Profiles of our 2010 Judges

Head Judge
Ken Wyatt,
Conjoint Professor

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He has a strong Noongar, Yamatji and Wongi heritage and believes that education and access to the knowledge society involves life-long learning and is the key to the change and making informed decisions of choice.

Ken recently held the position of Director Aboriginal Health New South Wales Department of Health from 2003 and has returned home after being successful in being appointed as the Director Aboriginal Health with the Western Australian Department of Health. His leadership at the national level and within New South Wales is widely acknowledged and appreciated by many.

Prior to leaving Western Australia Ken held the position of Director of the Aboriginal Education Department of Education Western Australia from 1992 until June 2002 where the focus of his work was on improving educational outcomes for Aboriginal students.

He also held the position of Pro Chancellor of Edith Cowan University Western Australia for a period from 2001-2003 when he relinquished the role to take up his appointment as Director Aboriginal Health in New South Wales.

In 1996 he was honoured to receive an Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List and in 2000 The Centenary of Federation Medal for his efforts and contribution towards improving the quality of life, firstly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and to mainstream Australia society in education and health.

Ken has been actively involved with numerous committees associated with Aboriginal Affairs, Education, Health and the Aboriginal Lands Trust at the community, State and National levels and with ATSIC as a Regional Chair.

Ken is committed to working towards achieving better outcomes and opportunities for Indigenous Australians and Australian society.

Lenore Dembski
Paperbark Woman

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Lenore Dembski, Paperbark Woman is a Kungarakan woman from Darwin and has extensive experience in the public, private and community sectors.

In the past Lenore was the Director Aboriginal Development Unit in the Northern Territory Government from 1990 until 1997, where she was involved with employment, training and economic and community development programs.

Lenore has been involved in her own small business since 1997 designing and retailing clothing and textiles, assisting with project management activities and mentoring Aboriginal people wanting to get into small business.

Some of the board positions Lenore has held include President of North Australian Legal Aid Service, Member of the Board of the NT Employment and Training Authority and member of the ATSI Arts Board of the Australia Council.

Lenore is currently employed by the Department of Education and Training in Darwin as the Manager CDEP Transition Programme.

Barb Flick, Stream Leader, Social Responsibility Stream
Cape York Partnerships

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My experience in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health spans 37 years. While I was enrolled in general nursing training in Sydney in 1971, I worked my days off at the new Aboriginal Medical Service in inner Sydney. I was the first nurse of this AMS that paved the way for Aboriginal people to set up community controlled health services around this country. I worked with Dr Fred Hollows and Mum Shirl in these early days.

I went on to work as a theatre nurse and nursed in country New South Wales. When I moved to Alice Springs in 1986 I served on the Board of the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress.

After moving to the Kimberley I worked for BRAMS as a community health worker where I was involved in delivering primary health care services in the field.

In 1992 I moved to Darwin to take on the role of CEO at the Danila Dilba health service, the biggest GP practice in Darwin. During this time I worked with Wurli Wurlinjang and Congress to establish AMSANT in order to present a cohesive voice for Aboriginal health in the Northern Territory to the Territory and federal Government.

I joined the AMA and, with other Indigenous leaders, lobbied politicians for the federal Department of Health to take on its responsibilities toward Indigenous health which saw the creation of the Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health. I travelled with the (then) Leader of the Opposition and other politicians from the Democrats and the Nationals on visits to Indigenous communities around the country.

I was invited to be the CEO of the newly established Apunipima Cape York Health Council in Cape York Peninsula, far North Queensland. I successfully negotiated a relationship with the state and federal governments to provide resources to address the way in which primary health services were delivered in Cape York Peninsula and to develop a long term strategy to work with the Royal Flying Doctors Service and specialists services provided to the people in the Cape.

In the late 90’s she moved to Sydney to take on the role of Director of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Unit in the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. While at HREOC, Barbara presented papers on the status of Indigenous Australians to International Human Rights conferences in Indonesia and China.

I was invited to move to far western NSW to develop the coordinated care trial in Wilcannia and with her team and regional organizations, successfully developed a plan to enhance and change the way services were being delivered through crisis care and emergency responses to a primary health care service that better managed maternal and antenatal care; child development and chronic disease.

When the Native Counselling Services of Alberta celebrated their 25 ^th Anniversary celebrations in Edmonton in 2000 she was invited as their keynote speaker. Following the conference she undertook a 5 week study tour of the NCSA services

When I returned to Australia I was appointed the Executive Director of Policy in the Queensland Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy. I developed the whole of government response to Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples known as Partnerships Queensland.

In her employment history Barbara has been the Chief Executive Officer of the Danila Dilba Aboriginal Medical Service, the largest General Practice in Darwin and was the founding CEO of the Apunipima Cape York Health Council in far north Queensland. She also headed the Coordinated Care Trial in Wilcannia and Broken Hill in far western New South Wales, establishing an antenatal and early childhood health program as a cornerstone in that strategic plan.

Sarah Doherty, CEO
Urapuntja Health Service