Finding your place
I’d never worked in health. I’m a policy person who spends most days thinking about digital transformation and government services. So when I arrived at Purple House through Jawun, a program connecting people from organisations like the Australian Public Service with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Turns out, Purple House welcomed me anyway.
Within days I’m making tea in the kitchen. Laughter echoes from where patient chairs line the hallway. Staff call out to each other in languages I’ve never heard before but that have deep history in this country. Someone heads out to the courtyard for a chat under the eucalypts.
It’s Purple House’s Flynn Drive unit in Mparntwe (Alice Springs). Nobody’s standing on ceremony about who does what. You muck in. Somewhere between making tea and the rhythm of conversation in Pintupi, you start to understand what healthcare looks like when it’s built by community, for community.
What I brought
My project focused on workforce planning and training pathways. Helping Purple House think through how to grow their team as they expand across remote communities. It let me meet with dedicated nurses working across remote clinics and dive into an interesting subject well outside my usual work. It mattered. It stretched me.
What I’m taking away
What I’m leaving with goes well beyond the project. I’ve learned what self-determination looks like when Aboriginal people govern their own health services. I’ve watched patients arrive with family. Heard laughter through treatment rooms. Seen culture and clinical care as one thing, not two separate boxes. This is what’s possible when communities lead.
Out in that courtyard under the eucalypts, I’ve sat with staff and patients. Listened to stories. Started to understand what matters most. I’ve met leaders like Sarah Brown, Purple House’s CEO. A Remote Area Nurse who’s spent 25 years making space for community voice while cutting through bureaucracy. She gets it done.
I’ve learned about listening. Really listening. About slowing down. Cultural obligations shape when and how things happen here. That’s not a problem to solve. It’s how good work happens. The best solutions emerge through relationship, not rushed timelines.
If you’re thinking about it
Here’s what I’d say if you’re considering volunteering with Purple House, whether through Jawun or on your own. Bring whatever skills you have. Purple House will find a way to use them. Be ready to learn more than you teach. Be open to being changed.
For organisations looking to meaningfully support reconciliation, this is one powerful way to do it. I’m leaving with greater appreciation for the strength and capability already present in Aboriginal communities, and grounded lessons in how government can best support Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations. We don’t need to bring solutions. We need to listen deeply, provide resources, and make space for communities to lead.
The dust and heart of Central Australia get into you. I’m leaving with stories. My own and those people trusted me enough to share. I’m leaving with a different understanding of what happens when healthcare is built from culture outward, not the other way around.
I’m leaving with much more than I brought. That’s the gift of this place. It’s available to anyone willing to show up, listen, and give their time generously.
Written by Tom Marwick