Naomi Mayers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Naomi Mayers OAM (born 1941) is a leader in Australian health. She is also known for having been lead vocalist of the music group The Sapphires, on which a popular 2012 film of the same name was based.
Mayers was born in 1941,[1] of Yorta Yorta and Wiradjuri heritage.[2]
She was one of three members of The Sapphires, along with Beverly Briggs (her sister) and Laurel Robinson, in the 1960s. She and Briggs chose not to travel with the group to Vietnam, owing to their opposition to the Vietnam War.[3]
Career in health
She became involved in the foundation of the Aboriginal Medical Service in 1971, encouraged by Fred Hollows.[3] She was officially appointed as coordinator in 1972,[4] with fellow Sapphires Robinson and Briggs joining the service later. She had had some nursing experience, and started as an administrator. Mayers helped to lead the institution over the following 40 years, with the help of people like Dulcie Flowers and "Mum Shirl" (Shirley Smith),[2] in 2012 she was CEO of the organisation.[3]
She is regarded as a leader in Aboriginal health services.[3][4][1][5]
In 1976 Mayers, Bobbi Sykes, Sue Chilly (also spelt Chilli), and Marcia Langton formed the Black Women's Action (BWA) group, which later evolved into the Roberta Sykes Foundation. BWA published a monthly community newspaper for Aboriginal people, Koori Bina (meaning "Black ears"[6]),[7] which ran until June 1979.[8]
In 1989, Mayers was the lead author of a government strategy document, "A national Aboriginal health strategy".[9]
