fbpx 25 years strong | Danila Dilba
01 November 2016

25 years strong

The 8th of November, 1991 was a day of great pride for Darwin’s Aboriginal community with the official opening of Danila Dilba Health Service.

Its beginnings as an Aboriginal community controlled health organisation go back to the 1970s — a time of great activism for Indigenous people across Australia. After Cyclone Tracy hit in 1974, Darwin people were evacuated to southern cities where local Aboriginal medical services had started.

People from the local Aboriginal community were impressed with the services and wanted their own one. Danila Dilba grew out of the community, with people holding meetings, lobbying government, lodging petitions and even holding a ‘sit-in’ at government offices for a culturally appropriate primary health service for Indigenous people.

The name Danila Dilba Biluru Butji Binnilutlum was given to the service by the local Larrakia traditional custodians. In the Larrakia language Danila Dilba means ‘dilly bag used to collect bush medicines’ and Biluru Butji Binnilutlum means ‘Aboriginal people getting better from sickness’. Our logo reflects this meaning and was designed by Larrakia elder, the Reverend Wally Fejo. The service was friendly, comfortable and provided holistic care. Danila Dilba was a safe place for Indigenous people to raise their concerns and find solutions to their health concerns.

Danila Dilba has grown significantly in size and capacity, from eight staff and one building in 1991 to five clinics, including separate men’s and women’s clinics, mobile and dental clinics, community programs and a staff of over 130 serving almost 12,000 clients in 2016. Our Aboriginal Health Practitioner First policy, where new clients see an AHP before a GP, and our large Indigenous staff are the core of our culturally appropriate care.