Open/Close Toolbox
Format: Oral History
Linked To
LocalityPersonOrganisation & ClubPhotographOral History TranscriptAudioVideo
HERITAGE NOOSA
Menu
Trish Kearton Oral History
DETAILS
Overview
Trish (Patricia Ann) Kearton outlines a diverse life shaped by service, resilience, and community focused work. Born in 1955 in Quirindi, NSW, she trained extensively in nursing, midwifery, early childhood health, and community education, working particularly with Aboriginal women and families in regional NSW. After a marriage breakdown, Kearton visited Noosa in 1987 and, captivated by Noosaville, relocated there in 1988 with her young daughter. She purchased and transformed a rundown motel—renaming it River Palms—and operated it for several years, drawing on her interpersonal and nursing skills to build strong rapport with guests and to revitalise the property.
Kearton describes Noosaville of the late 1980s and early 1990s as a more intimate, less commercialised destination, recalling close connections among motel owners and the impacts of major developments such as the construction of Noosa Waters. After selling the motel, she remarried, raised two more children, and co owned a small business before pursuing university studies in social science. She later held roles with ATSIC, local government, police led violence prevention programs, and child protection.
Following retirement and several years in the Northern Territory, Kearton returned to the Noosa region in 2016. She now lives in Cooran and volunteers at the Noosa Museum, bringing decades of professional experience to community heritage work.
Trish (Patricia Ann) Kearton outlines a diverse life shaped by service, resilience, and community focused work. Born in 1955 in Quirindi, NSW, she trained extensively in nursing, midwifery, early childhood health, and community education, working particularly with Aboriginal women and families in regional NSW. After a marriage breakdown, Kearton visited Noosa in 1987 and, captivated by Noosaville, relocated there in 1988 with her young daughter. She purchased and transformed a rundown motel—renaming it River Palms—and operated it for several years, drawing on her interpersonal and nursing skills to build strong rapport with guests and to revitalise the property.
Kearton describes Noosaville of the late 1980s and early 1990s as a more intimate, less commercialised destination, recalling close connections among motel owners and the impacts of major developments such as the construction of Noosa Waters. After selling the motel, she remarried, raised two more children, and co owned a small business before pursuing university studies in social science. She later held roles with ATSIC, local government, police led violence prevention programs, and child protection.
Following retirement and several years in the Northern Territory, Kearton returned to the Noosa region in 2016. She now lives in Cooran and volunteers at the Noosa Museum, bringing decades of professional experience to community heritage work.
Photograph
Oral History Transcript
Trish Kearton Oral History. Heritage Noosa, accessed 25/03/2026, https://heritage.noosa.qld.gov.au/nodes/view/4516
