Pioneering Aboriginal healthcare worker Auntie Helen Morgan will be honoured with a Bairnsdale Regional Health Service Life Governorship at its NAIDOC Week community celebration next week.
The award-winning work of the BRHS Aboriginal Health Unit can be traced back to Auntie Helen. Previously a cleaner at the hospital, the proud Bidwell woman became then-Bairnsdale Hospital’s first Aboriginal Liaison Officer in 1982.
Speaking on the 40th anniversary of her appointment in 2022, Auntie Helen said management at the then-Bairnsdale Hospital recognised the need for specialist care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
“I think Aboriginal people felt uncomfortable going to hospital and sometimes they wouldn’t go at all. I put it down to staff at the hospital not understanding the Aboriginal way of life and Aboriginal people feeling uncomfortable,” she said.
The Morgan family remains connected to this vital work through Helen’s son Adrian – known as “Ringo” to many – who is a Koori Health Liaison Officer with the Aboriginal Health Unit.
Aboriginal Health Unit Team Leader Narelle Bragg said making Auntie Helen a Life Governor at the hospital, a rare honour, makes an important statement for NAIDOC Week (July 6 to 13) and its theme for 2025, ‘The Next Generation: Strength, Vision, Legacy’.
“We are recognising Auntie Helen to celebrate the work she has done at BRHS and the legacy she has left behind. She was our first Aboriginal Liaison Officer in 1982 and was here for 20 years in that role. A lot of her work is being seen today through the hard work she has done,” she said.
Auntie Helen’s Life Governorship will be awarded at the BRHS NAIDOC Week community event at BRHS on Tuesday, July 8, from 12pm to 2pm, to be held on the grassy area at the corner of Victoria and McKean streets. It’s a chance for the community, especially those with Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, to meet the Aboriginal Health Unit team and Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Organisations.
There will be a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony, a barbecue and other foods, cultural activities and gift bags for all children present.
“NAIDOC Week highlights and celebrates the work of our local Aboriginal community within the hospital and in the community,” Narelle said.
“It brings people and community together for education about Aboriginal culture and connection to land and community. It also ensures that Aboriginal people know that this is a culturally safe space.”
Newly-arrived BRHS chief executive officer Peter Abraham said he is looking forward to the event.
“I’ve been impressed by the Aboriginal Health Unit’s dedication to improving health outcomes for indigenous people in our area,” he said.
“We welcome everyone in the East Gippsland community to join us and help us to show our appreciation for Auntie Helen’s ground-breaking legacy.”
