2 March 2026

Tabeel Retirement Living celebrates 20 years of community and connection

Tabeel Retirement Living celebrates a milestone anniversary, marking two decades of independent living for seniors.

Tabeel Retirement Living celebrates a milestone anniversary, marking two decades of community, connection and independent living for seniors in the Lockyer Valley.

Residents and staff came together to mark the occasion with a morning tea, reflecting on the friendships, stories and sense of community that have shaped the Laidley retirement village over the past two decades.

While Tabeel itself has a rich heritage spanning more than seven decades with the establishment of its aged care community in 1954, the opening of its retirement village in 2006 marked an exciting new chapter.

Tabeel Retirement Living Manager Debbie Elliot, who has been part of Tabeel for more than 28 years, said the village is what it is today because of its people and the connections built.

“What Tabeel Retirement Living has become today — a place of companionship, purpose and everyday community life — is thanks to the people who have called it home and helped it flourish,” Ms Elliot said.

Starting with 12 independent living units built in 2004, it became the first community of its kind in the Lockyer Valley. Over the past 20 years, Tabeel Retirement Living has grown in stages to become a thriving neighbourhood where residents enjoy independence alongside connection and care.

Among those early residents is Jan Maltry, who moved into her new unit in October 2005 and is affectionately known as the village’s original “OG.”

Another long-term resident, June Niethe, moved in with her late husband Kevin in 2008. They knew the village well, since Kevin was the gardener for its nearby Tabeel Aged Care community for 10 years.

“When Tabeel Retirement Living started building the second stage, my husband said, ‘We’re getting up in years. I think this would be a good place for us,’” Mrs Niethe said. “He was right. Moving here was the best decision we ever made.”

“Everyone is so friendly here. From the very beginning, it felt like a real community.

“When we first moved in, we celebrated each other’s birthdays by decorating our garages and having little parities together. We did so much as a community – even before there was a hall.”

Hopeland Hall, a beautifully restored heritage building dating back to the early 1900s, was relocated from the town of Hopeland near Chinchilla and officially opened at Tabeel in 2017. The hall now serves as the social hub of the village. It’s home to yoga and tai chi classes, trivia afternoons, and the much-loved Friday Happy Hours, bringing residents together week after week.

Ms Elliot said the community’s strength and unity were also on display during challenging times.

“Over the past 20 years, we’ve seen Tabeel Retirement Living grow into a place where people truly look out for one another.

“During last year’s Cyclone Alfred, residents supported one another through several days without power by sharing meals, checking on neighbours, and setting up communal barbecues at Hopeland Hall,” Ms Elliot said.

“It’s a community defined by care, connection and enduring friendships — and that’s something truly worth celebrating.”.