The Beach House
The Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation ‘Laklinyeri’ Beach House, located within the picturesque Encounter Lakes in Victor Harbor, is an extraordinary holiday home where families can relax and create wonderful memories.
Officially opened in July 2019, the Beach House is South Australia’s first purpose-built holiday home for families with children with complex medical needs or in palliative care.
The great Australian family getaway is at the beach and thanks to the Beach House the opportunity to experience this quintessential holiday is now possible for these families.
Family stays are funded through donations made to the WCH Foundation. We work closely with the families to help create bespoke holidays to meet their wishes and needs, whether it is enjoying experiences in the local Victor Harbor area or a professional photography session to capture the special moments.
Photo credit: Kate Elmes Photography.
Why is the Beach House so special?
The Beach House is the perfect sanctuary for families, who face significant challenges every day, to relax and spend treasured time together.
The home is specifically designed, constructed and medically equipped to meet the needs of children with complex medical needs or in palliative care, while the beautiful interiors, landscaping and sweeping views of the lake create a sense of calm and wellness.
The Beach House can sleep up to 12 people allowing immediate and extended family, as well as friends to stay, so everyone can experience this special holiday.
Click on the rooms below and join the Halfpennys on a tour of the Beach House
The first family to be welcomed to the Beach House were the Halfpennys – Jessika, her brother Jakob, and parents Wayne and Emma.
Laklinyeri
Building connections to the Ngarrindjeri-Ramindjeri people and country, to acknowledge the traditional landowners where the Beach House is located, was very important to the WCH Foundation.
As a tribute to traditional custodians of the local area, the Beach House also has an Aboriginal name — Laklinyeri.
Ramindjeri artist, Cedric Varcoe, explains the meaning of Laklinyeri.
“Laklinyeri alludes to many things relating to family; close family and the larger grouping of families related through kinship, stories, songs and dance. The name denotes a sense of belonging to all of the family, your place and interconnections with each other, the land, the place and the life in that place. Laklinyeri encompasses the heart, the mind, the sense of being. Everything continues to be connected through time.”