The road we've travelled
One road, nearly fifty years long. It starts with a visiting service in the 1970s, turns when our community takes control in 1979, and keeps going through the wins we're adding today.
- 1970s
Health
Before Urapuntja, a visiting service
The first regular Western medical service here is Health Department Sisters visiting every three weeks. One doctor covers the country from Docker River to Lake Nash, and access for Aboriginal people is limited.
- 1974
Governance
The survey that started it all
The Commonwealth grants Congress $18,000 to survey central Australia. Dr Cutter surveys the region north-east of Alice Springs, focused on Utopia, and the survey recognises how important Ngangkeris are to health care here.
- 1977
Governance
The Angarrpa Health Program begins
Outreach health care starts from Ankerrapw (Utopia Homestead), after community pressure sees medical records handed back to the region. This is the program that would become Urapuntja.
- 1979
Governance
The community takes control
The program incorporates as the Urapuntja Health Service, named for the Sandover River and independent of Congress. The local people had taken control, and the service has been autonomous ever since.
- 1980
Culture
Two ways of healing on the payroll
The first full team is one medical officer, two nursing sisters, seven Aboriginal Health Workers and a Ngangkere, serving around 600 people across seven outstations. Traditional healing on the payroll, decades ahead of policy.
- 1998
Infrastructure
A purpose-built clinic at Amengernterneah
The health service moves into a purpose-built clinic on Country, the base it still works from today, serving all sixteen homelands.
- 2022
Youth & Justice
Keeping young people on Country, out of the justice system
Youth diversion work with families, Elders and agencies gives young people alternatives on Country. Bush trips, sport and mentoring instead of detention hundreds of kilometres away.
- 2024
Infrastructure
New staff housing on the homelands
New housing at Amengernterneah lets clinical staff live and stay on Country. Nothing does more for a stable remote workforce.
- 2025
Health
Funding secured for a purpose-built mobile clinic
A custom-built mobile clinic is coming to the homelands. Clinical care on wheels, taking the service to every community rather than asking the community to come to it.
- 2025
Enterprise & Employment
First harvest from the community farm
The farming program delivers its first produce to homeland families. Fresh food grown on Country, by community, for community.
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The road ahead
Community enterprises, community future
The next wins are economic: enterprises owned by the community, funding what the community decides matters.
Traditional healing, from the start
From its earliest days the service has recognised two systems of healing. The 1974 survey named Ngangkeris, traditional healers, as central to health care here, and when the service hired its first staff a Ngangkere was among them. That commitment continues today through our Bush Medicine program.
Reserved for imagery from the service's early years, to be supplied from community and archive collections with permission.
Historical facts from "Revitalising Health For All", Teasdale-Corti Comprehensive Primary Health Care Project report, 2011.