Bachelor of Midwifery, 2010
Health Award
Melanie is a trailblazer who is making a profound difference to the health of Indigenous mothers and babies in her region. A descendant of the Dharawal and Gumbaynggirr people, Melanie was the first endorsed Aboriginal midwife in NSW and is one of only two endorsed Aboriginal midwives in Australia.
Melanie is a senior midwife at Waminda South Coast Aboriginal Women’s Health and Welfare Corporation and heads up the Minga Gudjaga 'Mother and Baby' Maternity Service. Recognised as a model for ‘Closing the Gap’, Waminda is Aboriginal-led and community controlled, and guided by the principles of self-determination. Melanie is the lynch-pin of the maternity service, providing cultural guidance and leadership to other midwives and members of the research team.
A keystone of Waminda’s service is the innovative Birthing on Country program. Melanie has worked on the program for the last five years and was involved in its development. The ground-breaking program is designed to profoundly improve maternal, infant and child health and life outcomes. It empowers Indigenous women to have more control over the birth of their babies and will ideally be rolled out to other regions.
Melanie also spearheaded a campaign to gain visiting rights at her local hospital in order to ensure women in her care were provided with a culturally safe birthing environment. Her campaign led to a statement of commitment being signed with the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD) – possibly the only one of its kind in Australia.
I want to see Aboriginal women birthing on their homelands, claiming their sovereign birthing rights, practicing traditional lore and continuing cultural connections to country for their baby and their families. Aboriginal women and families being valued, respected and validated for their knowledge of over 60,000 years of birthing bloodlines of the oldest living civilisation on earth.
Melanie's photo is courtesy of Marley Morgan, Barefoot Photography.