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Whiddon Retirement Villages: Communities, Care and Locations Across New South Wales

Whiddon is a not-for-profit retirement living provider with roots going back to 1923 and 13 retirement villages across New South Wales. Find a Whiddon community near you below, or read on for costs, care details and what sets Whiddon apart. If you are weighing up a move to a retirement village, this page covers the main points to understand first and the questions worth asking when you visit one in person.

Quick facts

About Whiddon

Whiddon began as a small group of Freemasons providing care and support, and its founding site was established in 1948. Today it runs 13 retirement villages across New South Wales, from Sydney to the Hunter and the Far North Coast. Villages centre on independent living, and some sit beside Whiddon's residential aged care homes. With that spread of locations, it is worth thinking about which part of the state you want to live in before you compare individual villages.

Residents live independently, and some communities also offer homes for rent. Whiddon takes care of the gardening, property repairs and rubbish, which leaves you more time to enjoy retirement. Amenities and activities vary by community. When you visit, ask what is included in day-to-day upkeep and what you would still be responsible for, so you know how much of your time the home would free up. That is a simple way to compare villages on the same terms.

Whiddon is a not-for-profit organisation with philanthropic roots. It has traded as Whiddon since 2018 and serves more than 2,300 customers. The figure covers the organisation as a whole, not a count of village residents.

Costs & fees

Whiddon's villages offer a range of cost options and sizes. For a current price, call Whiddon directly on 1300 738 388 or enquire through the listing for the community you're interested in. A price quoted on a web page can be out of date by the time you read it, so confirm the figure directly. When you speak to the team, ask what you would pay to move in, what you would pay on an ongoing basis, and what happens to those amounts if you leave. Write the answers down for each village you consider so you can compare them side by side, and ask for anything important to be explained in writing.

Care & lifestyle services

You can live independently in your village home and add support as your needs change, which helps you stay independent for longer. Whiddon's home care services help with cleaning, transport, shopping and nursing assistance after illness or injury, and you can use them privately on a user-pays basis. Some communities also have in-home emergency call systems. If that matters to you, ask whether the village you are considering has one.

Whiddon's home care and residential services are often next door to its villages, and some communities sit alongside a residential aged care home with 24 hour care and, in some cases, a secure dementia care wing. These are only at some communities. Being close to care can be reassuring, so it helps to know early which villages have it nearby and which do not.

Some communities have an onsite cafe, a handy spot to catch up with neighbours. The mix of facilities and activities varies by community. If a particular facility matters to you, confirm that it is at the village you are considering, and look at it during your visit rather than relying on a description. A short visit rarely answers everything, so consider returning at a different time of day to see how the village feels when it is busy and when it is quiet.

What makes Whiddon different

Whiddon gives you a choice of city, coastal and regional locations from a single provider, so you can stay close to family or move somewhere new. Whiddon employs more than 3,000 people across the organisation. Whiddon also publishes a price guide, so you can see where prices start before you call. Having that guide to hand means your first conversation can focus on the specific home and village you are interested in.

Whiddon is a not-for-profit provider with philanthropic roots that reach back to 1923. It bases its consumer reports on surveys of residents, clients and families. Reading those reports before you visit can give you useful questions to ask the village team.

Last updated: October 2026.