"April 6th was the day when Southcare opened its doors for the first time to the people of South Perth. It was the beginning of the visible presence of caring people within the community. It was the realisation of the dreams and ideas that a great variety of people had held for almost a decade; "(Southcare 1982, The Story of a Community that Cared, by Audrey Francis).

For some time a group of concerned citizens from various local churches had been assisting residents of the HomesWest housing area in Karawara. Assistance and support was given in the form of food parcels, clothing and blankets. The group worked together to gain funding and establish community services. Thus began Southcare.

Southcare became incorporated as a community support agency on the 10th November 1982. The agency is motivated by Christian caring and modelled on Christian principles.

Volunteer services for frail aged were instigated in 1983 after a local doctor sought assistance for an elderly patient living alone on the upper floor of a block of flats. The loneliness and social isolation of many frail aged people was recognised. The idea of bringing them together as a group to share morning tea and companionship was discussed. Volunteers were trained in skills required to work with the frail aged. This was the beginning of Southcare's New Horizons Day Centre Programme.

In 1984, a grant of $5,000 was obtained from the Public Health Department to establish a Home Support Service. Volunteers had expressed their concern about the plight of elderly people living alone and finding themselves progressively incapable of coping as well as experiencing acute loneliness. At the same time they did not wish to relinquish their independence and be confined to a nursing home. Initially the services offered were gardening, transport, minor repairs and visiting.

Mankara was one of the first projects undertaken by Southcare. Food was the most requested aid and was given in the form of parcels of donated food. This had its limitations as there was no control on donated items and very little choice for recipients. Volunteers, Audrey Francis and Robert Watson felt that the development of a Food Centre with a system of food vouchers would allow the people to choose what they needed. By March 1983, a decision had been to allocate a space at the rear of the building and plans were put in place. Mankara was opened on 14th September 1983. The name came from the two suburbs most customers would come from – Manning and Karawara.

In 1984, alongside Mankara, which now made emergency relief more efficient, a financial counselling and budget advisory service was established to help families in acute debt. Run by volunteers, this programme operated one morning a week and incorporated a bill-paying service. In 1986 the Department of Community Services agreed to fund a Financial Counsellor and a more regular service was established. A team of volunteer Emergency Relief Interviewers work with the Financial Counsellor to help with budgeting, informing and supporting members of the community who present with financial problems.

The Op Shop began as a clothing store in what was then an annex of the ladies cloakroom. It was too small, too cold and too hot but volunteers managed to keep it operating. It moved to its current position and remains a good source of income for Southcare.

Historical references taken from:

Southcare 1982-1989– The story of a Community that Cared By Audrey Francis

Twenty Years of Caring and Sharing in the South Perth Community Compiled by Cecil Florey and the people of Southcare