Terang And Mortlake Health Service -Acknowledgement PlaquePrint Page

Terang and Mortlake Health Service (TMHS) staff unveiled new Acknowledgement of Country plaques to honour indigenous heritage during NAIDOC week.

The plaques were unveiled during a COVID safe unveiling at the Mortlake Community Health Service campus by Kirrae Whurrong community member Tanya McDonald, Moyne Shire chief executive Bill Millard and TMHS chief executive Julia Ogdin.

Ms Ogdin said the plaques, located at each TMHS campus, were a visual reminder of a commitment to reconciliation and a future of mutual respect and equality. “Terang and Mortlake Health Service stands on the lands of the Kirrae Whurrong people and we continue to respectfully acknowledge the Elders past, present and emerging from these lands,” she said. “Terang and Mortlake Health Service has in recent years been working to embed cultural awareness throughout our organisation.  We actively acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands on which our TMHS campuses are located, we have conducted a cultural audit of our organisation and our ‘welcome to country’ at our annual general meetings is regarded as a highlight by many.”

Ms Ogdin said Terang local Tanya McDonald helped to design the specific wording of the plaques and was a “special friend” of TMHS. “She is always very approachable when working on projects where we seek to be culturally sensitive in the way that we deliver our healthcare,” she said.

Ms McDonald thanked TMHS for its continued recognition of the first nations people of the land which the health services are located. “The truth telling associated with NADOC week is important for younger generations to hear and for elder generations as well,” she said. Ms McDonald said the theme of NAIDOC week this year, “Always was, always will be,” was important in recognising the indigenous community as the nation’s first people. “This storytelling and recognition help raise awareness and bridge the divide between indigenous and non-indigenous persons,” she said.

Mr Millard said the unveiling of the plaques during NAIDOC week was a “great opportunity” to recognise the strong cultural heritage within Moyne Shire and find ways to learn more about the oldest surviving culture in the world. “Acknowledgements such as these are so important, even more so this week with it being NAIDOC week,” he said. “Here in Moyne we have significant cultural landscapes and landmarks, namely Budj Bim National Park and Tower Hill. We’re continuing to work with the traditional owners to support the management of these sites, and to also encourage the community to find out more about the rich cultural history we have here in Moyne.”
Mortlake Dispatch (Vic), 19 November 2020.

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