Link-Up provides a research service to track family members that have lost contact since the federal government’s controversial Indigenous removal practices. For Mrs Lees this service was crucial.

Through Link-Up she was able to find her separated younger sister after 37 years, who was incorrectly presumed dead. 

“It is an awful tragedy for Mount Isa and the region with a history of removals and horrible sorrow and trauma and necessary healing. That healing will now be interrupted or maybe disrupted altogether because of lack of services,” Mrs Lees said.  

Mrs Lees grew up on a Palm Island Mission, and from there served in the Navy. She was a delegate at the United Nations Commission into the rights of Indigenous People held in Switzerland in 1996. She is chief executive of the Mount Isa based Injilinji Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation. 

“(Link-Up) Came from the Aboriginal recommendations into the royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody, where they established a lot of these people that died in custody were separated from family,” Mrs Lees said. 

“So they set up this Link-Up to bring them back together.” 

She said there was no community consultation before Link-Up made the decision to close the branch based in Miles Street. If there had been warning then other options could have been considered, Mrs Lees said.  

“It was like a revolution happening and we were sleeping,” she said.

“People on the radio were telling us ‘this is why your thing was lost.’” 

ABC News reports the organisation could not afford to keep the Mount Isa office open, but that North West clients could access services distantly through Townsville and Cairns branches. 

Link-Up was reached for comment. The organisation’s website said  research could take years depending on the case. “Throughout the Link-Up journey, our caseworkers will be in regular contact and our counsellors are available whenever you wish to have a yarn.”