Gapuwiyak is an alcohol-free community of approx. 1100 people. It is
almost entirely made up of remote, traditional Aborigines - belonging to
a major ethnic group known as "Yolngu". The Community is about 3 hours
by dirt road west of the Mining Town Nhulunbuy and about 10 hours by
dirt east of Katherine. Gapuwiyak was built next to a large lake in the
late 1960s by the Methodist Missions (as a sawmill).

Most residents speak the pre-European Yolngu dialect "Djambarrpuyngu". The community
has an active "Outstation Programme" where Yolngu can spend time hunting
in their traditional homelands. As well, the community has a prominent,

Numbulwar is an Eastern Arnhem Land community of approximately 800 people. The main cultural group is the Nunggubuyu people. The main relationships are to Groote Eyland and Ngukurr communities. The clinic is a DHCS clinic with 2 nurses from DHCS, a Miwatj doctor, 3 full-time Aboriginal Health Workers (employed and paid through the council), 2 full-time Aboriginal Health Worker Trainees, one driver, and one full-time office staff/receptionist. The clinic is open for patients from Monday to Friday 9-12 and 1-4, and staff are on-call at all other times for emergencies. The afternoons are reserved for programs and chronic disease reviews.

We get support from DHCS with visiting resources: dentist every month, Psych team every 1-2 months, Occupational therapist every 1-2 months, Podiatry team twice a year, Optometrist twice a year, Child Health team from Gove for Healthy Kids Screening yearly, and others. Visiting specialists: Ophthalmologist with the Optometrist, Cardiologist with Echo technician every 9 months, Paediatrician – every 9-12 months, Physician every 6-12 months. Miwatj supplies to the clinic: the resident doctor (in clinic 8 sessions per week), visiting AHW for diabetic eye screening every 6-12 months, the Broadband internet service, and hopefully soon a computer system. They also came in 2005 to do a Men’s Health Screening.

Miwatj is governed by a volunteer committee

Overview

The township of Nhulunbuy is situated on the Gove Peninsula, in the North Eastern corner of Arnhemland.

Our population is made up of approximately 4,500 European Australians and a surrounding population of about 8,000 Indigenous Australians.

Nhulunbuy was originally established as a mining town when Nabalco began operating in the early 1970’s. It is now a centre for State and Federal Governments who service the township and the East Arnhem District. Nabalco currently lease the Gove Peninsula and township area from local Aboriginal communities and play a large role in supporting the community.

Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation was established with funds from ATSIC in line with the National Aboriginal Health Strategy.

Recurrent funding and further capital was provided by ATSIC until 1996, with other project funding mainly provided by Territory Health Services.

The transfer of responsibility for Aboriginal Health from ATSIC to the Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services in 1996 resulted in the majority of Miwatj Health’s funding being provided through the Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Services (OATSIHS). This funding accounts for over two thirds of Miwatj’s current funding.

Working for Miwatj offers the opportunity to work for a community organisation that is committed to
meeting the health needs of the Yolngu people.

Miwatj Health corporation has its own Enterprise bargain agreement which offers wages and working conditions that is reflective of working in remote communities.

Some of the advantages available to Miwatj Staff are:

Accumulated Holiday Leave
Study leave
Accomodation subsidy
Salary Sacrifice

Working in remote communities in Australia also offers the oppertunity to experience some of the most beautiful landscapes in Australia.

Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation was established in 1992 to promote health and related services to the people in East Arnhemland, Northern Territory.

We are an independent, Aboriginal controlled medical service administered by a board of directors who are made up of representatives from communities in East Arnhemland and local businessmen and women.

Based in Nhulunbuy, the corporations programs are based on improving the health of Aboriginal people in East Arnhemland, whose mortality data, according to the Bureau of Statistics, have the worst outcomes of all Australians.