Our vision
By 2020 the Department of Health will have had a significant and measurable impact on improving the length and quality of the lives of Aboriginal Victorians.
In recent decades Victoria’s Aboriginal communities have emerged as strong voices and vibrant advocates. But despite the efforts of the Aboriginal community controlled health sector and of a range of government and non-government organisations a significant gap in health status and life expectancy remains.
Working in partnership with Aboriginal people and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations is critical to achieving health equality.
It also requires attention to not only medical factors but also the social, emotional, and cultural well-being of the whole community.
Improving health outcomes requires action to improve the determinants of health as well as action to improve health system performance. This site details the department's activities, programs and strategies in Aboriginal health.
The collage below represents the Department of Health’s work to close the health gap on Aboriginal disadvantage. It consists of four images by Victorian Aboriginal artists. Each image contributes to the story of Aboriginal health in Victoria. To read these stories, please click on the images below.
The main banner image is the work of Vicki Couzens and was commissioned by the department. The inclusion of the remaining three images is courtesy of the artists and the Koorie Heritage Trust Collection.
Lyn Thorpe (Yorta Yorta) ‘nanyak – to dream’ © 2004
Medium: digital image, ink on textile, 287 x 153 cm
‘…to dream as a child is mesmerised by the dance, he has the vision to see. The dance has life that gives him the eyes to dream, and feel the spirits strengthen his will. They will keep him free.’ (Lyn Thorpe – Meerreeng-an, 2010)
Ceremony and ritual are integral to Aboriginal spiritual life. Dance, story, song and corroboree are ways of honouring Ancestors, Country and maintaining and sustaining both the physical and metaphysical aspects of existence to be handed onto the next generations.
Lyn’s work was chosen because it represents spirituality, youth, future, regeneration and continuity.
Adapted from a description by Vicki Couzens, 2010
Eileen Harrison (Kurnai) ‘eels’ © 2009
Medium: paint, canvas, 60 x 80 cm
Eels is an excellent example of contemporary Victorian Aboriginal artwork. Eileen Harrison uses traditional style markings in a contemporary interpretation. Eels are an important food source for many Aboriginal communities today and a staple in a traditional Aboriginal lifestyle.
In south-west Victoria, the Gunditjmara (Vicki Couzen’s people) had large gatherings to harvest the eels. The Gunditjmara gathered along extensive aquaculture systems where eels were gathered, smoked and traded.
These short-finned eels move from their ancestral waterways, lakes, rivers, creeks and dams to a central meeting point and collectively traverse the ocean to the seas around Vanauatu to spawn. The young eels, (‘glass’ eels or elvers) swim back to their parents’ ancestral waterway. In this way the eels’ journey and their return home symbolises Aboriginal people’s belonging to and returning home to their Ancestral Country.
The fundamental values of belonging, family and identity are represented in this story.
The eels also represent a healthy lifestyle of fresh foods, purpose and activity.
In a contemporary context Eileen Harrison’s work represents a healthy lifestyle – a lifestyle that includes being active (fishing, sport, exercise) and eating good foods. The eels’ journey can also represent those of the ‘stolen generation’ who are still finding their way home.
Uncle Roy Patterson (Daungurung) ‘black crow’ © 2002
Medium: charcoal, ochre, leather, 59 x 47 cm
This image was chosen to represent the themes of creation, ancestors and totems.
The crow, often known as waang or waa, is a significant creation ancestor and totem to the Daungurung and other Kulin groups.
For many groups the crow (as part of the Creation or Dreaming) signifies a deep, rich spirituality of connectedness and belonging to Country.
Totems are a fundamental part of Aboriginal social and spiritual culture. A totem is family, part of the kinship system and spirituality. They connect people to each other and Country. ‘black crow’ is representative of community, family and kinship.
Birds are also messengers. Many bring news of events that have happened a long way away or bring news of family members. In this way ‘black crow’ is also acting as the messenger bringing the message of health to communities.
Vicki Couzens (ngootyoong ngarrakeetoong) ‘Healthy communities’ © 2010
Medium: line drawing, digital enhancement (Photoshop file)
ngootyoong ngarrakeetoong is an abstract visual depiction of the principles that underpin healthy Victorian Aboriginal communities.
The work is styled in the form of a possum-skin cloak. These cloaks were worn by Aboriginal Victorians prior to colonisation and have come to symbolise Victorian Aboriginal culture.
The cloak represents Country and culture. The concept of belonging to Country is implied by the idea of being enfolded in your cloak/Country/culture.
Across the panels is a stylised river representing water: the lifeblood of the land and a fundamental part of a healthy lifestyle.
The panels reference all aspects of a healthy lifestyle and demonstrate a living and diverse culture.
The symbols depict: men and women; men and women’s business; spirituality and ceremony; healthy foods and diet; children and communities; and Ancestors.
Throughout the website, the term Aboriginal is taken to include people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent. Aboriginal is used in preference of Indigenous and Koori, although these terms are retained when they feature as part of a title of a report, program or quotation.
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