Karinya Residential Aged Care

Southern Cross Care Retirement Communities: Communities, Care and Locations Across New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory

Southern Cross Care is a not-for-profit with more than 50 years' experience and more than 40 locations, spanning retirement villages, home care and residential care, across New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Find a Southern Cross Care community near you below, or read on for costs, care details and what sets Southern Cross Care apart. If you are weighing up a move, the sections below explain how homes are arranged, what support you can add, and what to ask before you commit.

Quick facts

About Southern Cross Care

Southern Cross Care formed in 1970 and opened its first retirement village in 1973. Its communities now stretch across New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Homes are self-contained villas, apartments or townhouses, and some communities sit alongside residential aged care on the same site. For someone downsizing, that range of home types means you can look for a layout and a level of independence that suits you, rather than fitting yourself to a single style of living.

Residents pay an ingoing contribution to move in, and the unit returns to Southern Cross Care when they leave. Southern Cross Care looks after home and garden maintenance, including grounds, gardens and general repairs, so your time goes to the things you enjoy. Amenities and activities vary by community, so it helps to visit more than one and compare what each offers in person.

Southern Cross Care is a not-for-profit. It was founded by the Knights of the Southern Cross, a Catholic community group, and made retirement living its initial focus soon after forming in 1970. That gives you one long-standing organisation behind your move, and a clear history you can ask about when you speak to the team.

Costs & fees

The ongoing contribution varies from one community to the next. Because the figure differs between communities, the most useful step is to ask for the details of each community you are considering and compare them side by side, including what you pay to move in and what happens when you leave. For a current price, call Southern Cross Care directly on 1800 632 314 or enquire through the listing for the community you're interested in.

Care & lifestyle services

Every home has a 24/7 emergency call system, and support can be added as your needs change, from help around the home to personal care, healthcare and nursing. Southern Cross Care delivers these services itself, and home care is optional, so you add only what you need and stay independent in your own home for longer. That flexibility matters if you want a place that can adapt as your circumstances shift over the years.

Residential aged care is available on site or next door at some communities. Because this differs from one community to another, ask about it directly at each community you are considering.

Shared gardens, barbecue areas, playgrounds and function facilities give you places to gather with neighbours, family and grandchildren. Events and activities bring people together. The mix varies by community, so check the details of the community you like and see whether its social life matches how you want to spend your days.

What makes Southern Cross Care different

You get real choice of where to live. Southern Cross Care's communities cover New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, and the same organisation also provides home care and residential care. If your needs change, you can stay with an organisation you already know. When you compare operators, it is worth asking each one how its homes, support and care options fit together.

Southern Cross Care is a not-for-profit with a customer at the heart philosophy. It welcomes everyone, regardless of faith, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity and lifestyle choices. For many people choosing where to live, feeling welcome is as important as the floor plan, so it is worth seeing how that philosophy shows up when you visit.

Over 3,500 customers have chosen Southern Cross Care across its villages, home care and residential care. Its first village opened in 1973, and it has built on that record for more than 50 years.

Last updated: October 2026.