Australian Indigenous HealthBulletin celebrates 30 years

The 30th anniversary of the Australian Indigenous HealthBulletin was celebrated in April 2012.

HealthBulletin editorial team, left to right: Jane Burns (Deputy Editor), Professor Neil Thomson (Editor), Christine Potter (Deputy Editor)

The HealthBulletin started life in April 1982 as a hard copy publication. The anniversary provides an opportunity for Australia’s Indigenous health research community to reflect on the importance of making research and other findings easily accessible.

HealthBulletin founder, Professor Neil Thomson, has an enduring interest in translational research, reflected in his long tenure as HealthBulletin editor. ‘My initial research in 1981 as Research Fellow in Aboriginal health at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies (now the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies) confirmed the impression I’d gained while working in the Kimberley region of WA in 1978-79,’ Professor Thomson said,

‘This impression was that much relevant information failed to reach many people involved in Aboriginal health. Information was either not published or, if it was, was not readily available. In addition, published information was scattered across many journals and other sources.’

‘The Aboriginal health project information bulletin was created to enable a more appropriate dissemination of relevant information.’

With a wide range of users (policy makers, service providers, researchers, students and the general community), the HealthBulletin is still – after 30 years – making a wealth of relevant, up-to-date information freely available.

• Contact:
  • Professor Neil Thomson – HealthInfoNet Director, Ph: (08) 9370 6062, Mobile: 0417 944 819 Email: n.thomson@ecu.edu.au
• Further information:
  • View first HealthBulletin edition April 1982