Weenthunga Health Network

✨Meet Kerry Strickland ✨
A proud Wodi Wodi woman from the Yuin Nation, Kerry Strickland is a Registered Nurse dedicated to improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and children 🫶🏽

She is Manager of Aboriginal Health Community at Monash Health, leading culturally safe initiatives that support community wellbeing ✨🍃

Kerry’s leadership extends beyond her professional role. She served on the Board of Nairm Marr Djambana for seven years in roles including Treasurer, Chairperson, and Secretary, and contributes as a First Nations cultural advisor for the Women’s Spirit Project and The ALIVE Nation Centre. ✊🏽

Passionate about health justice and systemic change, Kerry is honored to join the Board of Weenthunga Health Network 💛 Her values align with the mission to promote wellbeing, healing, and equity for First Nations peoples 🫶🏽✨

✨Meet Tiana Koehrerr ✨
A proud Yorta Yorta and Wurundjeri woman, Tiana Koehrer has built her career working alongside strong community leaders across the state, deepening her connection to Country and finding her passion in advocacy and systems change 🖤💛❤️

Tiana is currently the Government and Stakeholder Relations Advisor at the Treaty Authority. She also serves as a Board Member at VALS and a member of the City of Yarra Yana Ngargna Advisory Group 🌿

Her previous roles have spanned justice, health and community leadership - from Aboriginal programs at Ravenhall Correctional Centre to the Koori Justice Unit, Treaty advancement, and VACCHO, always working toward more culturally safe outcomes for mob 💛

Tiana has also held leadership roles with Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place and the Koori Youth Council, bringing a strong commitment to governance, transparency, and community-led change ✨

Reconciliation Week is over. Now what?
 
The social posts have been shared, the events have been attended and the acknowledgements have been made.

If your organisation expects you to work safely with First Nations people - which should be the standard, not an option - it must also fund and support your participation in this learning. But let’s be honest, organisations don’t always step up; that doesn’t mean you can’t. Invest in yourself, your learning and your critical allyship practice.
 
Here is your call to action!

Join us for our Cultural Safety & Critical Consciousness (CSCC) Workshop Series this July!

🔗 Link in Bio
 
Questions? ✉️ [email protected]

Meet Lani Wilson ✨
A proud young Kombumerri woman, Lani Wilson was born and raised on Kombumerri Country (Gold Coast) 🌊☀️ She now lives and works in Naarm/Melbourne as Senior First Nations Hospital Liaison Officer and Project Lead Officer at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and casually at the University of Melbourne in Audiology supporting the rural Indigenous student pathway program🖤💛❤️

Lani supports and advocates for First Nations patients, helping them feel culturally understood, respected, and safe. She provides advocacy, education, and cultural awareness training while responding to the expressed needs of patients 💛

As Project Lead, Lani has created initiatives including the Victorian first Mob Meal Plan, First Nations Graduate Nurse support program, RMH smoking ceremony procedure, essential Dignity Bags, and NAIDOC programs, making a real impact within RMH and across so-called Victoria 🌾

Outside work, Lani is a passionate weaver, inspired by saltwater and sunrises on Kombumerri Country, weaving helps her unwind and stay connected. She is also completing her studies as an Aboriginal Health Practitioner to further care for First Nations communities ✨

✨ Meet Emma Thurling ✨

A proud Palawa woman living on Wadawurrung Country, Emma is the Director of First Nations Health a role grounded in compassion, advocacy, cultural safety and meaningful systems change 🌿🖤💛❤️

Emma graduated with a Bachelor of Nursing from UniSA and holds further qualifications in leadership, postgraduate nursing, and diabetes education. With a deep commitment to community care and equity, she brings extensive experience across the health sector, guided by integrity, cultural strength, and relational practice 👩🏽‍⚕️✨

Following in the footsteps of her mum, also a nurse, Emma’s ‘why’ is deeply rooted in caring for Mob, leading with purpose as a First Nations woman, and creating safer, more responsive healthcare systems for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. She is passionate about strengthening cultural safety, elevating community voice, and driving meaningful change through leadership, partnership and advocacy.

