Local artist's work to illustrate Aboriginal Health Plan

23 November 2007

Loraine Riley Oldham is a proud Thungutti woman who has put her brush to canvas to create a piece of artwork that will adorn the Hunter New England Aboriginal Health Plan 2007-2011.

Ms Oldham will receive her prize money at a special presentation by Hunter New England Health Acting Chief Executive Dr Nigel Lyons at Area Administration on the Rankin Park Campus on Monday 26 November at 10am.

The Hunter New England Aboriginal Health Partnership – which incorporates Hunter New England Health and the region’s Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services - held an artwork competition to find an Aboriginal artwork to grace the cover of its five-year strategic plan, which is soon to be launched.

Ms Oldham’s work Traditional Bush Tucker was selected by the judges from a range of excellent Aboriginal artworks from artists from all over the Hunter New England Health region.

“My painting represents Aboriginal health in the Hunter New England Health area,” Ms Oldham said.

“The centre of the work represents the individual and the tracks leading from the centre circle represent the rivers of the Hunter New England Health region. On each side of the centre circle are the elders meeting places in the communities, with symbols representing collamons and digging sticks, which is what Aboriginal people used to gather their bush tucker.

“The honey ants, emu and turtles are examples of some of the bush tucker Aboriginal people used to maintain a healthy diet and Aboriginal people continue to eat bush tucker the traditional way still to this day,” Ms Oldham said.

Director of Aboriginal Health Tony Martin congratulated Loraine on her artwork and thanked all of the artists who put their artistic energy into entering the competition.

“It’s fantastic to be able to include some traditional Aboriginal artwork into our Aboriginal Health Plan because it has been developed in collaboration with our Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service partners and this will help identify the plan as a community-owned document,” Mr Martin said.

The Aboriginal Health Plan is a holistic and culturally-sensitive plan that addresses key issues, such as:

• Strengthening the partnership between Hunter New England Health and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services
• Access to services
• Communication
• Data quality
• Cultural respect
• A focus on health promotion and primary health care needs of the more disadvantaged Aboriginal people living in rural and remote parts of the region.

Contact: Shannon Ramadge

Phone: 4921 4477