BASSCARE

About Us

Where Every Day Holds a Little Magic.

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BASSCARE is a not-for-profit organisation nestled in Melbourne’s leafy Boroondara which strives to positively transform lives within our community.

From luxurious retirement living to residential and respite care, dementia support, meals-on-wheels and vibrant activity groups, BASSCARE brings a touch of magic to everyday life.

Putting Clients First

At BASSCARE, we’re all about putting clients and their loved ones first. This can be seen in the way we design our premium assisted living apartments and luxury retirement residences, to how we engage closely with families and carers for those who need support.

Our BASSCARE team have important lived experience of meaningful two-way relationships with residents and clients. When we give exceptional care and service, we receive fulfilment, purpose and connection. We take pride in the differences we make to the lives of others.

Service Spotlight

Community Services

BASSCARE’s Community Services bring seniors together through shared meals, wellbeing programs, social outings and meaningful activities. Designed to support health, connection and joy, each experience encourages curiosity, confidence and a sense of belonging within a vibrant community.

Explore community Services

Residential Aged Care

At BASSCARE, residential aged care is shaped by dignity, compassion and personalised support. Our caring environments nurture independence while adapting to changing needs, creating daily moments of comfort, trust and connection where residents feel truly at home.

Learn About Our Care

Retirement Living

Hester Canterbury

Hester Canterbury offers thoughtfully designed residences set among landscaped gardens and welcoming shared spaces. Balancing privacy, independence and connection, this boutique community creates a calm, elegant way of living where comfort, belonging and everyday ease come together in the heart of Canterbury.

explore hester canterbury

Assisted Living

Morgan Glen Iris

Our elegant residences offer comfort and independence in equal measure. Whether it’s a peaceful morning walk, a community meal with friends, or the reassurance of support on hand, every detail is designed to make life easier, brighter and more magical.

EXPLORE ASSISTED LIVING

Our Mission

“Our work begins and ends with community. We walk alongside older adults throughout Boroondara and surrounding neighbourhoods, reinvesting our efforts back into the people who rely on us.

With integrity and dignity as our compass, we aim to offer support that feels reassuring, respectful and transformative, and to deliver services with a standard of excellence our community can trust.”

Pam Davey,
Chairperson - BASSCARE Board

Our Vision

Innovative, high-quality services that transform lives.

Vision Statement

At BASSCARE, we’re here to make a meaningful difference in the lives
of our clients and their families. We provide high-quality, innovative, person-centred services that empower our clients to live their best lives. We respect their independence, embrace diversity, and honour their personal choices.

We believe every individual and family deserves to feel connected,
valued, and engaged in the community they love.

Our Values

BASSCARE Values Trust

TRUST

We act with honesty, reliability and authenticity, building connections that endure. The quiet strength that grows when we act with honesty and reliability.
BASSCARE Values Belonging

BELONGING

We welcome and value every person, celebrating diversity and creating a community where everyone feels safe and respected. A place where every person is seen, welcomed and valued.
BASSCARE Being There Value

BEING THERE

We bring full presence and attention, engaging with empathy and purpose in every interaction. Our full presence and care in every moment and every interaction.

HUMILITY

We remain grounded and open, listening, learning and recognising the contributions of others. A grounded openness that listens, learns and honours others.

IMAGINATION

We embrace creativity and new ideas, turning challenges into opportunities and inspiring lasting change. The spark that turns ideas into possibility and challenges into change.

Our History

We are proud of our history. Explore BASSCARE's milestones since our establishment in 1957.

1957

Encouraged by the response to the Christmas dinner, a questionnaire about community needs of older adults was distributed to Boroondara residents. Malnutrition, loneliness and an ability to get help are found to be the most pressing concerns. In light of this, the Canterbury Citizens Welfare Committee is born (now known as BASSCARE) and one of the first Meals on Wheels services in Australia begins operating from the Holeproof factory in Deepdene.

1959

The Canterbury Centre building on Rochester Road, Canterbury, is completed, and Meals on Wheels begins operating from its kitchen.

1963

Older people still able to look after themselves, but finding their homes too large, isolating or difficult to maintain, are faced with a lack of alternative housing options. In response to this need, Faversham Court was built. Designed to blend discreetly with the existing streetscape, it originally contains 9 single and two double units.

