Australia’s first retirement village for gay, lesbian and transgender people is set to open in rural Victoria, as reported in MCV last month.

The project, called Linton Estate, will feature 120 single-storey 2/3 bedroom units, and will be built on a 7.5ha site at Ballan, an hour’s drive from Melbourne’s CBD. It will also feature a tennis court, a bowling green, an open-air theatre and a multi-million dollar leisure centre housing a swimming pool, spa, gymnasium, café, restaurant, piano room, business centre and a section dedicated to health and well-being.

The village will be serviced by a mini-bus, an around-the-clock emergency system, and 24-hour security. It is estimated the project will cost up to $26 million.

Managing director and major shareholder Peter Dickson said the project will provide a “haven” for the older members of the gay and lesbian community.

“I put myself in the place of people. And whether we’re in a relationship or whether we’re single, we want to be surrounded by friends,” Dickson told MCV.

He said the idea for Linton Estate came to him 16 years ago during a dinner party with friends, when he was in his early 30s. Now aged 48, Dickson said he was excited to see his dream finally come closer to reality.

Anti-discrimination laws prevent the village catering exclusively to a gay, lesbian and transgender clientele; and while it will be open to heterosexual buyers, it will be marketed primarily towards the GLBT community, Dickson said.

As well as ensuring there were plenty of recreational facilities to foster an active and healthy lifestyle among its residents, Dickson explained that environmental sustainability was also a key factor in the development. The project will feature grey water systems, a stormwater lake and creek, water tanks, and solar heating panels. 

The project received five objections but was eventually approved by town planners.

Moorabool Shire Mayor Diane McAuliffe welcomed the project, saying its development will be good for Ballan.

“Everybody, as they get older, wants to be in a secure and comfortable place and I think this will do that,” McAuliffe told MCV. “It certainly looks to me like a high-quality development. And from a planning perspective, he (Dickson) ticked all of the boxes.”

Lyn Morgain, CEO of the ALSO Foundation, an organisation that has worked extensively on the interests of older GLBT people, said any initiative that broadened the community’s options was welcome.

“Clearly, research shows that older GLIBTQ folk need housing, and don’t feel comfortable with the range of options available at the moment," Morgain said.

"This issue has been at the heart of ALSO for about 27 years; it is core business for us and we are in the process of undertaking a feasibility study that will look at a range of possible opportunities such as retirement homes, sections in existing retirement homes for GLIBTQ people, and other possibilities too."

Vintage Men Inc, a social group for mature gay men, has also welcomed Linton Estate.

“It’s a positive step forward,” said Bruce Clifton, honorary secretary for Vintage Men Inc.

“Gay people going into retirement homes want the security to be themselves and not have to hide who they are.”

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