In response to a suggestion from residents, Not For Profit aged care providers St Andrew's, the new operators of the former Feros Byron Bay, will change the name of the facility to George's Cottages.
In January, St Andrew's, which is based in the NSW Northern Rivers town of Ballina, took over the aged care home, 770km north of Sydney.
In February 2023, Feros Care revealed it would close the Byron Bay home because its 33-year-old buildings were deemed no longer fit for purpose.
Initially, the home was scheduled to close on 23 June last year but when 10 residents refused to leave and took their case to the media, a one-month extension was granted until 19 July. However, a small number of residents remained.
The NSW Government, which owns the land, announced in December 2024 it would give St Andrew's a long-term lease on the site following an Expressions of Interest process.
Now the facility's name will change to reflect the name of George Feros, whose fundraising resulted in the initial building of the home.
Also at the residents’ suggestion, each of the facility's buildings will be named after Byron Bay beaches: Tallows, Wategos, Lighthouse and Clarkes.
