Diana Isaac Retirement Village
Care is not an ‘add on’ at a Ryman village, it is built into the fabric of our villages from the very beginning. It’s comforting for couples and friends to know they can still be near each other even if their health needs are different.
Diana Isaac care centre offers a range of care options including resthome, hospital and specialist dementia care. Like all aspects of our villages, we constantly look for ways to improve both the care we provide and the innovation behind it. Care is customised using our myRyman Care app and residents love the food in our seasonal Delicious menu, which is prepared fresh on site by village chefs.
Diana Isaac is one of over 90% of Ryman villages that have been awarded 4-year certification by the Ministry of Health. It’s recognised as the ‘gold star’ standard in care.
Each Ryman village is named in honour of a Kiwi or Aussie trailblazer: Anthony Wilding, Lady Diana Isaac, Evelyn Page. They pushed further and set the bar high for others to aspire to. In creating communities that challenge the expectations of ageing, Ryman villages are also setting the bar high. They’re demonstrating that a retirement lifestyle brimming with new experiences, connections and fulfilment is something we should aspire to. Our Kiwi and Aussie namesakes represent the measure of inspiration, while Ryman villages represent the measure of retirement living.
Lady Diana Isaac (1921 – 2012)
Lady Diana Isaac is the epitome of a force of nature. As a New Zealand conservationist, businesswoman, philanthropist, and arts patron, Diana had a profound impact on the development of Christchurch.
Born in England, Diana met a Timaru man named Neil Isaac on an Indian-bound troopship during World War II. They settled in Christchurch in 1950 where she carried out the bulk of her visionary work.
While Diana is well known for establishing Isaac Construction with her husband, she was also dedicated to the people and development of Christchurch. This included creating scholarships at the University of Canterbury and Lincoln University, sponsoring the Isaac Theatre Royal, supporting the Christchurch Art Gallery, and setting up the Isaac Centre for Nature Conservation.
The Isaac’s 1000-hectare quarry was transformed into a wildlife conservation park, Peacock Springs. The park houses endangered native wildlife and plants creating a pivotal haven for the study and breeding of indigenous fauna and flora.
In honour of her extraordinary service to the Christchurch community, received the Queen’s Service Medal in 1990 and was named an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2009. Diana was also commemorated with a bronze bust sculpture as one of the ‘Twelve Local Heroes’ for her positive impact on Christchurch.
