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Speakers / Presenters
We are pleased to announce the first round of speakers and facilitators participating in the Aboriginal health everyone's responsibility conference May 24-25 2012 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). This page will be regularly updated.
Master of ceremonies
Jodie Sizer is from the Gunditjmara nation of the South Western districts of Victoria and will be the master of ceremonies at the conference.
Her career achievements have been recognised with a Prime Minister’s Centenary Medal, induction into the Victorian Women's Hall of Fame, and inclusion in the Australia Women’s Who’s Who publication.
Keynote speakers
Chief Executive Officer of the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) is an Aboriginal woman from Western Victoria's Gunditjmara country. She is a long-term advocate for Victorian Aboriginal people, especially women. For the past 30 years, Jill has provided leadership within the Aboriginal and broader communities in fields including Aboriginal health, culture and heritage.
Jill worked in Aboriginal heritage for 20 years and was instrumental in the development and the implementation of the current Aboriginal Cultural Heritage inspectors training program. Jill has worked for VACCHO since 1998 and has been its CEO for the last seven years. Under Jill's stewardship, VACCHO has grown in influence and recently achieved bipartisan support in Victoria for the 'statement of intent' to close the gap in Aboriginal life expectancy.
Dr Jeff McMullen AM is a respected Australian journalist, author and film-maker recognised for his roles as an ABC foreign correspondent and Four Corners and 60 Minutes reporter. Less is known publically about Jeff's campaigns throughout the world to improve the health, education and human rights of indigenous people and in particular his commitment to issues facing Australia's Aboriginal peoples.
He has chaired council meetings of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) and participated in the Prime Minister's 2020 Summit focused on closing the gap in Aboriginal life expectancy, wellbeing and health. As a keynote speaker and facilitator Jeff will highlight the conference imperative of making Aboriginal health everyone's responsibility.
Professor Ian Anderson is the Director of Murrup Barak – Melbourne Institute for Indigenous Development. He is also the Research Director for the Lowitja Institute, Australia's National Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research, incorporating the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health. Ian also chairs the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Equality Council.
Ian Anderson's background is in medicine and social sciences and he has worked in Aboriginal Health for more than 25 years as a health worker, educator, general practitioner, policy maker and academic. His family are Palawa Trowerna from the Pyemairrenner mob in Tasmania which includes Trawlwoolway and Plairmairrenner and related clans.
He will bring this breadth of experience and knowledge to his presentation regarding the health of Aboriginal people in Victoria. He will also cover the main health issues and contributing factors that impact upon the health of Aboriginal people in Victoria.
Deborah Cheetham is a Yorta Yorta woman and is Australia’s treasured Aboriginal soprano singer, having performed in theatres and concert halls around the world. Deborah is the author and composer of the internationally acclaimed play, White Baptist Abba Fan and author and composer of the opera, Pecan Summer.
Deborah will perform at the conference welcome ceremony accompanied by an Aboriginal children’s choir.
Belinda Duarte, a Wotjobaluk woman from central-western Victoria, has a vision for equality across all aspects of living for Aboriginal people. Belinda has held a range of key positions in government and community organisations and has played a lead role in progressing Aboriginal health, employment and training and discrimination in a sports setting. She has been a Director on VicHealth's Board since 2000, is chair of National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy (NASCA) and is currently the inaugural director of Korin Gamadji Institute based at Richmond Football Club in Melbourne.
Jason King is CEO of the Gippsland and East Gippsland Cooperative (GEGAC) and Chair of the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO). Jason will co-present with Jill Gallagher, CEO of VACCHO on the challenges for the Victorian Aboriginal community controlled sector in 2012. He is a proud Aboriginal man who identifies with his father's ancestry, the Gunditjmara people of Western Victoria and Ngargio people of Southern New South Wales.
Over the last 10 years Jason has worked in Aboriginal health and affairs including roles with (GEGAC), the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA), the Ramahyuck Aboriginal District Corporation and the Department of Justice, Victoria. He is passionate about strengthening all Aboriginal community controlled organisations to better serve their communities. As the current chair of (VACCHO) Jason believes he has now taken on his biggest challenge, and greatest honour.
Mick Gooda, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner is a descendent of the Gangulu people of central Queensland. With 25 years experience leading high-level service programs and organisational reform, Mick has extensive knowledge of the diversity of circumstance and cultural nuances of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples throughout Australia.
He will share with delegates his knowledge and experience in delivering strategic and sustainable results in remote, rural and urban environments.
Beth Wilson has been Victoria's Health Services Commissioner since 1997. The Health Services Commissioner receives and resolves complaints about health service providers with a view to improving the quality of health services for everybody. The Commissioner and an Aboriginal Liaison Officer help Aboriginal Victorians with any problems in accessing health services or information and any experiences of unsatisfactory care, discrimination or lack of respect and dignity. Beth is a lawyer by training and has worked mainly in administrative law with a long-standing interest in medico/legal and ethical issues.
Prior to becoming Health Services Commissioner,she was the President of the Mental Health Review Board, a Senior Legal Member of the Social Security Appeals Board and WorkCare Appeals Board and a past President of the Victorian Branch of ANZAPPL (Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology and Law). Beth advocates for work-life balance and the importance of humour, storytelling and music in providing inspiration and education in health promotion.