1965

Spurred on by the overwhelmingly positive response to Faversham Court, CCWC acquires a large block of land in Canterbury, paving the way for new units and the opening of Chaucer Crescent. Another 14 units located on Middlesex Road were also completed. Today, BASSCARE’s social mission incorporates 71 affordable independent living units located in Canterbury and Surrey Hills.

1971

Chatham Lea Hostel, located at Chatham Road, Canterbury is opened with 23 units.

1976

Chatham Lea Hostel is expanded to include a further 21 units.

1983

Chatham Lea Hostel was expanded to increase accommodation to 81 beds. Harcourt Nursing Home was extended, increasing accommodation to 30 beds.

1986

1986, two properties on either side of Chatham Lea Hostel were acquired, just as fresh emphasis was being placed on the care of mentally frail, but ambulant people. A programme of special activities for Chatham Lea residents with some degree of dementia was established with Commonwealth funding.

1989

Maranoa House Dementia Day Care Centre opened providing dementia respite services to people living with mild, moderate or severe dementia and their carers.

1992

Chatham Lea Hostel was expanded to increase accommodation to 81 beds. Harcourt Nursing Home was extended, increasing accommodation to 30 beds.

1996

Canterbury Centre undergoes refurbishment. The hall and kitchen are enlarged and modernised, and the offices and boardroom are relocated to an upper storey extension. To this day, Meals and Wheels and the Social Activities program are run from this centre.

2001

Canterbury Citizens Welfare Committee merges with North Balwyn Citizens Welfare Association to form Boroondara Aged Services Society (BASSCARE is the Society’s trading name). To this day, BASSCARE operates Social Activities programs and Meals on Wheels from the Marwal Centre in North Balwyn, also home to the North Balwyn Senior Citizens Centre.

2006

A busy year for the community. A new 125 bed, state-of-the-art facility was constructed at Faversham Road for residents from Chatham Lea Hostel and Harcourt Nursing Home.


The month of April sees BASSCARE take over the management and running of Hamer Court Hostel in East Kew, previously run by the City of Boroondara. In June, BASSCARE merges with Airdrie House Society Inc., which provides housing for financially disadvantaged nurses. 

2012

Construction begins on a new 60-bed wing attached to Faversham House on the site where Chatham Lea Hostel once stood.

2015

Hester Canterbury, a boutique retirement village, opens on Chatham Road, on the site of the old Chatham Lea Hostel.

2020

BASSCARE takes over the City of Boroondara’s Meals on Wheels program in the Hawthorn and Kew areas.

2022

Maling Road Home Care Services Shop opens.

2023

BASSCARE expanded its community reach by commencing Meals on Wheels delivery in the City of Manningham, strengthening local support for older residents.

2024

Marked an important milestone, with BASSCARE merging with Samarinda Ashburton Aged Services, another long-standing aged care organisation in Boroondara. Together, we carried our shared history forward to create a stronger, more connected service for the community.

Our Board of Directors

The Board is responsible for establishing the strategic direction and policies of BASSCARE. It is responsible for monitoring the performance of the activities in line with the strategic intent and overseeing financial performance on behalf of the Members. The Board ensures adequate risk management in order to maintain business continuity and service provision.
Pam Davey BASSCARE Board Chairperson

Pam worked in Pathology for over 40 years managing local, State and National roles including Chief Scientist, National Patient Services Manager, Executive Project Manager and CEO requiring a broad range of skills. During this time Pam was also involved in a number of successful mergers and acquisitions plus tender bids. In addition to Pathology she managed Medical Practices, Skin Cancer Clinic’s and Radiology Practices. After retiring Pam continued to provide services to Australian State and national governments as a consultant.
Paul Lewis BASSCARE Board Member

Paul is a partner at PwC Australia where, for over 15 years, he has lead a highly experienced team specialising in supporting privately owned businesses, their owners and families to achieve their business and personal goal.

With over 30 years of experience in audit, Paul’s skill set lies in the provision of audit and advisory services in a diverse range of fields which includes aged care.


Paul joined the BASSCARE board in 2017 and holds a Bachelor of Accounting from Melbourne University.
Trevor Gorman BASSCARE Board Member

Trevor Gorman has significant commercial experience gained over the past 40 years including over 19 years as a partner of the accounting firm Deloitte Touché Tohmatsu. Trevor is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and has a Post Graduate Diploma of Business Administration from Swinburne University.

