Maria builds a future in Aboriginal mental health

Maria Stevenson was inspired by her family, including her late Nan, Kathy Bartley, an Aboriginal Health Coordinator in Bourke. Inset: Kathy Bartley. PhotoS: Murrumbidgee Local Health District/Contributed

Story: Kristin Murdock

A proud Wiradjuri woman with deep family ties to Bourke is continuing a legacy of Aboriginal leadership in health, following in the footsteps of her late grandmother, building a career in mental health nursing.

Maria Stevenson, who recently graduated from the NSW Aboriginal Nursing and Midwifery Cadetship, was inspired by her family – particularly her Nan, Kathy Bartley – to pursue a life in health care.

“My Nan was a nurse. She went on to become one of the first directors of Aboriginal Health in New South Wales for the far western NSW area,” Ms Stevenson said.

“She helped get Aboriginal medical services within that area and other Aboriginal incentives for health.”

While Ms Stevenson grew up in New Zealand, her mother is a Bourke woman, and she has always claimed Bourke as home. Her family connections to the far west run deep, with multiple relatives working across the health sector in Western NSW.

Her aunt, Pat Canty, Manager of Aboriginal Partnerships and Engagement for Western NSW Local Health District and a registered nurse herself, said Maria’s path into nursing reflects a strong family commitment to improving health outcomes for Aboriginal communities across the Far West. […]

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