Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service history

Since late 2022, Coast has worked with the Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service (WAMS) to document its history in preparation for their 40th anniversary celebrations in 2026. We have recorded oral histories with key board and staff members, both past and present, and examined WAMS archives to explore themes relating to the growth of WAMS and more generally, the role of community controlled Aboriginal health organisations in rural and remote Australia. A key partner in the project has been the Dharriwaa Elders Group (DEG), which grew out of WAMS to become an important advocate for issues impacting on the Walgett Aboriginal community such as water security and the protection of cultural heritage. We have also interviewed numerous Elders to capture the development of DEG and examined their archives to identify significant events and projects.  More recently, we have assisted WAMS with putting together historical material for the 60th anniversary of the Freedom Rides taking place in 2025.  A WAMS project saw the unveiling in 2023 of a memorial garden to the Freedom Riders on the main street of Walgett.  The work that Coast is undertaking will allow the story of the Freedom Rides at Walgett to be told in greater detail with an emphasis on the important role played by local Aboriginal men and women in overcoming discrimination.