The Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association: A Journey through the First 25 Years

Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association

Who funded the project

 

In 2022, the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association celebrates its 25th anniversary. To mark this occasion, AIDA commissioned Karabena Publishing to develop a publication of its 25-year history to be launched at its conference in October 2022, and a short film to be shown at its Gala Dinner in June 2022.

The project reflects the positive outcomes of AIDA’s history, the contribution it has made to the changing landscape of Indigenous health in Australia, and the positive impacts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors in the Australian health system.

Summary

 

To produce a written history and a short film showcasing the achievements of the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association since its inception in 1997.

Project Aims

 
  • In consultation with AIDA Project Manager Mary Guthrie, and AIDA History Advisory Committee, we identified approx. 20 people to be interviewed for the history.

  • In total we audio interviewed 17 past and current AIDA members, students, staff and associates. We then filmed 11 (9 already audio interviewed and 2 others).

  • We worked with AIDA staff at its Canberra offices to ensure that we captured all available historical material available for the history, e.g. photographs, films, reports, policy documents, media releases, data, memorabilia from conferences, workshops, etc.

 

Methodologies

 
  •  By interviewing past and current AIDA members, students, staff and associates, AIDA now has a valuable and unique resource that it can make available to all those interested in the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health in Australia. 

Methodological outcomes

 

Outputs

 

The 25-year history of AIDA is:

  • a good news story that may well inspire more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to consider medicine as a career

  • a great resource – film, book and oral history interviews – for all those interested in the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health

Project Outcomes

 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health; medical workforce; Indigenous peoples’ health; social and emotional wellbeing; oral history

Key Words

 
Peter Imboy