Poche Centre for Indigenous Health
Healthy Minds, Healthy Lives
The Poche Centre for Indigenous Health at UWA brings together the University’s expertise, programs and resources in a strong collaborative partnership focused on a central theme for Aboriginal people and communities – Healthy Minds, Healthy Lives. The Centre aims to drive a transformative intergenerational Aboriginal health research agenda, which delivers tangible, measurable health outcomes and services directly to Aboriginal people and communities.
The establishment of the Poche Centre at UWA is made possible by an extraordinarily generous gift by leading Australian health philanthropist Greg Poche AO and his wife, Kaye van Norton Poche, and the dedicated work of Mr Reg Richardson AM. UWA’s Poche Centre joins a family of Poche Centres at the University of Sydney, Flinders University (Adelaide and Alice Springs) and the University of Melbourne.
Healthy Minds, Healthy Lives has three key focus areas:
- Culture, wellbeing and mental health
- Aboriginal children’s health, disability and developmental outcomes for Aboriginal children
- Prevention and management of chronic disease for Aboriginal people.
The home of the Poche Centre – Bilya Marlee
Fully funded by UWA, Bilya Marlee is the visible embodiment of UWA’s strategic vision, celebrates Aboriginal culture and provides culturally designed facilities and spaces for Indigenous staff, students and communities. The building and landscape were designed and positioned with the guidance of Whadjuk Noongar Elder Dr Richard Walley OAM, Senior Cultural Advisor at UWA.
The design recognises the cultural significance of the site, the stories of the Whadjuk Noongar people, the local flora, fauna and relationship with the Swan River (Derbal Yerrigan). The gardens are inspired by the Noongar six seasons – Birak, Bunuru, Djeran, Makuru, Djilba and Kambarang – with trees and plants selected to ensure year-round coverage and vibrancy. The circular seating and grassed area at the front is a place to relax and gather for stories, learning and ceremony. It includes a ‘fire pit’ which is used for smoking ceremonies.
The colours of the Swan River (Derbal Yerrigan), from the bases of the colour palette and the black marlee (swan), were an important reference for the building’s internal colour scheme. This also provided a subject for Danjoo Kaartdijin (Learning Together), by Noongar artist Sharyn Egan. The building design was inspired by the swan’s nest, a place of fertility, birth, parenting and teaching that offered a safe haven until a swan was ready to go out and create their own nest.
Get in touch
The Poche Centre is co-located with the School of Indigenous Studies at Bilya Marlee on the UWA Crawley Campus.
Phone
+61 8 6488 3428
+61 8 6488 7647
Email
[email protected]
Address
Bilya Marlee (School of Indigenous Studies)
The University of Western Australia
35 Stirling Highway
Perth WA 6009