parkes, who planted an oak of the same variety at Parliament House.
Main Street Village is a lifestyle retirement village incorporating 129 independent villas. All villas will have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a study and a double lock-up garage.
The retirement village will offer a range of services and facilities, including a bowling green, indoor pool and spa and gymnasium.
All residents of the village will receive free membership to the Main Street Village Active Health Centre which will assist residents in maintaining healthy lifestyles.
The centre will be managed by qualified staff and services will include health information and appointment management, emergency medical care services and health consultation services.
The village has been designed to be as eco-friendly as possible, with villas offering a solar hot water service, concrete slab and brick construction to enhance thermal properties, insulation and energy efficient heating and cooling and water conserving plumbing.
The village is a development of Retirement Communities Australia, a group focused solely on the development of retirement communities.
RCA managing director Andrew Philip said Main Street Village will share the same core values as other retirement villages developed by the company.
“All RCA villages have a wonderful community spirit, much like country towns. They are villages in every sense of the world,” he said.
“Residents lead their own lives, and those lives are significantly enriched in the village community with a sense of fellowship and belonging.”
The Turning of the Sod will be held at 10am on Tuesday 19 May at 11 Main Street, Pakenham.
Everyone is welcome and invited for morning tea following the ceremony at Pakenham Hall.
Book by 15 May on 1800 770 222.
