About us

Árpád history

Árpád history

In the early 1980s Hungarian Community Aid organisation assisted the newly arrived as well as elderly Hungarians. They helped with housing and furnishing as well as other needs such as interpreting. Later, a need was identified to provide more assistance to ageing community members, and it was then that Árpád Elderly Welfare Society Inc. was formed and incorporated as a charitable non-profit organization under the Associations Incorporation Act 1981 on 10 June 1988. The main purpose of the Society was to plan and build an aged care facility for elderly Hungarians. This facility was approved and funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care as a low and high care facility which could eventually make provision for ”Ageing in Place”. After much effort, and with the help of public contributions and government funding, the property at Garrisson Grove was successfully purchased and construction began. The Árpád Hostel opened its doors in 1994 to 30 residential care rooms (now called the “Duna section”) and 11 villa units, and was officially opened on 26 March 1995.

How to apply

Moving into an aged care home can be difficult and emotional. We aim to help you to make the change as easy as possible.

Árpád Aged Care Facility

Árpád Hostel became the Árpád Aged Care Facility in June 2008 when the construction of an 18 bed high care section was completed.  Since then, further extensions have been carried out, taking the total number of permanent places to 60. The last extension and upgrade project was completed in 2017 with the building of two extra rooms and the extension of the lounge and dining area in the high care “Tisza” section.

Eleven villa units on site provide independent living accommodation for Hungarians. These units are operated under the Retirement Villages Act 1986.

Members of the Árpád Elderly Welfare Society Inc elect the Committee each year at the Annual General Meeting which is usually held in November.  The voluntary members of the Committee have a broad range of skills with a majority drawn from the Hungarian community. The Committee is charged with the overall governance of the facility and employs the manager, who administers the day-to-day management and operations of the home, and the Manager – Strategy, who is responsible for implementing the Committee’s strategic plan.

Árpád is greatly indebted to the Hungarian pioneers who had the vision to establish the home with all of the effort and fundraising and donations required. We are delighted that some of these pioneers are now residents in the home.