Mary Martin

Mary Martin OAM

INDUCTED 2008

Mary Martin commenced working towards her nursing qualification in 1971 at the Mater Hospital in South Brisbane and graduated in 1974. In 1976 she began working at the Aboriginal and Islander Community Health Service (AICHS) Brisbane until taking time off in 1978 to raise her children. In 1980 Mary returned to work part time at AICHS Brisbane and in 1984 was part of a small team who set up a one-day-aweek clinic at Dulwich on North Stradbroke Island.

In 1989 Mary accepted the role of Registered Nurse at the North Stradbroke Island service and was involved in securing funding for the service to become fully autonomous as the Yulu-Burri-Ba Aboriginal and Islander Corporation for Health.

Mary was the inaugural Chairperson of the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Forum (QAIHF now QAIHC) in 1993 and was involved in establishing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation for Health Education and Training (ATSICHET).

She also co-wrote the book titled ‘Binan Goonj – Bridging Cultures in Aboriginal Health’ and represented QAIHF and NACCHO on the Joint Consultative Committee for the development of a Royal Australian College of General Practitioners national Aboriginal Health Curriculum for GPs.

Mary was QAIHF’s first official employee, employed as the Workforce Recruitment and Promotion Office in 1996. From 2002 to 2007 she was also the Chairperson of the General Practice Education and Training Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Training Reference Group.

In 2011, Mary was named a Member of the Order of Australia for her service to nursing and to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Mary Martin OAM became Dr Mary Martin OAM in 2019, when she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from QUT for her decade of service to the Faculty of Health Advisory Committee. This is the university’s highest honorary award.