HOLISTIC - Caring for the Range

It’s not every day a community organisation reaches its 40th birthday, but this year RangeCare does exactly that, four decades of helping people across the Blackall Range stay independent, connected, and supported in the place they call home. For many locals, it’s hard to imagine the hinterland without them.

As RangeCare Marketing Officer, Rebecca Whitaker, shared: “RangeCare began back in the mid-’80s as a small, volunteer-driven idea: neighbours helping neighbours. While the organisation has grown enormously since then, that original spirit hasn’t gone anywhere. 

“Today, RangeCare offers everything from domestic assistance and personal care to nursing, respite, home maintenance, social support, and flexible in-home programs. But at its heart, it’s still about people looking out for one another.”

One of the services people talk about most is transport. On the Range, getting to appointments or even just getting out for a bit of shopping can be a real challenge. 

RangeCare’s drivers have become familiar faces on the road and sometimes the only way someone can stay active and involved. As one client said recently, “It’s not just a lift. It means I can keep living my life.”

Social connection is another big part of what RangeCare does, explained Rebecca. “Whether it’s group outings, community activities, or simply sharing a cuppa with someone who needs company, these small moments add up. 

“A volunteer told me, ‘You can see the difference it makes, people open up and they laugh again. Sometimes that’s the best part of the job’.”

Behind all of this is an organisation filled with team members and volunteers who bring genuine warmth to their work. Nurses, gardeners, support workers, drivers, each plays a role in helping locals stay safe, confident, and connected to their community.

Forty years is a long time, but RangeCare’s purpose has stayed steady: to make life a little easier, a little brighter, and a lot more connected for the people who call the hinterland home.

And if you ask around, you’ll hear the same thing again: RangeCare isn’t just a service, it’s part of the community’s heartbeat.