“It didn’t take me long to say, ‘I’m going home’,” smiles Maree. After living in the same four-bedroom house for 58 years, Maree was shocked at how quickly she and her husband, Bill adjusted to living in a two-bedroom unit at Wesley Mission’s Alan Walker Village in Sydney’s north-west.  

Now Maree relishes their daily breakfast on their large balcony. And Bill enjoys patiently watching for his magnolia tree to bloom, which he proudly declares has 12 flowers. 

Since moving into their retirement living village in September 2022, Bill and Maree have been living a slower pace of life. Bill says he’s had time to finish reading 12 books since the move, and Maree has rekindled her love for jigsaws. “Every little corridor has got a little library in it,” Bill exclaims.  

Changing pace

After Bill had a stroke in 2019, Maree and Bill began thinking about altering their life pace. Having lived with their adult daughter and two grandchildren since they were young, Bill and Maree continually struggled to maintain their large home. 

“After Bill had his stroke, we had to get someone in to do the lawns and it was just getting too much. The house was getting too much for us to maintain,” explains Maree. 

Now their grandchildren are almost grown, the timing was right. Their son and daughter also wanted Bill and Maree to slow down and live at a different pace. 

“A big concern for Maree and I was that we wanted to take a load off our kids, so they didn't have to worry about us. We thought, we just didn't want our kids to make the decision for us. We wanted to do it ourselves to take the pressure off them,” Bill explains. 

After searching for a suitable retirement living home, Bill says, “There wasn’t any doubt about selecting this one.”  Maree says it’s because of the people. There are now eight people who’ve moved to Alan Walker Village, who previously lived in their neighbourhood. Bill and Maree were the sixth and seventh to arrive. And since they moved in, they’ve encouraged others from their street to consider Alan Walker Village. 

Along with the familiar faces, both Maree and Bill agree that it’s the Wesley Mission staff who make this place feel like home. “When we came here, this was a very welcoming place. The staff are superb here. They are excellent. They're nice people and they practice what they preach. They really are a group of caring people,” Bill says. 

Enjoying what life has on offer 

While Bill and Maree no longer live busy lives, they prefer it this way. After breakfast on their balcony, Bill and Maree go on their daily walk and stop by the local shops in Carlingford for a coffee. On Wednesdays, Bill heads out for a game of bowls, while Maree meets a friend for lunch and once a month, Maree volunteers at the village shop. 

Both Maree and Bill have been pleasantly surprised by the number of activities on offer at their retirement village. They often take advantage of the village bus to visit the theatre in Parramatta and recently they took a day trip to the Hunter Valley. Bill also joined the men’s breakfast, hosted by the village, and they both enjoyed taking part in the village’s NAIDOC Week activities. Bill says he’s even played a game of croquet while living here. 

“We’re very comfortable living here,” Bill smiles. “Our unit here is very central. We've got the library, the pool and the spa. And we've got the shop just up that long corridor.” 

Maree adds, “What I love about living here is the light that we get through our unit.”  

While Bill and Maree miss living with their grandchildren, Maree says she doesn’t miss the two loads of washing every day. And because their new home is close-by to where they used to live, Bill and Maree often visit their family. 

“Convenience was one of the things that attracted us here and the people we knew. Our granddaughter often sends me a message, ‘Are you at home? I'll pop in’. It’s convenient for us to pop over as well,” Maree explains. 

A new chapter

Along with their lives being easier and more comfortable, Bill and Maree agree that moving into Alan Walker Village has been the best decision, and they’d like to encourage others to follow in their footsteps. 

“I think what needs to be dispelled in the minds of retiring people is that living in a two-bedroom unit is a lot easier. It's simpler. And financially, I think we've done the best thing we could have done,” Bill says. 

Just like Bill and Maree, you too can discover a new and fulfilling chapter in life where you have the freedom to enjoy the things you love, explore new interests and bond with a supportive community of like-minded retirees, by living in one of Wesley Mission’s retirement living villages in Sylvania or Carlingford.