It was a day filled with stories of resilience, connection, growth, purpose and hope when 250 older South Australians came together for our annual International Day of Older Persons event at the Adelaide Festival Centre yesterday as part of South Australia’s Week of Ageing Well.

The event was opened by the Minister for Seniors and Ageing Well, the Hon. Katrine Hildyard MP. Guests then heard from five inspiring speakers, everyday people who shared their lived experience of navigating life's transitions with courage and optimism, and whose stories offered deep insight, wisdom and hope.

Lyn Whiteway shared her deeply personal journey of caring for her late husband through his dementia diagnosis and how she turned her caring role into a source of support for others, while aged care advocate and avid volunteer Hanna Law shared her reflections on how personal experience can be channeled into driving positive change for others. Kaurna and Narrunga elder Uncle Mickey O'Brien spoke about the importance of intergenerational connection and the value of learning from both Elders and younger generations.

Clara Werner shared her story of meeting and marrying her true love in her 60s, reminding the audience that love, new beginnings and personal growth can happen at any age, while Stephen Merrett shared insightful insights about life after work, challenged traditional ideas about ageing and retirement and highlighted the opportunities that later life can bring for continued learning, contribution and purpose.

While each story was unique, common themes emerged throughout the day. Attendees heard about the importance of community, support, security and social connection, and were reminded that there is no single way to age well. Through their stories, we explored that ageing can be a time of time of contribution, discovery, love, learning, advocacy and connection.

We ended the day with a reflection workshop, where the energy in the room was evident as guests chatted and shared their thoughts on the speakers' presentations and reflected on the stories, ideas and insights that had resonated most deeply to them throughout the day.

Most of all, the event served as a powerful reminder that the voices and lived experiences of older people matter. Through sharing their stories, our speakers challenged stereotypes and inspired important conversations of what it means to age well in South Australia.

We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who attended, to our five speakers who so bravely and generously shared their stories and contributed to making the day such a success and to our sponsors who made the day possible. We will share more insights from the event in the weeks to come, but today we are delighted to share some photos from the day.

With thanks also to our proud sponsors - this event couldn't happen without them!

Principal Partner: Kalyra

Supporting partners: ECH; Resthaven

Event sponsors: Flinders University Caring Futures Institute; Hender Consulting