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Thanks to John Davies, the Chair of the Little Bay Apartments Residents’ Committee for sharing this background information on Little Bay Apartments with our community.
In 1988, the NSW Government decided to integrate Prince Henry Hospital with the Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick. The last remaining wards closed in 2003.
In 2001, Landcom was given the task of developing the Prince Henry site into a thriving new community, keeping a balance between the old and new and protecting the environment and natural amenities while providing a fair return to the state of NSW.
St Luke’s Care invested heavily in the development by establishing a retirement village, Little Bay Apartments, in Pine Avenue, and a separate nursing home in Anzac Parade (which is now owned by Mark Moran at Little bay). Little Bay Apartments was established as an independent retirement living facility operating under the Retirement Villages Act 1999 (NSW), but it does not provide residential care, respite care or nursing home care.
St Luke’s Care opened Little Bay Apartments as a retirement village in December 2007. It comprises 71 apartments spread over three buildings named Pine, Coast and Beach.
Little Bay Apartments was purchased by Lend Lease Retirement Living from St Luke’s Care. Lend Lease has over 70 retirement villages under its control and has an ongoing policy of making improvements to these villages and ensuring the efficient management and operation of their facilities.
Lend Lease has, from its first day of ownership of Little Bay Apartments, implemented and maintained a vigorous program of improvements and initiatives for the benefit of residents. Many of these are currently in progress, and include plans to upgrade facilities. Just completed were substantial fencing and landscaping works, and upgrading of the lawn areas and verges adjoining Pine Avenue.
The Water Tower in Pine Avenue Little Bay is located adjacent to Little Bay Apartments. It was constructed in 1916 to provide water to the Flowers Wards, which were situated then and now on the western side of Pine Avenue. (The Wards were named after Fred Flowers who was the Minister for Health, 1914-1915.)
The Tower is heritage listed within the Prince Henry site and a plan of management exists to guide the ongoing management and maintenance of the structure. The Prince Henry Reserve Trust owns and manages the Tower and the site on which it is located.
The Little Bay Apartments Residents’ Committee, on behalf of LBA residents, has ‘maintenance concerns’ about the Tower (including rust markings that are leaching onto the concrete face from the metal work protecting the aperture openings, and the entrance is no longer secured by padlock). The Residents’ Committee’s concerns have, with the assistance of Randwick City Council, been conveyed to the Department of Primary Industries (Crown Lands).
Having determined that the heritage Water Tower was falling into disrepair, the Little Bay Apartments Residents’ Committee took the bull by the horns, liaising with NSW Government to expedite maintenance and protective work.
In May, the Deputy Director-General, Land & Natural Resources, informed the RC that Crown Lands will commission the preparation of an Asset Maintenance Plan for the site that will assess the condition of improvements and prioritise any works deemed necessary.
The RC will continue to monitor and facilitate this work, keeping the Community Association posted of its progress.
It’s important that all Prince Henry residents keep an eye on the wonderful heritage structures located here at Little Bay, and notify the relevant authority of perceived maintenance problems.
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© 2023 Prince Henry at Little Bay •
© 2022 Prince Henry at Little Bay
