On 13 February 2026, Polish Community Care Services PolCare proudly celebrated its 10th anniversary at its office headquarters, marking asignificant milestone in supporting the Polish community in Victoria.
The event brought together distinguished guests, including representatives of state and local government, diplomatic officials, andmembers of the Polish community. The Victorian Government was represented by Hon. Steve Dimopoulos MP, Minister for Environment, Sport, Tourism and Major Events, and Outdoor Recreation, as well as the local Member of the Victorian Parliament.
Also in attendance were Piotr Rakowski, Consul General ofthe Republic of Poland in Sydney, and Andrzej Soszyński, Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Melbourne.
Among the honoured guests were Tonina Gucciardo-Masci,Community Engagement Manager (Palliative Care); Cr Elisha Lee, Deputy Mayor of Monash Council; Farah Farouque, Chief Executive Officer of the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria; Eva Hussain, Honorary Consul-General of Austria; as well as representatives from the City of Kingston and other partner organisations working closely with PolCare.
PolCare traces its origins to the Polish Community Councilin Victoria (PCCV), established in 1962 to support Polish migrants who arrivedin Australia – particularly Victoria – as displaced persons following World WarII.
In the 1980s, the PCCV’s Care Office began delivering social services to approximately 1,000 members of the Polish community with government support. During the 1990s, PCCV expanded its services to include a Friendly Visiting Program, Planned Activity Groups (PAG), and Community Aged CarePackages (CAPS).
In response to evolving government reforms in home care services, changes in funding and service delivery, and growing administrative demands – alongside the increasing needs of Melbourne’s ageing Polish community – the PCCV made the strategic decision to separate its social services from other activities. As a result, on 16 December 2015, PolCare was established as an independent organisation by Bożena Iwanowska, SylwiaGreda-Bogusz, Marian Pawlik, and Marzena Wroniszewska.
Since its inception, PolCare has worked in close collaboration with PCCV, with a shared commitment to supporting the wellbeing of the Polish community in Victoria and delivering a broad and responsive range of programs and services.
