Among the large gathering to mark the official opening of the $20 million development was Ballarat mayor John Philips and superiors of the Sisters of Nazareth.

General manager of Nazareth Care Rosemarie Calvert said a lot of thought had gone into the design of the new building.

“The nurse’s station and kitchen are quite central, it creates a real staff hub, which can really allow better access to the residents 24 hours a day – that’s a really good plus,” she said.

“I think what has been the most impressive part of the new move is when we transferred the residents into the new facility.

“Seeing their reaction has been so overwhelming.”