More than 150 years after the Dart family established its connection to Brookfield, its legacy can still be found at a local aged care community where older residents have made their homes.
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That connection is Carinity Brookfield Green, a seniors’ community whose history is closely linked to one of Brookfield’s pioneering families. A framed image of Eliza Dart now hangs in the home’s foyer, recognising the family’s long association with the area and the land on which the aged care community stands.
From Brookfield land to aged care
The story reaches back to 1869, when Samuel Dart acquired land in Brookfield. According to Carinity, the Dart family settled in Brookfield after migrating from Europe more than 150 years ago. Samuel and his wife, Eliza, became involved in Baptist life, including helping establish the first church in Laidley. Later generations continued the family’s involvement in Baptist organisations.
More than nine decades after Samuel acquired the land, his descendant Dr John Leslie Dart made a significant contribution to aged care in the area. In 1964, Dr Dart gifted 34 acres to the Baptist Union of Queensland for an aged care home. The facility opened as Resthaven in 1972 and has since become Carinity Brookfield Green.
The site has changed considerably since those early years. The original Resthaven nursing home dwellings were replaced by The Residences at Brookfield Green, a $30 million aged care building.
That redevelopment created a new chapter for the site while retaining links to the family whose history is tied to the property.
Dart names woven into Brookfield Green
At Brookfield Green, the Dart family’s history can also be found in the names used around the community. The Eliza residential wing recognises Eliza Dart, while the Lucinda wing honours her mother, Lucinda Brimblecombe.
Then there is Kittybrook. The name combines “Kitty”, the name of the milking cow that helped sustain the Dart family during its pioneering days, with “brook”, a reference to the stream that runs across the aged care site.
It is a small detail, but one that preserves a connection to the family’s early life in Brookfield. The Dart family’s Baptist links are also reflected in its descendants. Samuel and Eliza’s great-great-grandson, Steve Dart, works in the ICT team at Carinity’s Brisbane head office. His mother, Narelle, is a member of the Carinity Council and the Queensland Baptists Board.
A legacy that remains part of the community
The family connection gives the story a present-day link to Carinity. Narelle has spoken of her pride in seeing how the land donated by her relative has developed into a place for older people to live.
The journey from Samuel Dart’s acquisition of Brookfield land in 1869 to Dr John Leslie Dart’s gift in 1964 spans almost a century. The aged care community that followed has now been part of the suburb’s story for more than five decades.
Brookfield Green marked its 50th anniversary in 2022, having opened as Resthaven in May 1972.
Today, the Dart name remains woven into the community through its buildings, family connections and the history preserved around the site.
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What began with a family settling in Brookfield more than 150 years ago has become part of the suburb’s aged care history, with the Brookfield Green site continuing to provide residential aged care for older people in the local community.
Published 27-August-2026
