On 27 June 2025, Resthaven’s Executive Manager Finance and Technology, David Norton, will retire from the role he has expertly executed for the past 12 years. Warm and approachable, David will be missed for his dedication and humour, and his willingness to help out – in whatever capacity is needed.
However, things might have turned out very differently if his father had just picked up the correct form when David was 16.
‘I left school at the end of Year 11 and went to work in a brick factory,’ David says. ‘Because I was young, I was given all the ‘dirty jobs’ – and there were lots of dirty jobs!’
The work was hard and thankless, and it wasn’t long before David was on the lookout for something different.
‘I got it into my head that I wanted to do an electrical apprenticeship with the Public Service,’ David says. ‘I asked my dad to go in and pick up the form and he accidentally picked up one for a clerk position with the Department of Labour. It looked ok to me – being for the Department of Labour I imagined this was where the electrical apprenticeships were – so I filled it all out. I got an interview, and it wasn’t until I was about 2-minutes in that I realised it wasn’t for an electrical apprenticeship! However, I hated the brick factory so much that I decided to keep going and do it anyway.’
David got the job and began his career as a clerk in the public service. Things went well, but a few years later, at the age of 21, David decided it was time to ‘grow up’.
‘I realised there was more to life than playing soccer and going to the Old Spot Hotel,’ David says. ‘So, I enrolled at TAFE to do a course in business accounting.’
When his results came in, David had topped the state.
‘A lecturer encouraged me to continue my studies at university, but I told him I couldn’t go because I hadn’t done Year 12. He told me about mature age entry and wrote me a reference to help me get in.’
David was accepted to a Bachelor of Economics and while studying part time he completed his degree, transferring to work at the Department of Treasury. He then did a ten-year stint at the Housing Trust of South Australia (where he met Carole Davidson, a member of the Resthaven Board from 1997–2015, and who would go on to become the Resthaven Board President from 2006–2011), before joining The Queen Elizabeth Hospital as the Executive Director Corporate and Redevelopment Services in 2001. Then, with an MBA under his belt as well, David was appointed to the role of General Manager of the hospital in 2004.
‘Being in charge of the hospital was a tough but highly rewarding job,’ David says. ‘Such a different workplace; the brightest people in the room are the workers. I respected their skills, and they did mine. Despite the great divide between the clinical and administrative leaders that was apparent when I arrived, I developed a strong and cohesive team. The role included the ‘lifestyle benefits’ of being on call 24/7 - for four years! Ultimately, the system, impossible budget expectations, and a lack of honesty led me to realise that systemic improvement was a much bigger job than one single person.’
Stepping away from the hospital, David took on the role of Director of Corporate Service at the South Australia Fire and Emergency Commission. He also took what would turn out to be an important step in his career – joining the Resthaven Board as Treasurer in 2008.
‘I wanted to keep one foot in health, but I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go,’ David says.
An exciting move
In 2011, Resthaven underwent a restructure, and a new role of Executive Manager Property and Corporate Services was created.
‘It was a role I was excited about,’ David says. ‘I excused myself from the Board discussions and declared a conflict of interest.’
In August 2011, David applied for and was successful in winning the role.
‘It was a broad role, looking after retirement living, property and ICT,’ David says.
Two years later, when the incumbent Executive Manager Financial Services, Gerald Welden, retired due to a serious accident, David took on the additional responsibilities of the finance portfolio.
‘I remember studying the spreadsheets to get an understanding of what was happening,’ David says. ‘It was good to go back to a finance role – and it was a move that made sense.’
Major plans
David says the construction of Resthaven Port Elliot in 2015 was one of the major highlights of his career.
‘The Port Elliot development happened during my early days in the role,’ David says. ‘I decided that I wanted to know all the ins and outs, so I really involved myself in the project. I went to all the meetings with the builders, engineers and architects so I had a detailed understanding of the project and the process.
‘Bigger picture, the growth of aged care community services has been amazing,’ David says. ‘The demands on the finance team as these changes have come through have been immense.’
Another achievement that David led was the transformation of Resthaven’s technology. Named Project Ignite, the $20 million project replaced Resthaven’s general ledger, payroll, recruitment and onboarding, rostering, procurement, invoicing, credit card, medication management and community services systems.
‘Project Ignite was when Resthaven really started to take technology seriously,’ David says. ‘We streamlined workflows and created efficiencies. Now, we are becoming more sophisticated with Business Intelligence and dashboards to make everything more intuitive. We have access to a lot of data across Resthaven. Now we are turning it into information and knowledge.’
Beyond Resthaven
While David has been purposeful in not putting too many things on the calendar in the coming months, longer term he is considering how he can give back to the community.
‘It’s important that I continue to have purpose and structure in my life – and between family and volunteering, I’ll be able to achieve this,’ David says. ‘I’m looking to volunteer my services with financial counselling for less privileged people. I know I can’t change the world, but I hope I can help a little bit.’
On marking David’s retirement, Resthaven CEO Darren Birbeck says: ‘I would like to thank and acknowledge David for the significant contribution that he has made to Resthaven over the past 17 years – as both a member of the Board and Executive. It is a wonderful legacy he has left for Resthaven, and we wish him all the very best for the future. He is a much-loved member of the Resthaven family, and we will miss his witty and clever personality.’
Thank you, David, for your hard work and dedication!
Established in 1935, Resthaven is a South Australian not-for-profit aged care community service associated with the Uniting Church in Australia.
Every day, Resthaven shares the lives and wisdom of older people and their carers, opening doors to the full range of aged care service options available.
Services are provided throughout metropolitan Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills, Murraylands, Riverland, Fleurieu Peninsula, lower Barossa region and the Limestone Coast of South Australia.
