New Shellharbour Hospital honours local Indigenous creation story

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A cultural smoking ceremony was held on the site of the new Shellharbour Hospital on Thursday 27 April to acknowledge the significant contribution local Aboriginal groups have made in the design of the new hospital.

More than 70 people gathered on the greenfield site where local Aboriginal Elders, Uncle Gerald Brown and Aunty Jodi Edwards performed a Welcome to Country and shared their experiences and stories with the group. Local Aboriginal Dance Group, the Doonooch Dance Company performed several traditional dances and even got some of the attendees to participate while Richard Campbell from Gumaraa, conducted the smoking ceremony and played the Didgeridoo.

The project team also shared the news that it is the District’s intention to seek approval to name five buildings as part of the new Shellharbour Hospital in honour of the Five Islands Aboriginal Creation Story, which is a deeply significant story for the local Aboriginal Community.

The idea to incorporate the names directly came from design jams held with local Aboriginal Groups over the past few years.

Local Aboriginal Elder, Uncle Gerald Brown said the Five Islands Creation Story is an important story to the local Aboriginal Communities.

“Incorporating the Five Islands Aboriginal Creation story will help to make the new hospital a place we feel comfortable to go to,” Uncle Gerald said.

The co-design process of the new Shellharbour Hospital with local Aboriginal groups has helped inform the design and also the models of care at the new hospital to ensure that it will be a welcoming and culturally safe place for Aboriginal people to access health care services.

The project team is so grateful for the time and wisdom these groups have shared with us and are looking forward to collaborating further as the hospital design progresses.