DA granted for Perth’s first Aboriginal aged care home

Development approval has been granted for the 100-bed Sister Kate’s Health and Aged Care Facility in Perth.

The new home – valued at $89 million – will deliver culturally safe, high-quality aged care for Aboriginal Elders in the Perth metropolitan area and is the first home of its kind for the city.

Sister Kate’s will deliver essential services including dialysis treatment and health and wellness programs and will provide dedicated education and training opportunities for Aboriginal people seeking careers in the health and aged care sectors.

The home is to be built on the historic Sister Kate’s site in Queens Park, which housed Aboriginal children of the Stolen Generation. It will be developed by Hall & Prior Health & Aged Care Group in partnership with the Sister Kate’s Children 1943-1953 Aboriginal Corporation, an organisation founded by former residents of the home.

Hall & Prior will operate the facility under a long-term lease from Sister Kate’s.

The project has received $25 million in Aged Care Capital Assistance Program grants and another $25 million from the WA government in direct grants and concessional loan arrangements.

Hall & Prior chief executive officer Graeme Prior said the significant level of commitment from the government at both federal and state levels has laid a strong foundation, and that the project is one of WA’s most significant Aboriginal health and aged care developments – reflecting the for-profit provider’s long-standing commitment to delivering culturally responsive care.

“Our partnership with Sister Kate’s ensures the care of our residents will be guided by cultural values and community leadership and we are honoured to be working alongside Sister Kate’s to bring this vision to life,” he said.

The new home will be built next to the existing seniors’ units owned by Sister Kate’s and will feature:

• 70 rooms, 100 beds, living and dining facilities, a wellness centre and hydrotherapy pool on the ground floor, to act as the main hub
• four dialysis treatment beds and staff and training facilities on the upper floor
• the integration of the heritage-listed chapel.

Sister Kate’s chairperson Dr Sue Gordon said the facility will be a centre of excellence for how to best provide health and aged care services for the Aboriginal community.

“It will also provide specific training and education programs to Aboriginal people to work in the health and aged care sector, building key partnerships across local Aboriginal organisations and facilitating sustainable career pathways,” she said.

Construction is expected to start in the first half of 2026, with hopes of completion in 2028.

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