Aboriginal Health

Aboriginal Cultural Identity Artwork

Creating meaningful gains in Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing is a strategic priority in the Women's and Children's Health Network Strategy 2026: Realising Potential, Creating Together. We acknowledge that an increased recognition and respect of Aboriginal cultures will contribute to improving Aboriginal health outcomes. The creation of a WCHN Aboriginal cultural identity within our corporate identity is also a Focus Area for Action in the WCHN Aboriginal Health Plan 2018-2022.

To support this commitment, we undertook a rigorous selection process where renowned Aboriginal Artist Karen Briggs of KB Design was selected as the preferred Artist. The new artwork represents our Network as a caring and nurturing service for Aboriginal babies, children, young people, women and their families.

This is not just a beautiful piece of art, but a representation of our commitment to creating meaningful gains in Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing.

We are proud of this commitment and are excited to showcase it through our new Aboriginal Cultural Identity Artwork. The branding promotes Aboriginal services, programs, and workforce and health messages; and to develop promotional resources and materials specific for Aboriginal consumers accessing specific services.

About the artwork

The WCHN Aboriginal Cultural Identity artwork represents a caring and nurturing service for Aboriginal babies, children, young people, women and their families, through a visual representation of services, programs, initiatives and workforce.

This demonstrates WCHN's commitment to providing services that are culturally safe, accessible, welcoming and engaging for Aboriginal families in South Australia.

Overall the artwork is encompassed in a seed pod (outer shape blue top and bottom) representing a shield for protecting across WCHN.

The wave of dots moving through the artwork connect all services through networking and partnership across the organisation.

Located along the top of the waves are symbols representing the community that WCHN connects with, the smaller symbols represent babies, young people and children while the larger ones represent mother fathers and elders.

The different colours of these symbols depict diversity within and amongst the communities.

The larger circle located at the centre of the artwork represents the Aboriginal Health Division working across the whole WCHN through giving a strong voice to improving Aboriginal health outcomes for communities.

An identity for each service

1. Aboriginal Health Division is located at the centre of the artwork to show its out to provide leadership and a strong voice coming together in one force to improving Aboriginal health outcomes for communities.
2. Youth and Women’s Safety and Wellbeing Division is represented by the people they support with the two waves of young people and women coming in and out of this Division while the branches show growth of health and wellbeing.
3. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service is represented by a wave of clients coming into the circle to use this service, the branches coming out of the circle show networking and links to other areas and teams across SA.
4. Child and Family Health Service – the two waves coming into the circle represent the community connection to the metropolitan centre while the three branches show the regional connections to services in the network.
5. Aboriginal Liaison Unit is represented at the centre of the artwork showing easy access across the network while acting as a cultural broker to WCH staff and community through the waves of dots going out of the circle.
6. Aboriginal Family Birthing Program – the waves of clients going into the circle represent pregnant women and families connection with the program while the other wave going out with smaller symbols of people represent the journey of birthing babies.

Each Division will use the sub-branding to promote their Aboriginal services, programs, and workforce and health messages; and to develop promotional resources and materials specific for their Aboriginal consumers accessing their services.

About the Artist

Karen Briggs is a Yorta Yorta woman whose ancestral home land radiates from the junction of the Gouldburn and Murray Rivers in North East Victoria.

Karen has a Bachelor of Design from the University of South Australia and a Diploma in Applied Design (Multimedia).

As a graphic designer, Karen comes with well-established solid working relationships with Aboriginal Elders; Aboriginal Community and other Aboriginal workers across Government.

These working relationships strengthen, support and assist the creative work that she provides to Aboriginal people and their communities.

Karen now lives in the Adelaide hills which inspire her in drawing themes from nature which takes her back to a time when she was young with her grandmother on the Cummeragunja Mission along the Murray River of the Barmah State forest.

She is passionate about working to improve the well-being of Aboriginal people and is also the artist responsible for WCHN's CREATE Together graphic device.

last modified: 09 Sep 2020

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