VCACS is hoping to start construction soon on the aged care home on a 10,000m2 old school site in Bell Park, 3km north of the city’s centre, after the Australian Croatian Association of Geelong first raised the need for a Croatian-specific facility back in 1980.

It has been a long road for the project. While other ethnic communities built facilities throughout the 80s and 90s, the Association only began planning for the facility in 2006 and in 2013 was granted a licence and a $13.35 million loan from the Federal Government.

The Victorian State Government also signed over the lease for the land – valued at $2 million-plus – at a peppercorn rate per annum in 2014.

Another $1 million was loaned by the Australian Croatian Association in 2016 while a $6.5 million loan was also approved by ANZ Bank.

VCACS is still seeking help however. A PayPal facility for financial donations is currently being set up on their site.