What is your role and what does your work focus on?
Mental Health Academic – Rural and Remote Health SA – College of Medicine and Public Health
Where did you work before joining CMPH/RRH?
I have worked for Flinders College of Nursing and Health Science on a casual basis for the past 10 years. Before coming to Flinders in Renmark I worked for La Trobe University in Mildura.
Do you have a rural background?
I was born in Adelaide; however, I have worked across rural remote settings for the past 20 years.
Tell us a little about your professional journey and what brought you to this point in your career?
That is a very complex story. I started my nursing career in the late 80’s at the Sturt Campus but was told to leave the course and try something else by a senior lecturer as they didn’t think I was suited to nursing. I transferred to disabilities and didn’t return to Nursing at Flinders for another 15 years. Once I graduated, I decided to specialize in Aboriginal Mental Health only to discover I was the only graduate. A fight with aggressive cancer saw me progress into the Cancer Mental Health arena and work with over 60 communities across Australia. Over the next 10 years I have done a lot of casual teaching at Flinders (including the Riverland) before going to La Trobe Uni as the Indigenous academic advisor to the Dean. Coming back to Renmark is a bit like coming home.
What is something you love most about your work?
I work and have worked with some amazing students and colleagues during my career. It never fails to amaze me how much I am always learning from both. The lack of Indigenous health professionals has always been a concern for me, so when I get to go to an Indigenous students graduation, that is the best feeling.
If you could tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?
The school I went to didn’t allow Aboriginal students, so we hid that fact.
Not having completed year 10, I was classified as an academic failure with no prospects.
I probably need to list two things: Don’t be afraid to be Aboriginal and don’t believe the pigeonholes that society and school says you belong in.
How do you like to relax or spend your spare time?
Fishing, Markets, Road trips and meals in old country pubs.
How do you enjoy living and working in a rural area and what are the benefits and challenges?
I love rural life, although if I had my ultimate choice, it would be a coastal town as my traditional country is coastal land and beach fishing is my favourite thing.
While any move can have its challenges, I think we need to be mindful of single students or staff moving to regional or remote communities, that they don’t become isolated socially.
What are most looking forward to in 2023?
Settling into the Riverland and discovering all the amazing places.
Getting our new training packages ready to roll out in 2024 and working towards increasing our Indigenous student numbers across all our Rural Remote Campuses in SA.