The elders in the community were celebrated at the Mount Isa Naidoc Week elders luncheon at the Overlander on Wednesday.
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Organised by Gidgee Healing the luncheon brought almost 100 people to the venue to recognise elders in the community for Naidoc Week.
Valerie Dempsey gave the Welcome to Country and Gidgee Healing committee member Mona Phillips, a Waanyi and Jaru woman, spoke about how Gidgee has grown over the years.
"We had a bit of a rocky road to get to where we are now and we ran into obstacles but we have been able to overcome them," Ms Phillips said.
She said the service had grown from 13 staff in 2010 including two doctors to around 220 people today expanding from Mount Isa into clinics in Doomadgee, Normanton, Burketown and Mornington Island and outreach services in Cloncurry, Dajrra, Boulia and Camooweal.
"In January this week we were encouraged to take on the aged care home in remote communities, we had doubts whether we could do it, but with our staff and leadership from Renee (Blackman, CEO) we saw it was an important thing to do," she said.
"We have now taken on the homes in Doomadgee, Mornington and Normanton and we provide services to the two aged care homes in Mount Isa, Injilinji and Laura Johnson."
She said they also had a recovery centre in Normanton for people with alcohol programs, and they worked with Headspace to deal with young people with issues.
Mayor Danielle Slade spoke about how the Ah Win family made her family welcome when they emigrated from England when she was young.
"They were very kind to us, and that friendship still lasts and they are still part of our lives," Cr Slade said
"I loved the fact that it didn't make any difference about where you came from, Mount Isa welcomed you and we are all in this together."
Mount Isa Mines sponsored the lunch and Glencore North Queensland boss Matt O'Neill said he was proud the resources industry was one of the few industries in Australia where the proportion of Indigenous people matched the national demographic, around 5pc of people in the industry, and in Mount Isa Mines that figure rose to 7pc of the workforce.
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