Trevor was a director of the North Balwyn Citizens Welfare Association from 1994 and was appointed to the BASSCARE board in 2001 when the two organisations merged. Trevor is Chair of the Building Committee.
Kate Metcalf BASSCARE Board Member

Kate Metcalf is the Principal of K A Metcalf Solicitors and a Sessional Member of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT). Kate is a Trustee of The Baker Foundation and a Director of Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute.

Kate has previously held positions as Senior Solicitor Monash University, Legal Director Asia Carestream Health Australia Pty Ltd and Senior Counsel and Company Secretary Kodak (Australasis) Pty Ltd. Kate was appointed to the BASSCARE board in 2014.
Dr Josh Ye BASSCARE Board Member

Dr Josh Ye is a General Practitioner and part owner of a practice focusing on aged care. He has diverse experience in medicine, starting off his training at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and subsequently spending significant time working in rural Victoria and South Australia. He is passionate about aged care and currently services several nursing homes across Melbourne.


Josh is a fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners since 2017. He holds a Bachelor of Medical Science, Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery with honours from University of Melbourne, and a Master of Public Health from University of Newcastle. He is a registered medical practitioner with the Medical Board of Australia.


Josh was appointed to the BASSCARE board in 2023 and is a member of both the clinical governance and risk committees.
Jeff Oughton BASSCARE Board Member

Jeff is an economic and financial educator & advisor. He is an active member on other boards which involve, not only providing economic and financial advice, but also the development of the next generation of business leaders in Victoria.


Jeff joined the BASSCARE board in 2017 and holds a Bachelor of Economics (Hons 1) from the University of Newcastle, as well as an MBA from Australian Graduate School of Management. He is a Honorary Fellow at Macquarie University in the Applied Finance Centre and lectures about the economics of financial markets to masters students in Australia and China.
Pam Davey BASSCARE Board Chairperson

Pam worked in Pathology for over 40 years managing local, State and National roles including Chief Scientist, National Patient Services Manager, Executive Project Manager and CEO requiring a broad range of skills. During this time Pam was also involved in a number of successful mergers and acquisitions plus tender bids. In addition to Pathology she managed Medical Practices, Skin Cancer Clinic’s and Radiology Practices. After retiring Pam continued to provide services to Australian State and national governments as a consultant.
Paul Lewis BASSCARE Board Member

Paul is a partner at PwC Australia where, for over 15 years, he has lead a highly experienced team specialising in supporting privately owned businesses, their owners and families to achieve their business and personal goal.

With over 30 years of experience in audit, Paul’s skill set lies in the provision of audit and advisory services in a diverse range of fields which includes aged care.


Paul joined the BASSCARE board in 2017 and holds a Bachelor of Accounting from Melbourne University.
Trevor Gorman BASSCARE Board Member

Trevor Gorman has significant commercial experience gained over the past 40 years including over 19 years as a partner of the accounting firm Deloitte Touché Tohmatsu. Trevor is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and has a Post Graduate Diploma of Business Administration from Swinburne University.

Trevor was a director of the North Balwyn Citizens Welfare Association from 1994 and was appointed to the BASSCARE board in 2001 when the two organisations merged. Trevor is Chair of the Building Committee.
Kate Metcalf BASSCARE Board Member

Kate Metcalf is the Principal of K A Metcalf Solicitors and a Sessional Member of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT). Kate is a Trustee of The Baker Foundation and a Director of Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute.

Kate has previously held positions as Senior Solicitor Monash University, Legal Director Asia Carestream Health Australia Pty Ltd and Senior Counsel and Company Secretary Kodak (Australasis) Pty Ltd. Kate was appointed to the BASSCARE board in 2014.
Dr Josh Ye BASSCARE Board Member

Dr Josh Ye is a General Practitioner and part owner of a practice focusing on aged care. He has diverse experience in medicine, starting off his training at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and subsequently spending significant time working in rural Victoria and South Australia. He is passionate about aged care and currently services several nursing homes across Melbourne.


Josh is a fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners since 2017. He holds a Bachelor of Medical Science, Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery with honours from University of Melbourne, and a Master of Public Health from University of Newcastle. He is a registered medical practitioner with the Medical Board of Australia.


