St John of God Subiaco Hospital celebrates NAIDOC Week

13 Nov 2020

The ceremony was held in recognition of NAIDOC Week, an important time to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

At the event, St John of God Subiaco Hospital CEO Prof Shirley Bowen spoke of shared history between the founding Sisters of St John of God and Aboriginal communities in Western Australia.

“The Sisters of St John of God have a long history of serving Aboriginal people, especially in the remote Kimberley and Goldfields regions,” she said.

“As one of the State’s leading and oldest providers of health care, we are committed to continuing this very special and important relationship.

“Celebrating NAIDOC Week is just one of the ways in which we can support our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

“Our vision is that each person who identifies as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander has equal access to employment, health care and education.

“To support this, we are privileged to receive guidance and expertise from Noongar Leader Ken Hayward who is the Co-Chair of our Reconciliation Working Committee."

This year’s NAIDOC Week theme was ‘Always was, always will be’, recognising that First Nations people have occupied and cared for this continent for more than 65,000 years.

To read more about St John of God Health Care’s Reconciliation Action Plan, please visit sjog.org.au/rap