Carinity Celebrates 75 Years Supporting Queenslanders

Queensland aged care provider Carinity is celebrating its 75th anniversary.

The genesis of Carinity was a meeting at City Tabernacle Baptist Church in Brisbane City in 1947, attended by people interested in establishing a Christian home for the aged.

A petition signed by 30 signatories was presented to the Baptist Union of Queensland. An accompanying letter outlined the plight of older Baptists living in Brisbane care homes for the elderly which were “filled to overflowing, and had long waiting lists.”

The concerned Christians raised more than 3,500 pounds through a public fundraising appeal led by Baptist churches. It allowed the Baptist Union to purchase Farrington House in the Brisbane suburb of Alderley, which became the Clifford House aged care home when it opened in 1949.

 
An early photograph of residents and staff of the original Clifford House at Alderley in Brisbane, Carinity’s first aged care home (Main: Carinity service users and CEO Kevin Griffiths cut a 75 year birthday cake)

From humble beginnings with one aged care home, Carinity has evolved into a multi-faceted organisation supporting thousands of people in more than 20 cities and towns across Queensland. This includes residents of 11 aged care communities and seniors living in their own homes.

Carinity also supports families and young people facing challenges and people living with disability. Carinity also operates lifestyle villages for retirees, offers support through chaplaincy, and provides alternative education for our youth.

The marquee occasion on the calendar of Carinity’s 75th anniversary festivities was an inspirational gathering in Brisbane which brought together service users and employees – one of whom has worked for Carinity for 38 years – as well as church representatives and Queensland Baptist stakeholders.

Service users whose lives have been transformed with the support of Carinity also attended the event. This included a former resident of Carinity Orana accommodation for homeless youth, a disability service user, home care clients, and aged care and retirement village residents.

Attendees watched videos with emotional testimonials from people whose lives were changed thanks to Carinity, including a Carinity Education school graduate and a former prisoner supported by Inside Out Prison Chaplaincy.

Also at the gathering were descendants of donors of land on which the Carinity Brookfield Green seniors’ community now sits, and relatives of Baptist campaigners who fought to establish Carinity’s first care home for the elderly.

CEO Kevin Griffiths said while the needs of Queenslanders have changed over the decades, Carinity’s objective is still to serve people – and enrich their lives.

 
Current and former Carinity CEOs, Kevin Griffiths, Trevor Owens and David Angell

“While our services may be different, our underlying reason for being stays consistent: it is about making a real difference to the lives of people and their communities,” Kevin said.

“Our story is not just of those we serve, but also of those who choose to serve as part of Carinity. For 75 years we have been blessed by those who have gone before us, those who are with us now and – I am confident – those who will come after us.”

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