[POST UPDATED 17 JULY 2022]

On Tuesday 5 July 2022, we celebrated the recipients of the inaugural 2021 Purple Bush Medicine Leaves Bursaries and the launch of the inaugural Queensland based (NCWQ QMWS) Bursary sponsored by Mater.

The Australian Federation of Medical Women congratulates the recipients of the inaugural AFMW Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Purple Bush Medicine Leaves Bursaries which provide the recipients with financial support to attend events for professional development, networking, academic advancement and leadership opportunity.

We were very pleased to acknowledge the 2021 recipients, Dr Tia Gordon, a Ghungalu/Bidjara woman, Dr Kerby Siemsen, a Wiradjuri woman from Weethalle and Dr Sarah Jane Springer (NEE McEwan), a Wiradjuri woman from Mudgee.

We are very grateful to Professor Bronwyn Fredericks, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Indigenous Engagement), University of Queensland, our guest speaker for her support for this event. We also celebrated her national award NAIDOC week for Excellence in Education.

Special thanks to Ms Leann Wilson, from Regional Economic Solutions, generous sponsor and supporter, who was co-host for this event with story-telling and yarning, to describe the evolution of this Bursary Programme.

Additional thanks our other sponsors, including The Myuma Group and Ochre Health, and Mater who generously sponsored the event, held in their beautiful roof-top venue at their new headquarters in central Brisbane.

We are very grateful to the many distinguished guests who attended and supported this event, and hope it will become a template for an annual NAIDOC event in future, to be rotated nationally. Thanks also to Ms Noela O’Donnell AM who spoke on behalf of Ms Kathy Cavanagh, Bursary Program Manager of NCWQ and Dr Maria Boulton, President AMAQ who spoke on behalf of QMWS. Thank also to Associate Prof Deb Colville, who travelled from Melbourne to attend in person, having contributed so much to the Bursary Programme and this event.

We hope to make a recording of this special event available on the AFMW website in future. And we look forward to announcing the recipients of the 2022 Bursaries soon!

The Purple Bush Medicine Leaves Bursary Celebration Organising Team
A/Prof Deb Colville, Dr Kathryn Mainstone and Dr Lydia Pitcher

Ochre Health LinkedIn

We were delighted to sponsor The Australian Federation of Medical Women (AFMW)’s NAIDOC Week celebration of winners of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Purple Bush Leaves Medicine Bursaries in Brisbane last night. Nathan and Chantelle Riseley represented Ochre (top and bottom right), with the evening providing insights into the life and work of bursary winners including Adjunct Professor and proud Wiradjuri Woman, Dr Sarah JaneSpringer (bottom left).