Braeside Park established after land donated to OCAV

The chance for Old Colonists’ Association of Victorian to develop a third village, this time in Berwick, came in 1973.

There had been plans by known residents Mr and Mrs Morris (pictured) and Mrs Ripoll, together with the descendants of the Richardson family, who came to Berwick in 1869, to donate land for a retirement village near the town’s Bush Nursing Hospital. After two years (1971 to 1973) of hard work to establish the village, OCAV was approached to take over the project.

OCAV adopted the masterplan which included 20 self-contained cottages, a hostel for 10 people and a nursing care annex with ten bedrooms.

The first stage of the project was the building of 20 self-contained cottages in 1975 with financial assistance from the Commonwealth Government and the Ian Rollo Currie Foundation.

Who were the Richardson Brothers?

The Richardson Brothers were butchers who ran a business on Clyde Road. Their father James had come to Berwick in 1869 and worked as a carrier until 1885 when he purchased a butcher’s shop in Clyde Road which he operated with his brother John. James’ sons, Jim junior, Edward, Jack and Frank also worked in the business. They also had a shop at Narre Warren.