Living a life of luxury at Cazna Gardens

Born and raised in a small village of Yorkshire in England, Bolton Clarke Cazna Gardens retirement village resident Brenda loves the lifestyle she now leads.

Brenda and her family migrated to Australia in the 70s and soon settled in Brisbane – a bold move at the time which she says she has never regretted.

“I think to this day, we were the first and only family who has ever immigrated from our village in Yorkshire,” she says.

“I was the local post lady for 17 years so when we came out here in 1970 they didn’t just lose a family, they lost the postwoman.

“I was born in one part of Yorkshire and my husband was born in another part, six miles away.”

Starting a new career in Australia in the telecommunications business and later finding her passion for gardening, her new life a far cry from what she was used.

“I got a job when I first came here in the days of plug and cord telephone boards and then ended up volunteering at the Botanical Gardens at Mt Coot-tha for 30 years.

“I was born on a farm and worked on a farm so I was used to cleaning up after cows, but this was a very lady-like job.

“Now look at me - I’m living like a lady in this beautiful little cottage Cazna has provided for me!

“Considering I used to have to get up in the cold, snowy mornings and walk 10 miles to put people’s letters in as well, it’s such a different life!”

Brenda and her late husband moved into their Bolton Clarke home 10 years ago to be near extra support if they needed it. Now on her own, Brenda says she enjoys the community’s social atmosphere.

“We looked at retirement villages for about five years and Cazna had the support for I may have needed for my husband,” she says.

“When I first got here, I would go down to help with the monthly barbeque.

“Now, I go down to anything that is on, whether it’s a morning coffee or somebody coming to talk to us - I go to everything that I possibly can.”