Next chapter begins for Australia’s oldest retirement village

The first sod has been turned for the expansion of Anglicare’s Castle Hill Villages which is Australia’s oldest retirement living community. 

The first phase of the project will deliver more than 50 independent living residences across several low-rise buildings within the existing Anglicare site, which has been operating since the early 1960s. 

This is the first stage of a two stage development on the site which will eventually allow for up to 100 new residents to join the community. 

Each residence will feature premium high-quality finishes and functional layouts. The development will also include thoughtfully designed community spaces, basement carparking, landscaped areas and integrated on-site services. 

Anglicare’s Laurie Boxwell, Group Executive - Seniors Communities, said “the development will enhance the 120 acre site, which includes health and wellness centres and cafes. This development sits within a greater 15 to 20 year masterplan.

“This site is where it all began for us, when we purchased the historic Lober House in 1958 and began providing care for older community members who needed a hand. 

“Since then we have been fortunate enough to expand the villages and welcome residents who have lived independently, while being supported by dedicated teams who provide hospitality, health and wellbeing services, spiritual care, and everyday support.

“All our services are designed to adapt as older Australian’s needs change and we look forward to welcoming new residents in 2027.”

Ali Mobarak, Associate Director at Decode says the project will create more than 500 construction jobs throughout its lifecycle and the construction works have been carefully planned to ensure safety and minimal disruption to current village residents. 

“We’re incredibly grateful to be partnering with the wonderful Anglicare team at Castle Hill to deliver high-quality homes that support people to live their best lives at every stage,” he said.

“In 2025, Decode was recognised as NSW’s #1 residential builder, and we’re proud to bring that expertise to the aged care sector through high quality projects like this, where safety, quality, and minimal disruption to existing village residents are paramount.”

Some of the facilities and services available at the village include: 

• An on-site Health Centre with registered nurses available, physiotherapists and occupational therapists, and visiting doctors, dentists and podiatrists
• A dedicated on-site 24/7 Care Team supporting residents to access home care and other support services
• A Tech Bar Team providing technology support
• A physiotherapy pool used for regular classes
• A full calendar of activities and events, including lawn bowls and croquet
• A village bus service, including regular shopping trips to Castle Hill and Winston Hills
• Two cafés 
• An on-site Pastoral Care Team and St James Chapel

The villages at Castle Hill operate under Anglicare’s recently introduced For Life service philosophy which offers a modern alternative to traditional retirement living models.

Key features include a Signature Membership where the residents’ ingoing contribution is returned in full at exit, and fortnightly recurrent charges are fixed for the duration of their residency. There are no stamp duty costs, no departure or renovation fees, and no risk of capital loss, alongside a six-month money-back guarantee.

Anglican Retirement Villages (which later became part of Anglicare) opened its first village on the grounds of the historic Lober House at Castle Hill in 1959. The property, which included the main house that was built in 1926 as well as six cottages spread across 117 acres, had been bought by the Anglican Church in 1958 to support a vision of providing aged care and independent living in retirement. 

For many years, Lober House was the focal point for all residents of Mowll Village at Castle Hill. Mowll Village was named to honour the Archbishop of Sydney Howard Mowll, who approved the purchase of the property, and his wife Dorothy, who was a key figure in establishing aged care. Additional villages were added to the site through the 60s and 70s. Major works to restore and repurpose Lober House were completed in 2015.

About Anglicare Sydney

Anglicare Sydney is a Christian not-for-profit organisation providing care to older people and community services throughout Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Illawarra, Southern Highlands, New England North West, Central West and Norfolk Island. Anglicare has been serving those in need for more than 160 years, employing more than 5,000 staff and serving alongside 1,300 volunteers. Anglicare provides a diverse range of services including providing care through residential aged care homes, at home care services, retirement living communities, affordable homes for people over 55, community services for children, families and those experiencing social isolation, disaster recovery in times of crisis and helping to effect change through research and advocacy.

Anglican Retirement Villages first began when Dorothy Mowll, wife of Archbishop Howard Mowll, had a vision to provide a home for retired clergy and church workers. Following her initiative, Anglican Retirement Villages opened its first village at Castle Hill in 1959. This work expanded to include residential care and home care services. 

On 1 July 2016, Anglicare Sydney and Anglican Retirement Villages officially merged. With more than 200 years of combined service to the community, Anglicare Sydney offers tremendous capacity to serve communities across greater Sydney and beyond. As needs have grown and changed, so too have our services.  However, one thing remains the same. The organisation continues to uphold the original values reflecting God's love through care and sharing the good news of Jesus.