Josh was appointed to the BASSCARE board in 2023 and is a member of both the clinical governance and risk committees.
George Andreola BASSCARE Board Member

George brings more than thirty years of senior experience in accounting, audit and corporate advisory, including Partner-level roles at PKF (now BDO) and secondments in Hong Kong and within the Victorian Government. A Chartered Accountant and Registered Company Auditor, he has built strong expertise in the aged care sector over many years.


He is currently the Director of Operations and Company Secretary at the National Ageing Research Institute, where he supports work focused on translating research into better ageing and aged care outcomes.


George joined the BASSCARE Board in February 2025 following the merger with Samarinda Ashburton Aged Services. He served on the Samarinda Board from 2007 and chaired its Finance Committee.


He holds accounting qualifications from La Trobe University, IT qualifications from RMIT and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Liz was a General Practitioner at the Glen Iris Medical Centre for 32 years. During her career, she developed a large geriatric patient practice, visiting many residential aged care facilities in the local area. Her other passion was in General Practice education, where she served as a medical educator, training GP registrars for 27 years and as an examiner for the FRACGP examination for 25 years.


She graduated from Monash University medical school in 1977 with an MBBS and was awarded the inaugural prize for community medicine. In 1979, she received the diploma of obstetrics and in 1985, the fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.


A Life Member of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Liz was also a member of the Samarinda Ashburton Aged Services board from 2001 for 23 years. She was appointed to the BASSCARE board in February 2025, following the merger of SAAS with BASSCARE.


Liz was honoured with a Medal of the Order of Australia in the General Division for her service to medicine in January 2023.
Nicholas Jackson BASSCARE Board Member

Nicholas was a director and shareholder of a global management consulting firm before setting up his own consultancy in 2021 specialising in remuneration and job design. Nicholas was previously a human resources executive, initially in a multi-national oil company and later a government-own gas utility.


Nicholas is also a director of Casterton Memorial Hospital. He holds a B.A. /M.A. (Prelim) from the University of Melbourne and an MBA from Monash University where he is also currently a PhD candidate. Nicholas is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.


Nicholas was appointed to the BASSCARE board in 2010, and he is the inaugural chair of the board’s risk committee.

Bernard Corser is the Principal of Bernard Corser Property Consulting. Bernard established the company in 1988 and has been actively involved with real estate in Melbourne for over 40 years. His experience has given him an intimate knowledge of and expertise in all aspects of buying, selling and managing properties.


Bernard holds a Certificate of Business Studies (RMIT) and a Further Certificate of Management (RMIT). Bernard is a licensed real estate agent and a licensed auctioneer and a member of the Real Estate Institute of Victoria and a Fellow of the Australian Real Estate Institute of Australia. Bernard volunteers his time to many worthwhile causes and holds positions on numerous boards and committees. Bernard was appointed to the BASSCARE board in 2002. Bernard is a member of the Building Committee.


Bernard received a Medal of the Order of Australia in the General Division for service in the community in June 2022.
Jeff Oughton BASSCARE Board Member

Jeff is an economic and financial educator & advisor. He is an active member on other boards which involve, not only providing economic and financial advice, but also the development of the next generation of business leaders in Victoria.


Jeff joined the BASSCARE board in 2017 and holds a Bachelor of Economics (Hons 1) from the University of Newcastle, as well as an MBA from Australian Graduate School of Management. He is a Honorary Fellow at Macquarie University in the Applied Finance Centre and lectures about the economics of financial markets to masters students in Australia and China.

Our Foundation

At the foundation of our organisation is a robust financial model which has been perfected over many decades. This unique model allows us to create premium living experiences in exceptional locations, with profits going back into essential services. Every purchaser of our top-tier apartments can feel proud they are helping others in a very meaningful way.
Financial Transparency

Foundation for the Future

Financial Report
At BASSCARE, every decision is guided by purpose. Our Annual Financial Report outlines how we responsibly manage our resources to support high-quality care, invest in our people and ensure long-term sustainability. We invite you to explore the report and see how we are building a strong foundation for the future.

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BASSCARE acknowledges the traditional owners as the original custodians of this land, and respects their customs and traditions and their special relationship with the land.
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