But first, back to the Borough; by the 1970s Eaglehawk and Long Gully’s population was suffering the legacy of the golden days; rich for some, devastating for others. Families were feeling the generational burden of having lost many of their men to Phthisis, or the miner’s complaint, whereby dust from deep within Bendigo’s underbelly had settled in lungs and shorted lives.
Ingrained poverty and poor health ensued, coupled with grossly inadequate health care options. There were barely any GPs in the area, and no dentists. Cue the short-lived, yet legendary Whitlam Government, whose social reforms included funding for free community health centres. Its Bendigo representative, David Kennedy, went into bat for the locals.
At a special Borough of Eaglehawk council meeting in October, 1973, there was unanimous community support to secure a local centre, which resulted in $200,000 being awarded for its establishment.
Paying tribute to the past
“As we celebrate this milestone year we remember those that fought so hard 50 years ago to provide better access to care for those in the Eaglehawk area,” Melanie Eddy said
In 1975, Kangaroo Flat received its own community health centre, with the fierce support of local counsellor Elaine Knight. And by 1976, Eaglehawk had outgrown its tiny weatherboard building, to move into a purpose-built site in Seymoure Street. It was, ironically, built over the top of the capped South Virginia mine shaft.
In 1991 both centres, plus the Bendigo Regional Drug and Alcohol Service and the Playhouse Childcare Centre amalgamated to form Bendigo Community Health Services. Today, BCHS features services across medical, allied health, drug and alcohol, family services, cultural diversity, settlement services, mental health and more.
“We have now built a dedicated and committed community health service delivering over 50 programs to those most in need,” Melanie says.
“And as a board, we are looking forward with excitement at what’s to come. We have recently welcomed a new CEO in Mandy Hutchinson to lead our team of 270-plus staff, and launched our new three-year strategic plan. We believe our plan connects purpose with impact, community and culture and will position us to withstand a complex and unstable external political and funding environment.”
A 45-year career grows with the service
Paula May said despite the change of names, management and funding models over the decades, the essence of community health has remained the same.
“It’s a great platform for increasing support in the community, and looking at what the community needs,” she said. “Management has always tried to do that, and they ask the staff – what are the needs? It’s up to staff to drive that.”
Paula’s passion for her role in Family Services has run deep, since she first stepped foot into the kitchen of the Kangaroo Flat site 45 years ago.
She remembers there were 24 board members in her job interview, questioning what a married woman with three children could offer Family Support.
“I said I was born and raised in a single parent family, we had our ups and downs, and lots of issues,” Paula said.
She was asked, if she was in a house with a couple and their baby, and there was a pot of boiling oil on the stove, what would she do?
“My grandfather was in WWI and he became a major,” she said. “He was the only one to pass his exam. He was asked the question, if the enemy comes over the hill, what would you do? And he said, ‘I don’t know’.
“So that’s what I said, ‘I don’t know. I assume you will train me in what to do, but my instinct would be to grab the baby’.”
Initially Paula didn’t get the job. “I went home, and I lived and breathed it. I wanted this job,” she says, and so when she was contacted two weeks later and offered the position, it was a firm “yes”.
“There were four of us each working seven hours a week then,” she said. “Now, there’s 14 in the team, and a lot are full time.
“The population of Bendigo has increased, but so have the needs of the community and what I’ve always felt is that BCHS tries to meet those needs.
“Family Services is a great team. The skills the team has now and the challenges they support families with has increased tenfold.
“We started out working with people who needed a little bit of parenting support, now there are many other agencies that can help with that, and so we’re supporting families with a lot more complex issues. For example, COVID has really increased the anxiety of children around going to school, and so we’re helping with that.”
At 82, Paula was not only the longest-serving staff member, but the most senior. She tried to retire in 2019, but was asked to return five months later. She says it’s the team that drew her back.
“The Family Services team is like a family, and I could say that about teams right across the board – you get an insight into other teams and the coherence between staff, and we all work hard, we all have a heavy workload.
“There were tough days, especially with kids being removed from parents, but I’ve loved my time … I think I was born for this. I felt I was lucky as a child, and I wanted to give back. You get involved in this work and you meld to it. It’s part of me, and I always felt honoured to be here. I applaud community health and what they’ve done in the community, and I’m proud to have been a part of it.”
Paula is also a client. She says her GP, BCHS’-own Gary Bourke, has described her as the fittest older person on his medical list.
Paula puts that down to genetics – her dad is well at 103. She thinks it’s also due to being engaged with work, and being creative. One of Paula’s Australian landscape paintings hangs behind the reception desk at the Kangaroo Flat site.
As Paula looks forward a future spending more time with her family, which includes four children, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, BCHS too is planning ahead:
- The Family Services team is helping establish the new Loddon Children’s Health and Welling Local, in partnership with eight other services across the region.
- That 48-year-old Seymoure Street building in Eaglehawk is currently being refurbished to cater for current and future needs.
- The Sexual and Reproductive Health Hub is cementing itself as a regional leader, having just launched one of Australia’s first Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain clinics.
- The not-for-profit organization has just released its new Strategic Plan to staff, plus embarked on a recruitment campaign to fulfill a new organisational structure.
Much to celebrate 
To mark the 50th anniversary, BCHS will hold a Community Wellbeing Day in October, inviting staff, clients, and the wider community to check in with their health and spend some fun time together, via lots of free, family-friendly activities.
Staff have kickstarted 50 Days of Kindness, in turn encouraging others to make a heartfelt effort for those around them.
Plus, BCHS will be sharing a host of stories on social media in the coming months, celebrating its staff, services, clients, and a remarkable 50 years of care.
