There was only one question on her mind.

“I wanted to know what my legs were like before they were removed” she said.

“It’s something I’ve wanted the answer to for a long time, and she was able to tell me.”

Ms Green first came to StGiles in 1956 as a four-year-old. A live-in patient, she would stay until 1965, during which time she lost both her legs due to a deformity.

Despite frequent operations throughout her childhood, she “still had lots of fun” at StGiles. The positive impact the organisation had on her life could be seen through the lifelong friends she made from her time there. 

Among them was Lexie Knight, with whom she attended the reunion.  The pair managed to form a strong connection, despite Ms Knight starting her stay while her new friend was ending hers.

Activities included boat trips, excursions with the South City Football Club, the Launceston Show, the Scottsdale Show, and the Devonport Bluff. 

Ms Knight said a weekly ritual proved to be the most memorable.

“It was a really big thing going to Sunday school, the church was so close to us,” she said.

Friday’s reunion managed to paint a picture of this time not only through people, but also objects.

Artefacts displayed as part of the event included two billy carts used more than 40 years ago to help raise funds. 

Former chairman John Dent said it was just one of the ways in which StGiles connected with the community.

“It was a really good fundraising activity for us,” he said.

“They would go down Amy Road next to the StGiles building, and different people would pay to advertise on them.

“The Occupational Health and Safety regulations these days would probably prevent us from doing the same thing now.

“We used to have some of the celebrities around Launceston have a go, which really contributed to the novelty.”

Fundraising is just one of the many aspects of StGiles, which has transformed throughout the past 80 years: others include the building itself, as well as the scope of care within its walls.

Mr Dent said he believed the biggest change to be change itself. 

“It’s great to be able to look back on our past at events like the reunion, but we have to continue our forward momentum into the future,” he said.

The stories of those who have stayed at StGiles remain at its heart, however, with a diverse mix making their way around the building throughout Friday afternoon.

Ms Knight and Ms Green were among the crowd to attend the organisation’s 75th reunion in 2013, as well as its 50th birthday before that.

StGiles deputy chairman Ben Coull was tasked with welcoming guests on Friday and said it was a tradition they were keen on maintaining.

“Everyone had such a good time at the 75th that we decided to do it again for our 80th,” he said.

“It’s something we might continue to do every five years, depending on the interest we have. We may even be holding the next one sooner than that.

“I hope everyone enjoys the stories they hear.”

The most notable development to occur in the past five years is the update of the facility itself.

After becoming a member of the National Disability Insurance Scheme taskforce in 2009, StGiles was recognised by the Commonwealth in 2011-12 when it received $11 million to develop its sites in Launceston and Hobart. 

With the NDIS also came an expansion of services across the state, with the North-West Coast now an area of focus for the organisation. 

StGiles took over the autism-specific early learning centre at Burnie a couple of years ago.

The organisation has come a long way from its initial purpose of assisting the hospital during the polio epidemic. 

For former patients such as Ms Green, it will always be a place that offers a holistic approach to care.

“I always knew it was going to last this long,” she said.

“I kept in touch with one of the nurses I had, and we went on to become very good friends.

“That is often how I hear about what is going on, and the changes that have taken place.”

It was a similar story for Ms Knight, who also formed a close relationship with one of her carers, despite a slightly foggy memory of her time as a patient.

“One of the nurses lives out near me at Scottsdale, so we see each other fairly regularly,” she said.

“Sometimes it can be a little bit strange coming back, because there is still a lot that I don’t remember about my time here.

“Often it’s not until I see someone and they start talking about it that my memory is triggered. It can be quite a stressful time for families, and I was only seven when I came here.”

For more information about StGiles and the services it offers, head to stgiles.org.au.

StGiles Society is located at 65 Amy Road in Launceston.