Acknowledgement of Country

South Metropolitan Health Service acknowledges the Whadjuk and Bindjareb Noongar people as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land, sea and waters on which we live and work. We pay deep respect to their Ancestors and Elders past and present.

We extend this respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia and acknowledge their enduring connection to Country.

We recognise that Aboriginal people have cared for this land for thousands of years and sovereignty was never ceded. We pay tribute to the strength, resilience, and courage of Aboriginal people who have survived the devastation of the past, to stand strong and proud in the present.

We accept that the colonisation of what we know as Australia has come at a great cost to Aboriginal people and continues to have an impact today. We commit to dismantling systemic racism with a no tolerance approach across our services, and to providing culturally safe health services to improve the health and wellbeing of all Aboriginal people.

We pledge to work towards a better future, where we are all respected and valued, with Aboriginal people recognised as the First Australians. 

Artwork: Wetji (Emu) Dreaming by Nola Naylor.