For Resthaven Mitcham resident Anne Joyce, it’s almost as if things have come full circle. Anne enjoyed a 22-year career at the Resthaven site, and in May 2024 returned to her old stomping ground as a resident.
Sharing a birth year with Resthaven – both are celebrating 90 years in 2025 – Anne says that a life of hard work and dedication has brought her great satisfaction. It was a chance meeting in the car park that led to her employment at Resthaven.
‘My children and I were bringing some newspapers to the site, and I met Matron Marian Robbins in the carpark,’ Anne says. ‘She asked me if I was looking for work. I was a single mother at the time, and I was thinking about how to earn a little money.
‘She asked me if I had any nursing experience. I had done my training but had never worked in the field, as I got married and had children instead. She told me to come for an interview the next day. I said it all felt a bit quick, so she asked me instead to ring her the next day to talk it over.’
Anne was living near Resthaven Mitcham in a flat on the side of her parent’s house at the time.
‘I talked it over with Mum and Dad and they said “Well, there’s no harm in going and trying it out”, and that’s how it all started,’ Anne says.
Anne was initially employed to clean the homes of the hostel residents.
‘As I was doing the work, I noticed that some of the residents were getting frail, and were unable to make their beds properly,’ Anna says. ‘One lady had hurt her ankle, and the wound had turned into a skin ulcer. I felt like these residents could do with additional care.’
Anne spoke with Matron Robbins, and over time, Anne was appointed to the new position of ‘Hostel Carer’, which included additional tasks, such as showering and dressing residents who needed help, as well as assisting them with their medications.
Some years later, in the next phase of her career with Resthaven, Anne was appointed to the position of Secretary to the home’s Director of Nursing (now Manager), Judy Steel, working in the aged care home. It was a role she loved and stayed in for many years.
‘I loved my work,’ Anne says. ‘It was a pleasure. Judy and I bonded very well, and I worked closely with the residents, looking after their needs and liaising with the families. People would come to me with any challenges that they had, and I would take satisfaction in coming up with solutions for them.’
Anne arranged all the social functions, as well as things such as bus trips, and running the day-to-day administration. She remembers clearly when computers came in, and she was sent to the Savings Bank of South Australia for computing lessons.
‘It was a challenge,’ Anne says. ‘We digitised everything and moved it all into electronic format. It made everything quicker and smoother in the long run, but it was a lot of work to move things across.’
Once a year, a formal dinner was held at Resthaven Mitcham for the residents. Staff volunteered their time to serve the three-course meal, and the residents would dress in their finery with fur coats, suits, and their best jewellery.
‘We were like a family,’ Anne says. ‘Everyone looked out for one another. I wouldn’t have stayed if I hadn’t enjoyed it.’
Family life
Anne says the best thing she ever did in her life was to marry her husband, Doug – twice.
‘We married in 1956 and had three children,’ Anne says. ‘Paul, the eldest, was born in 1958, Carolyn in 1960 and Kristina in 1963. Then in 1963, Doug left. He was immature and didn’t know what he wanted – but marrying him this first time was still one of the best things, as it gave me my three children.’
When Anne was in her 50s, Doug made contact with Carolyn, their eldest daughter.
‘He wanted to see her, and his new granddaughter,’ Anne says. ‘Carolyn checked with me to make sure I was happy with the arrangement. I said it was ok and then Carolyn passed on the message that he wanted to speak with me!’
The relationship was rekindled, and Anne and Doug married for the second time when they were both in their 50s.
‘One of the best lessons I learnt in life is forgiveness,’ Anne says. ‘And learning to accept people as they are. You can’t change other people – they have to want to change themselves. There was a risk I took in remarrying Doug, but we had worked through a lot.
It was a lovely wedding, and the kids participated in it. We really had a wonderful marriage the second time around.’
Sadly, Doug died in 2020.
When it came time for Anne to go into care, her son Paul looked around at what was available. ‘He came back to me and said, “You’ll never guess where your new home will be!”’
Anne says. ‘Of course – it’s my old work! But things have changed so much since then.’
Anne is happy to be living at Resthaven Mitcham. ‘The registered nurses are all great, and the staff generally are wonderful,’ Anne says.
And her secret to longevity? Hard work, and a balanced life.
‘I like a glass of wine, but I don’t drink to excess,’ Anne says. ‘Family is very important, and we are committed Christians. I think it is important that people live by what they believe in – you can’t say you have certain values if you don’t put them into practice.’
Anne shares her birth year with Resthaven – both are celebrating 90 years in 2025! We are honouring those turning 90 in our 90th year with a series of articles showcasing their stories – building a picture of life in South Australia over the decades. You can find more 1935ers on the Resthaven website.
