History

Through the initiative of six religious groups, Catholic Healthcare was established in 1994 by the Bishops of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory as a response to changing needs in the provision of health, aged and community services.  The six religious groups were:  

• The Sisters of Charity
• The Sisters of St Joseph, NSW Province
• The St John of God Brothers
• The Little Company of Mary
• The St John of God Sisters
• The Sisters of Mercy, Singleton  

Catholic Healthcare’s first major work was the development of a unique health service at Windsor.  In partnership with NSW Health, and at a cost of $46 million, Hawkesbury District Health Service continues today to provide a comprehensive range of health and community services to the people of the Hawkesbury region.

Hawkesbury District Health SErvice is a centre of clinical excellence and a teaching hospital for the University of Notre Dame Medical Shool, Sydney campus.

Catholic Healthcare’s early days continued to focus on the provision of healthcare services, with Catholic Healthcare being requested to manage Lourdes Hospital, Dubbo and St. Vincent’s Hospital, Bathurst and, for a short period, the Mater Misericordea Hospital, Newcastle.

From these beginnings, Catholic Healthcare was soon asked to respond to emerging needs in the provision of residential aged care. 

In 1998, Catholic Healthcare acquired Bodington, a residential aged care service, from the Red Cross and then partnered with religious orders, parishes, dioceses, and community groups in the provision of aged care across metropolitan and regional New South Wales. 

Developing and redeveloping residential aged care services also became a focus for the organisation as it strove to ensure that its services met the needs of residents and in particular, provided a home-like environment where residents and families would feel welcome.  Development and redevelopment projects continue today and will continue in the future.

In 2007, Catholic Healthcare took its first steps outside NSW, working with the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration and the Archdiocese of Brisbane at residential aged care services in Brisbane and Ipswich.

Catholic Healthcare has grown to be one of the largest providers of Catholic aged and community services in Australia.  Working in metropolitan, regional and rural New South Wales, and also South East Queensland, Catholic Healthcare now owns or operates 38 residential aged care services and nine retirement communities. In 2012, a new service is to open in Northbridge, Sydney and we are commencing work on a new retirement community at Croydon.

Continuing to respond to emerging needs, since 1998 Catholic Healthcare has been increasingly engaged in the care of people living in the community providing services in the home to elderly, frail and disabled persons and to persons with a mental illness. Respite services for carers are also provided.    Homelessness and the problems facing those living in severe domestic squalor have also been a recent focus for the organisation which has led to transitional housing programmes and the first national conference on severe domestic squalor in 2009, which has been a great catalyst for promoting dialogue and sharing expertise among related service groups. 

Having established a separate division to cater for the specific requirements of our community service clients, Catholic Community Services currently assists over 4,000 people in New South Wales, and is constantly expanding.

Today, with in excess of 3,090 employees, Catholic Healthcare has an enviable reputation in the provision of health, aged and community services.  Operating within a values-based culture of compassion, excellence, honesty, hospitality and respect, Catholic Healthcare will continue to seek out and respond to new needs and challenges as they emerge, inspired by the healing ministry of Jesus.