Honour for Indigenous leader

A MEDAL of the Order of Australia has been awarded to Karen Heap for her significant services to Indigenous communities.

Ms Heap is a Yorta Yorta and Barkandji woman who has been the CEO of the Ballarat and District Aboriginal Cooperative, or BADAC, since 2004.

She has also held a range of other roles such as director of the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation and assistant manager at the Indigenous Unit for Corrections Victoria.

Ms Heap said she is grateful to receive the honour and sees herself as a community member doing her part.

“I probably don’t see myself as being a leader as such, I’m really just a person who comes in and does her job and has a passion and commitment to seeing her community thrive and help them get the services that they really do need,” she said.

Since 2004, Ms Heap has helped lead an expansion of services offed by BADAC, including the introduction of health and sporting programs.

“I think the biggest thing I’ve been able to achieve is that we have a fully functioning health clinic with several doctors, several nurses and aboriginal health professionals,” she said.

“I feel very happy and very proud that it’s working and it’s providing a fantastic service to the Aboriginal community of Ballarat and district.”

The clinic has led to an improvement in Indigenous health outcomes in the region.

“Some of the things that have changed are health status and making sure people are diagnosed early,” said Ms Heap.

BADAC has also made strides in relation to Indigenous education over the last two decades.

“I think the education system is getting a little better and we’ve been very fortunate developing kinder and long day care services,” said Ms Heap.

“We have community kinder and long day care centre in Sebastopol and Brown Hill, and we are about to start one in Ballan.’’

Ms Heap said she hopes these services can increase all children’s understanding of Indigenous culture from an early age.

“I think it’s really important to develop the cultural aspects in those early years for all children, so they have a different view of aboriginal people and understand our culture,” she said.