Village Leader Profile Graham Hobbs, Director, Living Choice

of Australia’s biggest private retirement village developers. With two prestige villages on
Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, five in NSW and major developments in Maroochydore and
Adelaide in the pipeline, 59-year-old Graham Hobbs is proving record sales can be achieved
in a short period of time.
Together, Graham, and Living Choice co-director Ian Tregoning first moved into the
retirement sector in 2000 when they redeveloped Leisure Lea Retirement Village in Sydney.
The projects and developments have since become more ambitious.
Living Choice currently has development approval for 600 ILUs at a new retail and
commercial precinct known as Sunshine Cove at Maroochydore in Queensland and more
than 1300 approved units to be constructed at their existing villages.
Grahame is known for his hands-on management style and emphasis on dealing directly with
residents, plus smart marketing strategies (including utilising 2006 Gold Logie winner and
Blue Heelers stalwart John Wood as the face of Living Choice).
Graham and Ian’s business partnership dates back to 1994 when they established the Eureka
Group, which now owns and operates 20 hotels in South Australia and Queensland. Graham
was previously a practice chairman for Adelaide legal firm Kelly & Co.
In 2007 Graham was a finalist in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. Popular
with residents and staff across the business, perhaps Graham’s ability to communicate well
with people stems from being a father to six daughters!