Aboriginal Community Services

03/06/2026

June 3 commemorates the life of Eddie Koiki Mabo and marks the anniversary of the historic 1992 Mabo decision. The High Court’s decision overturned the claim that Eddie Mabo’s familiy’s traditional land was owned by the Crown. The decision set a precedent in Australian law for the recognition of Indigenous custodianship over their traditional land. 🌅🖤

01/06/2026

Rainbow mob - it's your month! Pride month is celebrated globally every June and centres q***r culture. It commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York, and encourages people to continue advocating for equal rights. Celebrations include parades and festivals in many cities. Below are words of encouragement from First Nations people who identify as LGBTQIA+, put together by BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation for their ‘Still Here Still Queer’ campaign last year.

31/05/2026

Throwback to these unforgettable shepherd's pies! We love cooking with our community and hearing all of your tips and tricks. 💛

29/05/2026

Can you believe our Marra Elders Playgroup turned 1 today? 🎉🎈 We held a very special playgroup celebration with painting, games, sing-alongs, and an original story written by Sophie featuring characters from our community! It was such a beautiful gathering and we are so grateful to all who have helped our playgroup thrive. More pictures and videos to come... Marra Dreaming

29/05/2026

The Aboriginal Elders Village opened in 1995 and since then it has been home to many wonderful residents, seen our team change and grow, and provided continuously improving, and culturally appropriate care. The building, which used to be a British Workers Club, was due for some updates. We are pleased to share that our renovations are coming along. Its not only the walls and living spaces that have had a makeover, but important electrical and structural updates have been made to ensure the building is suitable and safe to be a home to Elders. Stay tuned for more photos of our improved Elders Village! 💛🏠

28/05/2026

Good news for members of our community who require personal care! The government has responded to advocacy from Elders and providers, and announced that from 1 October 2026, personal care will move from the ‘independence’ category to the ‘clinical supports’ category under Support at home. This means anyone who has the personal care service type approved and has available Support at Home funding can receive personal care services at no out-of-pocket cost. Personal care services can include showering, dressing, and non-clinical continence management. This is an important reform to the concerning Aged Care legislation that have left many of our Elders at a financial disadvantage.

27/05/2026

We've put together some ideas on how everyone can be 'all in' for reconciliation. Comment more ideas below or your advice to the wider community who wants to get involved. Reconciliation Australia 💛

27/05/2026

On behalf of the Board of Management, we are pleased to announce the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on 19 November 2025 was a great success with a strong member engagement for effective governance and community strength to conduct official business and contribute to a successful board election.

The challenges highlighted at the AGM were attributed to;
• workforce: attracting and retaining qualified staff;
• financial sustainability: rising operational costs and limited funding
• regulatory compliance: navigating the new standards, training and reporting requirements.

I would like to thank all our members who attended the meeting and everyone involved in a smooth and successful process – a well-run AGM which builds trust and strengthens the relationship between the board and the members.

With a team of dedicated passionate leaders guiding the way, we look forward to a successful year for 2026.

The 2025-2026 Aboriginal Community Services Board
We are proud to announce the Board for 2025-2026 comprised of committed leaders with a diverse range of expertise in clinical care, finance, risk management, governance, and cultural needs of its Elders.

Click here to see our Board Member biographies:

ACS is governed by a dedicated Board of representatives respected for their work across community, aged care, health and human services.

26/05/2026

Sorry Day acknowledges the mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed from their families and communities. The day commemorates the release of the Bringing Them Home Report, which inquired into the past policies that caused the stolen generation. Unfortunatley, today, First Nations children are still 10.6 times more likely than non-Indigenous children to be removed from their families. Our hearts are with the members of our community who were a part of the stolen generation. You inspire us everyday to persevere through hardship and stand strong in our culture that powers have attempted to erase. We are privileged to be part of your lives as you age and always aim to provide services that are trauma-informed, and culturally safe.

If you are struggling today here are some helpful recourses:
📳13YARN 13 92 76
📳FIRST NATIONS SUPPORT LINE 1800 959 500
📳BEYOND BLUE 1300 22 4636

25/05/2026

We are beyond relieved that on the 29th of April 2026 the World Health Organisation announced that Trachoma has been eliminated as a public health problem in Australia. We are the 30th country globally to have eliminated Trachoma, thanks to the communities and organisations who made a long-term commitment to eye health around Australia. ACS is proud to have played a role in Trachoma elimination with Trevor Buzzacott, a Trachoma expert who worked in the historic National Trachoma and Eye Health Program in the 70s, being a part of our team for many years. He worked out of the Aboriginal Community Services office and travelled to the APY Lands running community initiatives to promote eye health. This is a big win for community!