News
New name, more services for Balranald Aboriginal Health Centre
Mon, 17 Dec 2012 09:32:40
Balranald’s Aboriginal health service has been renamed in honour of one of the district’s most respected Elders.
The bright new centre was officially opened in August last year, but a ceremony on Monday December 17 renamed it the “Bes Murray Community Centre”.
The acting co-ordinator Ada Peterson said naming the building in honour of the 84-year-old was to acknowledge his role as a leader and mentor in the Balranald community.
Besley Murray was the overseer of Yanga Station, the largest freehold property in the Southern Hemisphere, from the age of 24, until his retirement at age 70. He continued to serve his community by sitting as an Elder on the Koori Court and as an Australia Day ambassador for 12 years.
“Uncle Bes is universally respected in Balranald as someone who has been a great role-model and mentor for such a long time,” Ms Peterson said.
“He genuinely loves his community and his people, and he’s inspired his own family and generations of Balranald people to make the most of their opportunities in life.
“Even now in his 80s as he recovers from bypass surgery, Uncle Bes is a role model in his recovery with his positive attitude and staying active and involved.
“The health centre is now doing some terrific work in improving health outcomes for Aboriginal clients and their families, so the naming of the clinic is a great chance to pay respect to the positive influence Uncle Bes is for our the whole community.”
Mr Murray said he was proud to have the centre named after him.
“It’s a real honour – this centre is a great thing, not only for indigenous people, but for the whole community,” he said.
“When I grew up a lot of Aboriginal kids weren’t even allowed to go to school – I was one of the lucky ones when my parents got me into Lake Boga.
“So to me, it’s wonderful to see quite a few of our young Aboriginal people in good jobs at the centre and going on to do something meaningful.
“But the best of it is that I love to see indigenous and non-indigenous people working together as a team, and it wasn’t always that way.”
Ms Peterson said advertising was underway for a new co-ordinator for the centre after the retirement of the former CEO Daniel Kelly, but in the meantime, the range of services was continuing to expand.
“We have one male and one female doctor consulting from the clinic on a weekly basis, as well as a registered nurse and a midwife,” Ms Peterson said.
“We are also intentionally taking a strong focus on preventative care, with monthly or fortnightly visits from a diabetes educator, a psychologist, a podiatrist, nutritionist and speech therapist.
“There is a quit smoking program, and the drug and alcohol program is now full time, giving clients much better support in managing their problems.
“We also run regular podiatry, nutrition and speech therapy programs.”
The health centre’s Little Bunyips Supported Playgroup provides education and skill-building sessions for parents in the fields of health and nutrition.
“Recruiting health care professionals is always difficult in regional and remote areas, so we have been working hard on developing partnerships with other health organisations in Mildura and Swan Hill,” Ms Peterson said.
“That has allowed us to access a really great range of health care professionals and to provide services right here in the Balranald community.”
The naming ceremony began three days of activities to increase awareness of the Bes Murray Community Centre’s services.
“We hope people will take the chance to come and look around and meet some of the health care professionals we have here.
“We’re hoping they’ll then be more aware of the services we offer and the support and advice that’s available here locally,” Ms Peterson said.
Officials from the Mildura Aboriginal Corporation, including the Chief Executive Officer Rudolph Kirby, will attend the renaming ceremony. The centre is run under a Memorandum of Understanding under the auspices of MAC.