The History of St Nicholas

This Home was Built on Biscuits

St Nicholas Aged Care was built through the vision and dedication of The Greek Ladies Philoptochos Society of Saint George, established in 1959. Led by founding President the Very Reverend Father Gregory Sakelariou, the Society’s extensive fundraising efforts brought their dream to life: providing care for the aged and frail of the community. Through baking and the sale of homemade authentic Greek biscuits St Nicholas was built and today, The Greek Ladies Philoptochos continue to be vital, fundraising tirelessly to ensure residents receive the highest level of care and service. 

St Nicholas Aged Care offers a 72-bed facility that strongly supports the Greek elderly community. Our location features two main accommodation areas: the 43-bed East Wing (dating back to 1981, refurbished 1995) and the 30-bed West Wing (built in 1992, expanded 2005).

While the facility primarily serves residents from a Hellenic background, we warmly welcome other non-Greek residents. We operate under the guidance of the Greek Orthodox Church of St George, helping residents maintain strong spiritual links with the Church and the wider community. To support continuous engagement, an audio-visual link allows residents to actively participate in Church services from the comfort of the Home. 

St Nicholas has strong links with the Greek community. Residents continue to participate in a variety of community activities and the community participates in life at St Nicholas. Religious and culturally significant events are celebrated at St Nicholas and the leaders of the Greek community participate in many of these celebrations.

The Board of Management of St Nicholas Aged Care actively embraces the commitment of excellence in culturally appropriate care and service provision to residents.  Residents and their extended families vigorously participate in decision making at St Nicholas.

The non-nursing staff of St Nicholas Aged Care are predominantly of Greek background and speak both Greek and English. Nursing personnel consist of some Greek speaking staff however are predominantly of Australian or other backgrounds. Staff are selected on their sensitivity to the culture and ability to uphold the Greek values of elders as worthy, productive and respected members of the community.

St Nicholas provides a culturally appropriate service to residents. Care, diet, diversional therapy and human resource management encompass the need to meet resident’s cultural and linguistic needs. All staff learn a basic level of Greek language to build engagement between staff and residents and to enable resident needs to be met with greater safety and dignity. The staff development program includes cultural and language education.

Extended families are encouraged to continue caring for their relative and do so with varying levels of involvement.

At St Nicholas, we believe that growing older should be a time of connection, meaning, and joy. That’s why we are embracing the Eden Alternative – a compassionate approach to care that gently shifts away from the routines of traditional aged care and instead focuses on creating a true sense of home. This philosophy helps us build a nurturing environment where each person feels valued, heard, and respected. It encourages companionship, meaningful engagement, and the freedom to make everyday choices — all of which bring purpose and comfort to daily life. Through this approach, we’re creating a place where laughter, warmth, and relationships are at the heart of everything we do. A place where residents, families, and staff walk alongside one another, sharing life’s journey together.

Friends of St Nicholas

At St Nicholas, every day is about creating comfort, dignity, and joy for our residents. From meaningful activities to personalised care and small homely touches, these experiences make a significant difference to quality of life.

While government funding covers essential clinical and operational requirements, it does not fund many of the enhancements that make aged care genuinely warm, personal, and engaging. These are the elements that bring dignity, connection, and purpose into daily life — and this is where our community plays a vital role.

To support these important enhancements, we have established Friends of St Nicholas, a regular giving program that invites our community to contribute directly to enriching the lived experience of our residents.

By becoming a Friend through a small monthly donation, you help us support:

  • wellbeing and lifestyle programs
  • cultural and spiritual activities
  • personalised comforts and homely touches
  • environmental improvements within the home
  • and major projects such as our current priority, A Room of One’s Own, which is transforming shared rooms into private ensuite rooms.

Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a meaningful and immediate difference. Friends of St Nicholas complements — but is separate from — any structured fees or charges, ensuring that your generosity directly funds enhancements that would not otherwise be possible.

Joining Friends of St Nicholas is simple and deeply impactful. Your support helps us continue building a home grounded in dignity, respect, and joy.

Support St Nicholas

At St Nicholas we rely on the generosity and kindness of the local community to continue our mission. Giving goes a long way to ensuring we offer the highest level of care, connection and choice to all our residents. 

From volunteering time and talents, buying biscuits or making a donation, we look forward to welcoming you to St Nicholas as an extended part of our family.