Joyce Larkens knows Carinity Brownesholme like the back of her hand.
She moved to the Highfields seniors' community 25 years ago - and has never wanted to leave.
Joyce and her late husband Graham moved into the Brownesholme retirement village in January 2000.
"It was the most beautiful place to live, lovely gardens to walk in," Joyce said.
"We were very happy in the Brownesholme village. I loved cooking, entertaining and gardening and made many friends."
After Graham passed away, Joyce found comfort knowing the retirement village is located next to Carinity's The Residences at Brownesholme aged care home - and that additional support would be available should she need it. That moment arrived two years ago.
"I had a very bad fall in July 2023 and moved to Brownesholme Residences with a week's notice. After six weeks grieving to be back at the retirement village, I settled down in my room upstairs in The Residences," Joyce said.
"Now I am very grateful to the lovely, kind and efficient staff. They all look after us very well. The food is very good … and the entertainment keeps us busy and happy."
Before moving to the Toowoomba district, Joyce spent almost half of her life living at Jervis Bay, in New South Wales.
She was born in Hobart in 1931, during the Great Depression, and lived on a poultry farm at the outbreak of World War II eight years later.
"We learned hard work on the farm when all the men enlisted," recalls Joyce, who ran the farm with her younger sister and could cook by the age of nine.
Joyce was married twice. After attending school in Kogarah in Sydney, she wed her first husband, Peter Kemp, when she was 18 years old.
Joyce and Peter had four children together. Like her second husband, Graham Larkens, Peter was a sailor. In total, Joyce has six grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
The Residences at Brownesholme Diversional Therapist, Jeannie Healy, said Joyce was a much-loved resident in her new aged care home.
"Joyce is a lovely lady who attends and gets involved in almost all of our activities and is a large part of our community," Jeannie said.