Emma believes healthcare leaders and nurses play a powerful role in influencing policy, improving outcomes, and creating environments where communities feel seen, heard and culturally safe. While the work can be complex, it is also deeply meaningful and rewarding 🫶🏽

Emma is a proud granddaughter, daughter, sister, aunty and mum, and cherishes time spent with family. She finds joy in reading, practicing yoga, crafts and connecting with nature - especially in the mountains and by the sea 🌊⛰️💛

✨Meet the Weenthunga Committee of Management✨
 
Our Committee is made up of incredible First Nations health professionals who generously share their wisdom, leadership and care to guide Weenthunga’s journey. 🔥
 
Together, they bring diverse experiences, deep cultural knowledge and strong connections across health, wellbeing and healing spaces, ensuring our work remains grounded in Community, accountability and self-determination and strengthening the future of our health workforce. ✨🫶🏽
 
We feel honoured to share in the journey of leadership with this strong and passionate Committee. Always led by Community. Always determined by Community. 🖤❤️💛

This is health sovereignty in action. ✊🏽

Throwback to March, when 17 First Nations women and gender diverse mob gathered on beautiful Dja Dja Wurrung Country for our Big Sis Retreat 🫶🏽 A weekend grounded in sisterhood, rest and Blak joy 🖤

Big Sissies travelled from across so-called Victoria, representing 13 mob and clan groups and a range of study and career pathways including Psychology, Nursing, Midwifery, Dentistry and more. We were also so lucky to have 3 precious bubbas join alongside their Mumma’s 💛

Over the weekend we shared in weaving and smudge stick workshops, time to rest and restore at the Mineral Spas, fireside yarns, late night cuppas, laughter, connection and intentional rest ✨

Our deepest gratitude to our incredible Big Sissies and their bubbas 🖤❤️💛

What a powerful reminder of what happens when mob come together to rest nourish the future. Here’s to the next generation stepping into care for Community ✨

Calling First Nations women, sistergirls and gender diverse mob in health, wellbeing and healing roles across so-called Victoria.

🍃 Weenthunga’s djilba biik Retreat could be a space for you!

Building on the success of our Retreats in 2022 and 2025, we’re excited to share that we’ll be bringing together a new collective of 50 First Nations people in health in 2026!

🗓️ Friday 29th to Sunday 31st May 2026
📍 Wurundjeri Country - Kalorama

This space is created in recognition and gratitude for the contribution First Nations mob in health make. If you can attend, we hope you’ll find the experience to be one of nourishment, connection and joy.

We know care responsibilities can shape what’s possible, so children are welcome! Please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate children so this space can be accessible to you.

Is this you, or someone you know?
If so, we’d love to welcome you.
📣 Expressions of interest are now open
🔗 Register via the link in bio or scan the QR code featured

We extend our heartfelt thanks to VACCHO for their financial backing of this Retreat through the Culture + Kinship grants 🖤💛❤️

✨ Meet our member Lewis Brown ✨
A proud Yorta Yorta, Dja Dja Wurrung, Gunditjmara and Kirrae Whurrong man raised on Wurundjeri Country, Lewis carries strong connections to culture, community and Country 🖤💛❤️

Lewis is the Manager of First Peoples Tourism at Visit Victoria, and also works as a tour guide, consultant, cultural awareness trainer and advisor to the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council. Through his work, he brings First Peoples stories, knowledge and perspectives into spaces where they’ve often been overlooked 🌿

For Lewis, tourism isn’t about selling culture, it’s about storytelling as education. Through experiences on Country, he shares the truth of our histories in ways that build understanding while ensuring culture is respected and protected ✊🏽

Outside of work, Lewis fills his cup by spending time with family, passing cultural knowledge to his children, walking on Country, connecting with the ocean and spending time with Mob 🌊

Whether he’s guiding visitors on Country, shaping policy, training organisations, or yarning with community, his work is guided by care for culture, for people, and for the next generations. 🤎

🔗 Link in bio to read more about Lewis in our eNews

At Weenthunga, we know language is more than words - it’s power. That’s why we are intentional about the language we use. We choose words that resist colonial narratives, honour truths, and backs First Nations sovereignty.
 
Ironically, using language like ‘terrorism’ and ‘genocide’ here for truth-telling could be enough to get this post flagged or removed.
 
At Weenthunga, we stand in solidarity with the mob in Boorloo. ✊🏽
At Weenthunga, we stand in solidarity with Palestine. ✊🏽
 
Pay attention to what is said.
And to what is withheld.
Speak boldly. Act intentionally. Use language to resist.