The pioneering quiet achiever: Baldwin Living marks 50 years

The Weekly SOURCE last Tuesday wrote a story headlined: Supersize Me: Is Australia ready for the first mega-operator in retirement living?

Today, we look at a smaller operator Baldwin Living, which is marking 50 years in the sector. What began with solicitor Tony Baldwin’s reformist vision in 1975 has evolved into eight retirement villages, with three in Sydney, two in Victoria and two in Queensland, and Baldwin Living Vaucluse Gardens in Hobart.

Baldwin Living is happy to be a quiet achiever in the sector.

“Across three generations, the organisation has deliberately resisted the drift toward corporatisation in favour of a model that prioritises quality, resident trust and long-term stewardship,” said Director Ben Baldwin.

Baldwin Living began not as a property venture, but as an answer to a question Tony Baldwin heard repeatedly in his legal practice on Sydney’s North Shore: “Where will we live when we get old?”

The lack of dignified, independent housing for older Australians led Tony to study emerging overseas models and challenge local planning barriers, laying the groundwork for Australia’s early retirement village movement. 

Era 1: 1975-1985

In 1975, Tony opened Bayview Gardens, pioneering a resident-funded, community-centred model at a time when institutional aged care dominated public policy.

Tony’s legal training and reform mindset positioned him as a credible voice in shaping this new asset class of retirement living. Throughout the early 1980s, he became active in the Council for the Aged, later Council on the Ageing (COTA), and emerging industry associations. 

Even at this early stage, Baldwin Living’s model was set: boutique scale, architectural sensitivity, autonomy for residents, and the belief that retirement living should enable lifestyles, not constrain them. 

Era 2: 1986-1996

The second decade brought both growth and industry influence. Lane Cove Gardens opened in 1986. In 1987, Capita Financial Group, the first major institutional entrant to the sector, partnered with Tony, who retained ownership of his original sites while taking a 25% stake in Capita Villages.

The partnership grows to around 30 retirement and aged care sites, signalling both the commercial viability and social value of the model. 

By the early 1990s, Tony separated from Capita and returned his focus fully to family-led ownership and regaining control of his Sydney villages.

Tony played a central role in the creation of the Retirement Village Association (RVA). As inaugural President of the NSW/ACT division, he helped unify professional operators, advocate for consumer protections and anchor the ethics and governance frameworks that still guide the sector today.

With NSW introducing the nation’s first Retirement Villages Act in 1989, and other states soon following, the era concluded with the initial development of its flagship Vaucluse Gardens in Tasmania, a blend of restored 1830s heritage and contemporary village living, completed in staged construction through the 1990s.

Era 3: 1997-2007

Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, Baldwin Living matured into a multi-village operator. It also developed several aged care facilities, reflecting a continuum-of-care model that would become mainstream years later. 

This period also marked Tony’s final chapter of hands-on leadership. Upon his passing in 2009, he is later honoured as an NSW Life Member of the Retirement Living Council. 

Era 4: 2008-2018

With Tony’s death, Baldwin Living streamlined its portfolio by divesting aged care assets, focusing on retirement living as its core competency, and undertaking capital upgrades across NSW villages.

Strategically, the group expanded eastward: Northside (QLD) joins in 2014, Sequana (QLD) in 2017, and Spring Gardens (VIC) in 2019. These acquisitions broadened its geographic footprint while preserving the boutique scale that defines its brand. 

Era 5 2019-2025

Baldwin Living’s home care division, HomeServe, is created, with more than 200 Home Care Packages in 2024, reflecting demand for ageing-in-place support. 

Ben Baldwin’s entry into the organisation during this era represented continuity. As a third-generation family director, he contributes across governance, asset management, digital transformation and ESG.

By 2024, Baldwin Living secured accreditation across all villages under ARVAS.

Ben said in PwC and the Property Council’s Retirement Living Census, Baldwin Living consistently exceeds industry benchmarks, maintaining occupancy above 95% and achieving materially faster resale turnaround times over multiple years.

For a mid-sized operator, this performance places Baldwin Living among the sector’s quiet overachievers.