Aunty Joan Vickery AO
Onemda Patron

Background
Aunty Joan Vickery is a Gunditjamara Elder born in Portland in the Western district of Victoria. She has worked in Koori health for over thirty years.
Aunt was the first: Aboriginal Educator at the Northland Secondary School; Aboriginal Liaison Officer at St. Vincents Hospital Melbourne and; Aboriginal worker in the Health Services Commission (Health Complaints Department). Aunt was among the first in a course for Aboriginal welfare students at Loyola, Greensborough before it transferred to the Northern Metropolitan TAFE and worked in the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service as a Liaison Officer. She is still very active after her retirement from working at the International Diabetes Institute.

Committees
Aunt was founding member of Koorie Diabetes Services Victoria and founding member of Ngwala Willumbong Co-operative a Victorian drug and alcohol rehabilitation service. She was Ngwala’s chairperson on more than one occasion. She has also been a board member of the following organisations:

• Victorian Aboriginal Health Service
• Victorian aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation
• Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency
• Camp Jungai Corporation
• Aborigines Advancement League Inc
• Aboriginal Community Elders Services (current)
• Koorie Heritage Trust Inc (current 20 years)

Qualifications
MA Public Health 2005 Deakin University Institute of Koori Education
Cert IV Workplace Trainer and Assessor 2000 Victoria University

Publications
Vickery J, Clarke A & Adams K. 2005. Nyernila Koories Kila Degaia' Listen Up to Koories Speak about Health. Melbourne, VIC, Australia: Koorie Heritage Trust Inc.

Vickery J, Henry I & Edis K. 1997. Aboriginal Health Worker Diabetes Manual, Koorie Diabetes and International Diabetes Institute, Melbourne.