Aboriginal Medical Service (Redfern) Ltd

Aboriginal Medical Service (Redfern) Ltd
Name	Aboriginal Medical Service (Redfern) Ltd
Established	1971
Founders	Mum Shirl
Type	Community-controlled health service
Location	Redfern, New South Wales, Australia
Services	Primary health care

Aboriginal Medical Service (Redfern) Ltd is a landmark Indigenous community-controlled primary health organisation founded in 1971 in Redfern, New South Wales. It emerged amid urban Aboriginal activism and civil rights movements alongside prominent figures and organisations in Australian Indigenous history. The service pioneered culturally appropriate health care models that influenced policy debates, public inquiries, and the development of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations across Australia.

History

The organisation was established in 1971 by a coalition including Charles Perkins, Mum Shirl, Gary Foley, Paul Coe and others influenced by events such as the 1967 Referendum, the Freedom Ride, and the broader Indigenous rights movement. Early supporters included activists from the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and legal advocates associated with the Aboriginal Legal Service. Initial operations were influenced by community clinics in Alice Springs and initiatives by the Australian Labor Party and the Whitlam government’s health reforms. The Redfern clinic quickly became entwined with campaigns around land rights linked to the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, the Black Power movement, and urban Aboriginal organisations like the National Black Theatre and the Black Women's Action group. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s the organisation interacted with inquiries such as the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and policy formations led by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, shaping responses to Indigenous health disparities.

Services and Programs

The service offers comprehensive primary care services including general practice, maternal and child health, sexual health, and chronic disease management for conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, aligning with protocols used in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations and Indigenous Health Worker training programs. It provides social and emotional wellbeing programs influenced by models developed in collaboration with the Australian Indigenous Doctors' Association and the Lowitja Institute. Dental services, allied health, and outreach programs operate alongside public health initiatives focused on immunisation and harm minimisation strategies linked to work with organisations like the Aboriginal Hostels Limited and the Aboriginal Legal Service. Youth engagement programs have connections to community arts initiatives pioneered by the National Black Theatre and education partnerships with institutions such as the University of Sydney, University of New South Wales, and the University of Technology Sydney.

Governance and Funding

Governance is community-controlled through a board elected by local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members, reflecting principles advocated by the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation and policy guidance from the Lowitja Institute. Funding streams have included state and federal health program grants administered through New South Wales Health, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission-era funding, and recurrent Medicare rebate structures influenced by national policy reform debates involving the Department of Health and Aged Care. The organisation has negotiated funding arrangements with entities such as the Aboriginal Hostels Limited, philanthropic bodies including the Myer Foundation, and research grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council. Tensions over funding and accountability have paralleled national discussions involving Prime Ministerial initiatives, Senate inquiries, and landmark legal cases in the High Court of Australia.

Community Impact and Advocacy

The service has been central to advocacy on Indigenous health inequities, contributing to submissions to the Australian Human Rights Commission and engagement with campaigns driven by the Referendum Council and the Uluru Statement from the Heart. It has provided training and employment pathways for Aboriginal Health Workers and clinicians, producing leaders who have worked in organisations like the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory and the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation. The clinic’s activism intersected with legal advocacy in matters addressed by the Aboriginal Legal Service and community movements such as Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy actions. Its public profile has informed media portrayals in outlets including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and policy reporting by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

Facilities and Locations

Originally based in a small shopfront in Redfern, the organisation expanded into purpose-built clinics and outreach facilities serving inner-city Sydney, partnering with housing and community services such as Aboriginal Housing Company and Aboriginal Hostels Limited. Facilities have included dental suites, maternal and child health centres, and social and emotional wellbeing spaces co-located with community centres linked to institutions like Redfern Community Centre and inner-city schools. Satellite and mobile services have extended reach to neighbouring urban suburbs and regional centres in New South Wales, often coordinating with Local Health District clinics and Aboriginal Medical Services in towns across the state.

Partnerships and Research

The service has collaborated with universities including the University of Sydney, University of New South Wales, and University of Melbourne on clinical training, workforce development, and community-based participatory research projects funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council. Partnerships with peak bodies such as the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation and the Lowitja Institute have supported epidemiological studies and evaluations influencing national frameworks. Collaborative research has addressed chronic disease, maternal health, and social determinants of health in conjunction with organisations like the Australian Indigenous Doctors' Association, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, and state health departments, contributing to policy reports and peer-reviewed literature.

Category:Aboriginal health in Australia Category:Indigenous organizations in New South Wales