Celebrating community and connection for Australia Day

• Village News

Sonia Lim 27 Jan 2026

Australia Day was an opportunity for the RFBI villages across NSW and ACT to come together, reflect on shared history and celebrate the wonderful community we have built here at RFBI. This year, our residents celebrated with cooked lunches, champagne brunches, storytelling and live music.

In RFBI Tamworth Masonic Village, the day was filled with song. Residents enjoyed an Australian Day concert that sparked plenty of nostalgia, followed by a lively round of trivia and fun facts about our sunburnt country.

A particularly touching moment was a performance by Wendy, the daughter of resident Ruth. Wendy’s beautiful singing had the whole room on their feet, dancing and clapping along – true testament to the family spirit that defines our villages. Our thanks go to the maintenance team, who stepped away from their usual duties to man the BBQ and serve up a delicious lunch for everyone.

Over at RFBI Cessnock Masonic Retirement Living, the celebrations started early with a gourmet champagne brunch. Residents gathered at the hall to the smell of sizzling sausages, bacon and hash browns.

Residents spent the morning in a competitive game of village trivia, which had the room in hysterics as residents tested their knowledge on local quirks – learning everything from how many birds sit on Cynthia’s back fence to the number of windows in Mark’s campervan!

It was also a day for personal milestones. We were honoured to also celebrate Jeans’ 88th birthday with cake and a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday. Meanwhile, resident Ralph wore his war medals with pride and shared pieces of national history.

The festivities continued across our other villages: RFBI Lake Haven Masonic Village tapped into the power of music with live entertainers who kept the energy high throughout the day.

RFBI Bathurst Masonic Village and many others also hosted local gatherings, ensuring that every resident had the opportunity to relax and share a meal with friends.

Whether it was through music, a shared BBQ, or the quiet reflection of personal stories, the day was a beautiful reminder of the diverse backgrounds and experiences that make our RFBI community so unique.

For more stories from our villages click here.