Capecare - Ray Village Aged Care Services Inc

Capecare celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2011
Our founders, Jack & Maud Ray and inaugural Chairman, Monsignor Charles Cunningham would have been proud of the progress made over the past 50 years and delighted with the plans for the future.
Capecare was incorporated under the name of Villa Maria Homes (Inc) on the 18 September 1961.
The initial objective of the organisation was to manage the 20 acre site that was donated by Jack & Maud Ray to be used for charitable purposes, especially in care for the aged.
Jack and Maud Ray were married in 1925. In the 1920’s the Rays lived in Karlgarin, a town in the wheatbelt region of Western Australia, located 71km North of Lake Grace. Jack and Maud lived on a property called Welland Farm. The couple never had children.
In the 1960’s they sold their farm in Karlgarin and purchased 20 acres of beachfront land in Busselton. It was their vision to use the land for charitable purposes.
“The object is to take care of the poorer people who are unable to do anything themselves. It could grow into something quite big…. Our object is to look after the aged people but later we may find that we want to do something else for charity.” - Maud Ray
Development of the site commenced very soon after incorporation with the building of retirement units in 1962, a hostel in 1969 and the nursing home in 1980.
Maud’s brother was Monsignor Charles Cunningham. Monsignor Cunningham was appointed Vicar General and Parish Priest of the Catholic Church in Albany in 1958. Three years later he became the chairman of Villa Maria Homes.
Initially, residential flats were built on the property and in 1969 a 32 bed frail aged hostel was opened.
Over 50 years later, Capecare has grown to now include a Home Support and Care Service, Ray Village (55 independent living units and 112 residential care beds for those ranging from low to high care needs), Strelley Community Centre and the proposed Armstrong Park development in Dunsborough.
By 2015, construction of a new modern hostel wing will be completed at Ray Village, providing 54 new rooms, which will replace many of the current low care rooms and also include an improved Village Shop and other services.
Capecare is today the largest regionally based independent aged care provider in WA, employing over 200 staff and assisted by more than 100 volunteers, and remains a tribute to the vision of Jack and Maud Ray and Charles Cunningham.