Margaret Broadbent

Deputy Manager, Aboriginal Health

District Services

“I’ve been working with the district for 18 years. At the moment I’ve engaged a graphic designer to work on a culturally specific Aboriginal colouring-in book to support patients through art therapy, and keep patients that are in hospital interested. All we ask is for one of the pages to be donated to the hospital to contribute to Aboriginal artwork in the wards and throughout the hospital. I enjoy the project work, and seeing ideas get off the ground to make a difference.

My team works closely with the community on a number of programs, including the ‘Clontarf Program’, an initiative designed to keep Aboriginal teens in school. Last year we performed health screens and a few boys were referred for their eyesight and hearing. Other services we provide include Health Promotion, Workforce, TAFE, Women’s Health and HARP; which offered information on careers in health, healthy eating, smoking, diabetes, chronic conditions, sexual health and women’s health. This year we included girls in the screening – it has been a success, so we’ll continue to run this annually…

I have 3 grown up children that are all married. My husband says we’re a family of all nations. My husband is English/Scottish, I‘m Aboriginal, my eldest son's partner is Maori, my daughter's partner is Vietnamese and my youngest son's partner is Italian. So were the all nations, as he calls it, and it works.”