Building Named In Honour Of Pioneering Indigenous Leaders

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24 March 2010

A new building that’s set to become an education and medical research hub for the Northern Territory, has been named in honour of two pioneering Indigenous leaders of the past.

The new W. and E. Rubuntja Research and Medical Education Building at Alice Springs Hospital was officially opened by the Minister for Indigenous Health, Rural and Regional Health and Regional Services Delivery, Warren Snowdon today.

Mr Snowdon congratulated Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute and Flinders University
on naming the new facility the W. and E. Rubuntja Building.

“The Rubuntja brothers were leaders in the struggle for land rights, reconciliation and the protection of sacred sites and had a leading role in the establishment of important Aboriginal organisations in Central Australia, including Tangentyere Council, the Central Land Council, Yipirinya School and the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress,” Mr Snowdon said.

“They fought especially hard for the rights of their fellow town campers and were instrumental in gaining tenure and rights for town camp residents in Alice Springs.

“The name commemorates two extraordinary men, and is a fitting recognition of their contribution to their people and to Australia as a whole.”

In total the Australian Government provided $2.4m in funds to Baker IDI and Flinders University for the facilities in Alice Springs.

The building will provide the teaching facilities and support for administration and students for Flinders University’s Northern Territory Rural Clinical School.

It has capacity for 23 staff, including medical educators, researchers and administrative staff. It will provide support for more than 100 medical students throughout the year.

It will also provide support for research and implementation of preventative health programs for Indigenous communities in Central Australia through Baker IDI. This work will focus on the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

During the opening ceremony, Mr Snowdon announced that further funding of $150,000 would be provided to Baker IDI to conduct two diabetes symposia for Alice Springs health practitioners about the prevention and management of diabetes in Aboriginal people.

The Government has also provided funding of more than $1.38 million to Flinders University to establish a dedicated centre for student support and administration of the Northern Territory Rural Clinical School (NTRCS) in Alice Springs.

The Rural Clinical Schools Program is designed to encourage medical students to take up a career in rural practice by enabling them to undertake extended clinical training placements in rural locations.

Media contact: Alice Plate 0400 045 999