Sarah Brown

Alice Springs NT

Diploma in Health Science (Nursing) 1989

Grad Dip in Educational Studies (Aboriginal Education) 1993

Master of Nursing 1999

Sarah Brown, CEO of Purple House in the Northern Territory, was named one of the Financial Review Boss magazine’s 2018 True Leaders – people who are changing Australia for the better. In 2017 HESTA named Sarah Australia’s Nurse of the Year.

Here is her story:

I completed my undergraduate nursing qualification at Armidale College of Advanced Education and then did a Grad Dip in Aboriginal Education and a Masters in Nursing through UNE.

These were the days when external student were sent big books of study notes and resources to read!

This suited me fine, as I was living and working in remote communities for a lot of this time with not much access to internet.

I did also get an opportunity over the years to come back and teach at UNE, be an external marker, and an adjunct lecturer.

Both my parents and my sister studied at UNE!

I first came to the Territory in 1992 to teach health workers for Bachelor College. I was finishing off my Aboriginal Education Graduate Diploma at the time and I was keen to get some experience.

I fell in love with the place, the people, remote communities and the opportunities to grow and learn. It wasn’t long before I was a remote nurse, with a partner and three kids in tow.

For the past 17 years I have been based in Alice, helping to grow up the Purple House (an Aboriginal Community controlled health service focusing on care on country for people from really remote communities who need dialysis). We have lots of fun together, we’ve built the culture of the place up from scratch. No two days are alike and people laugh that the Purple House and I are growing old together!

I look back to my study, especially in Aboriginal education and realise how valuable it was to me in all my different roles in remote areas. It gave me an opportunity to read widely and really think deeply about ways to do a good job in a cross cultural setting.

For me, the Territory is my home. It breeds resilience and creativity and I want to be a part of that. There are challenges and dilemmas, tragedy and huge victories. It’s ruined me for anywhere else!