Celebrating 3-year partnership with Orange Sky Australia

Jan 27, 2023

3 years of Orange Sky in Maningrida

In September 2019, Mala'la met with Orange Sky Australia who shared our vision to improve health outcomes for people in remote communities. In a community with high numbers of Rheumatic Heart Disease, a partnership with Orange Sky would make a significant difference to the health of our people.


After a few months of planning, the Manayingkarírra van was launched in Maningrida on the 27th of January 2020.


Since then, the team on the ground have provided

  • ️4,725 hours of connection
  • ️4,934 washing cycles
  • 60,000kg of clean laundry


To mark the van's 3rd birthday, community members were invited to join us for a celebration which opened with a welcome to country by Traditional Owner, David Jones.

Mala'la's chairperson and Aboriginal health worker, Charlie Gunabarra then shared a few words about the important service the van provides to our community and encouraged families to keep using the free industrial size washing machines and dryers.


A special thank you was given to our amazing Manayingkarírra Orange Sky team, Linton Nabegeyo and Gary Stewart, who were awarded with a Certificate of Appreciation for making it all happen on the ground.


We thank Orange Sky Australia for their vision and support over the years and look forward to the years ahead.


02 Mar, 2023
A memorable and historical occasion
20 Apr, 2022
COVID-19 Vaccination rates in Maningrida community
by Michael Hawkes 01 Feb, 2021
01 FEBRUARY 2021 Today marks the first day of Community Controlled Primary Health Care Services for Maningrida and surrounding homelands. An idea, which was first talked about in the early 2000’s, was put in motion in 2017 when the Mala’la Board of Directors decided that Community Control was the way forward. With Mala’la Health Service Aboriginal Corporation and the Maningrida Health Centre (NT Health) becoming the one entity today, the Mala'la Board are delighted with this important development, whereby community control for Primary Health Care Services will be in the hands of Mala’la. The transition has been a staged process with the first health programs transitioning in October 2019, followed by the transition of the mortuary in February 2020 and the remainder of programs in July 2020. Today is the last stage, with the Acute services and the clinic transitioning fully. I'd like to acknowledged the good work done by NT Health in running the clinic for the past 45 years and we thank them for their support throughout the transition process over the past three years. The excellent collaborative work done by Dr Christine Connors (NT Health), Ray Matthews (CEO, Mala’la) Michelle Nuske (NT Health) and Lesley Woolf (Mala’la) ensured that the transition process was kept on track and realised in a timely manner. The transition working party made up of key NT Health and Commonwealth Health Department staff and ably led by Danny Keep (chairperson) were an integral part of decisions made in relation to the move to community control. I am confident that the Maningrida community will benefit significantly by having community control in making decisions and determining future growth in the Primary Health arena. Charlie Gunabarra Chairperson Mala'la Health Service Aboriginal Corporation
by Michael Hawkes 03 Feb, 2020
Information on the transfer of Maningrida Health Centre from Top End Health Service (TEHS) to Mala'la Health Service
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