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Aged Care/Wattleglen (formerly Freemasons Sale)/History of Wattleglen

History of Wattleglen2017

Despite only opening in 2017, Wattleglen already has a proud connection with the Sale community, which it continues to grow today. Originally developed by Royal Freemasons to provide a sustainable aged care service to locals in need, the home stands – just minutes from the town’s centre – as a peaceful, warm, and welcoming home for so many.

  • 2017: Royal Freemasons opened the state-of-the art residential aged care home in Surkitt Boulevard, Sale, in August 2017. Known as ‘Royal Freemasons Sale’, the home was built to help address the growing need for quality aged care and accommodation in the local community and surrounding district. Upon opening, the home in Sale provided the community 144 private rooms, catering for both couples and singles in need of care, as well as a dedicated Memory Support service for those living with dementia and other memory-related conditions. 
  • 2024: Wattleglen joined Respect and its growing network of homes across the country. Its merger coincided with another Royal Freemasons home (located in Moe and now called ‘Baw Baw Views) also amalgamating with the not-for-profit organisation. Speaking to the decision to transfer ownership of the two homes to Respect, Craig Head, Royal Freemasons Board Chair, said: “While we are sad to be saying goodbye to our Moe and Sale communities, we are confident that under Respect’s ownership and management, residents will continue to receive expert care and our staff will continue to work in a supportive environment”.
  • In February 2024, as part of the merger process, Respect reached out to the home’s staff, residents, as well as the Sale community more broadly, seeking nominations and input around prospectively updating each home’s name. Our nation’s floral emblem, wattles lend beauty to countless areas across regional Victoria, so ‘Wattleglen’ was a fantastic nomination for the picturesque home (suggested by one of the home’s residents). Not only did it garner the most survey votes, but more than 40 per cent of the home’s current residents picked it as their preferred option, giving their nod of approval for Wattleglen to be installed as the home’s new name.The name was officially changed as part of Wattleglen’s official transfer to Respect, marking a new chapter in the home’s continued service and support for families across Sale and beyond.
Sale Wattleglen outdoors