Remembering Ton Westerveld

The MiCare community fondly remembers Ton Westerveld, a remarkable man whose vision and dedication helped shape multicultural aged care in Victoria.

Ton was the initiator and first Chairperson of the ECC Committee on the Ethnic Aged between 1980 and 1986, the forerunner of today’s Positive Ageing and Aged Care Policy Advisory Committee. He was instrumental in advancing ethnic aged care issues and, in recognition of his lifelong service, was awarded ECCV Life Membership in 2015.

He also headed the ECC Welfare Committee alongside ECCV founding Chairperson Walter Lippmann, championing equality, inclusion, and culturally appropriate support for migrant communities.

Among his many contributions, Ton served as the first Chairman of the Holland-Australia Retirement Foundation (HARF). This organisation laid the foundations for Beatrix Village, creating a safe and welcoming home for older Dutch Australians.

In his later years, Ton remained an active and valued member of the Social Support Group at Beatrix Village, where his warmth, humour, and deep sense of community left a lasting impression on all who knew him.

Ton’s legacy lives on in the many lives he touched and in the community spaces he helped build. He will be remembered not only as a pioneer in multicultural aged care but as a kind and compassionate man who dedicated his life to bringing people together.