Former disability accommodation site Highgate Park in Fullarton has been sold to two leading national healthcare and retirement providers for $42 million. The proceeds of the sale will be placed in a perpetual Trust that will fund initiatives that support South Australians with disability.

The site's history

Known as the Julia Farr Centre for many years,  Highgate Park has a long and unique history dating back to 1878 when Mrs Julia Farr founded a committee to focus on the needs of people with disability. In recent years, the site has been owned by a Trust with the Minister for Human Services as the sole trustee. No new residents have moved into Highgate Park since it was earmarked for closure in 2014, with the last residents moved to supported community accommodation in April 2020.

The site's future

Highgate Park was sold via an expression of interest in 2023, after extensive consultation with disability organisations and South Australians with disability. The new owners are Living Choice and Opal HealthCare. Living Choice develop retirement communities throughout Australia and have several developments across the state. Opal HealthCare is a residential aged care provider and owns five residential aged care communities in Adelaide and several others nationwide.

The 2.8 hectare site at 103 Fisher Street, Fullarton, includes an 11-story building, which will be retained. The new owners plan to develop a high-end residential, retirement and aged care precinct. Options for a suitable memorial to be developed to honour the legacy of Julia Farr and the lives and experiences of people with disability who spent time living at the site are being considered.

The Trust

A working group facilitated by the disability organisation JFA Purple Orange will provide recommendations on the future priorities and governance of the Trust that will hold the sale proceeds. It is envisaged the Trust will invest in a range of initiatives including to connect people with disability to their communities, enable their genuine participation in all aspects of economic, social, and cultural life in communities, and support people to navigate transitions in life stages within their local community. People with disability will be at the centre of decision making about the Trust. It will not fund services that are the responsibility of the NDIS or government.