A Legacy of Leadership and Community
Dr Naomi Mayers, affectionately known as Aunty Nay, left an indelible mark on Aboriginal healthcare across Australia. Her work transformed the way Aboriginal communities access and manage their health, creating a model of self-determination that continues to influence medical services from the Kimberley region of Western Australia to the vibrant streets of Sydney.
Born in 1941 at Erambie Mission near Cowra, NSW, Dr Mayers was a Yorta Yorta woman who became a pivotal figure in the Aboriginal rights movement of the 1960s. She was actively involved with the Aborigines Advancement League in Melbourne, where she helped advocate for equality and justice. At just 18 years old, she began her career as a nurse at the Royal Women’s Hospital and Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, laying the foundation for her future in healthcare.
In 1972, Dr Mayers became one of the founding members of what is now considered Australia’s first Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service (ACCHS) in Redfern, Sydney. She served as the first administrator of the Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS) Co-operative Limited and later as its CEO until 2017. Over more than 45 years, she dedicated herself to ensuring that Aboriginal communities had control over their own healthcare systems.
Visionary Leadership and Community Control
Current AMS Redfern CEO and Bundjalung woman LaVerne Bellear, who worked with Dr Mayers for over a decade, described her as a “visionary” who “touched many lives.” The community-controlled health model she championed allowed Aboriginal communities to take ownership of their healthcare services. Teams of doctors, Aboriginal health workers, and nurses were sent to areas in need, helping establish local AMSs in places like Broome, Cairns, Perth, and Brisbane.
Ms Bellear emphasized that once these services were established, they were handed back to the communities themselves. “Once she established the AMS or a health service in a local community, she gave back that organisation to the people,” she said. “That’s part of community control.”
Before the AMS, Ms Bellear noted, the words “Aboriginal” and “health” were rarely used together. Dr Mayers changed that by creating a system that prioritized the needs and voices of Aboriginal people.
Expanding Impact Beyond Healthcare
Dr Mayers’ contributions extended beyond healthcare. She played a key role in establishing the Aboriginal Children’s Service, Aboriginal Housing Company, and Australia’s first Aboriginal Legal Service. She held influential positions with national bodies such as the National Aboriginal and Islander Health Organisation (NACCHO), and in 1984, she received an Order of Australia Medal for her services to the community.
In 1988, she was appointed chair of the National Aboriginal Health Strategy Working Party, which led to the creation of the National Aboriginal Health Strategy policy. Three years ago, she was honored with the NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement Award for her decades of dedication.
Family and Values
Despite her busy career, Dr Mayers always placed family at the center of her life. Her daughter, Tamara Bellear-Mayers, described her as “the most kindest, generous, loyal person” who cared deeply for her children. “She would give anything to anyone that asked for it,” she said. “She helped out so many people.”
Tamara also highlighted how her mother instilled a sense of social justice in her children. “As soon as I could remember, we were at protests,” she said. “Even now, we will all go on marches, and I think it’s because that’s what Mum taught us to do.”
The Sapphires and Cultural Contributions
Dr Mayers was not only a leader in healthcare but also a passionate musician. She was one of the original members of The Sapphires, an Aboriginal all-girl group that gained popularity in the 1950s. Alongside Beverley Briggs and Laurel Robinson, the trio performed at venues, army barracks, and universities around Melbourne.
Their story inspired a stage-play and the 2012 musical comedy The Sapphires, featuring Jessica Mauboy, Deborah Mailman, and Miranda Tapsell. Dr Mayers reflected on the impact of the group, noting that many Aboriginal people were still in rural areas due to the White Australia policy at the time.
A Lasting Friendship and Legacy
Throughout her journey, Dr Mayers was supported by her close friend and relative, Ann Weldon. The Wiradjuri woman, who passed away within 24 hours of Dr Mayers at age 73, was also a trailblazer. Born in 1952 in a segregated section of Cowra Hospital, she grew up with Dr Mayers on Erambie Mission.
Ms Weldon and Dr Mayers worked together in Redfern, protesting for change and creating community organizations to support Aboriginal people. She helped develop the Aboriginal Medical Service, the Aboriginal Legal Service, and the Aboriginal Housing Company. Her daughter, City of Sydney Councillor Yvonne Weldon, described her as the first formative CEO of the NSW Aboriginal Land Rights Council.
“She went across New South Wales, spoke to elders on country, and they helped draw up the lines of regions and local land councils,” Cr Weldon said. “Right up to the day she passed, people would seek her advice, her wisdom.”
