Smith, Janie Dade, and Elston, Jacinta (2007) Remote indigenous health. In: Smith, J.D., (ed.) Australia's Rural and Remote Health: a social justice perspective. Tertiary Press, Croydon, Victoria, Australia, pp. 154-177.

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Abstract

Remote Australia makes up over three-quarters of the landmass of this great nation. It is a place of enormous diversity, and just like the temperature everything is magnified in the remote context. Remote communities are characterised by geographic isolation, cultural diversity, socioeconomic inequality, health inequality, resource inequity and a full range of climatic conditions. Floods, cyclones and a lack of transport, resources and the political will to change, further heighten the isolation experienced by these communities.

Those four per cent of the population who live in these small, mobile and highly dispersed remote areas of Australia include: generational station families, transient mine workers, short- and long-term professional people, industryemployed people and seasonal tourism workers. The largest population, some 39 per cent, is Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. Of this population 81 per cent live in discrete Indigenous communities; that is, 108 085 people, over half of whom live in the Northern Territory (ABS 2002d; 2003e; Strong et al. 1998).

There are 1216 discrete Indigenous communities in Australia. These communities are defined by their 'geographic location, bounded by physical boundaries and made up of predominantly Indigenous people' CABS 2002d; 2003e). The locations are either part of these people's original homelands, or they are the places where the policies of the day forcibly removed them to missions and reserves. This differs greatly between the states. One thing that does not differ greatly is the much poorer health status of the people, which worsens with remoteness.

Item ID:	10482
Item Type:	Book Chapter (["eprint_fieldopt_book_section_type_textbook" not defined])
ISBN:	978-0-86458-812-8
Related URLs:	Publisher
Date Deposited:	30 Jun 2010 01:46
FoR Codes:	11 MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES > 1117 Public Health and Health Services > 111701 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health @ 100%
SEO Codes:	92 HEALTH > 9203 Indigenous Health > 920301 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health - Determinants of Health @ 100%
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