Last Friday Senator Malarndirri McCarthy made a not well publicised visit to Wilcannia. Word soon went round town and a number of locals were able to tell her of their health and other concerns.

The Senator toured the hospital where she met some staff, the new Maari Ma health building, and met with representatives of the Wilcannia Local Aboriginal Land Council. She found time for some more private consultations with residents. Senator McCarthy noted the main issues raised by residents as long term employment, housing and healthcare. Families also raised the cost of living pressures and the lack of holistic drug and alcohol rehabilitation support along with emotional and well being support and the matter of renal dialysis in Wilcannia.

Speaking after a long day Senator McCarthy thanked all those in Wilcannia who came out and had a chat in the park, shops and the local golf club.

Malarndirri attended St Scholastica’s boarding school in Glebe, and was astonished to walk into the Wilcannia Golf Club on Friday night to be met by a former St. Schols student (photo below). The Golf Club manager Myra Sullivan attended St. Schols with Malarndirri and first met her during a school tour which introduced intending pupils with some already at the school, to make the transition to boarding school less stressful. Malarndirri was impressed with the number, and professionalism, of the locals who work at the club. Malarndirri also recalled her school holiday on a local property “Yelta”, coming there with another school mate, Jennifer Elliott, when getting home to the Territory proved out of the question.

The Minister, who was born in Katherine, NT, has been Federal Senator since 2016, after a previous stint in the NT government and as an ABC TV presenter, was in Wilcannia as part of a tour that included Broken Hill and Menindee. 

This article appeared in the Wilcannia News, August 2023.