AHCWA’s annual Maxine Armstrong Leaders Award honours the enduring legacy of Maxine Armstrong: passionate Indigenous health advocate, proud Bardi Jawi Aboriginal woman from Derby, and a founding member of Derby Aboriginal Health Service (DAHS).
Each year at AHCWA’s West Australian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Sector Conference, it is tradition for two of Maxine’s daughters to hand the award to successful AHCWA staff. Throughout her life, Maxine drove initiatives to address chronic diseases, suicide, and the impacts of drugs on her community.
Born and raised in Derby, Maxine was the fifth of eight children. She married her first husband in 1970 and went on to have five children. After being diagnosed with Hansen’s disease, however, Maxine was taken from her family and spent the following 10 years at a Derby Leprosarium. Knowing her husband’s family would not have accepted her diagnosis, she chose to stay on at the Leprosarium after discharge, and was reunited with her daughters after they were later diagnosed with the same condition. Maxine’s daughter Deidre Armstrong describes her wicked sense of humour, quick wit, and ability to turn any moment into an opportunity for learning, which ensured there was never a dull moment in Maxine’s presence. Later in life, Maxine found love again, having two more children with her forever partner.
Maxine’s life was marked by profound loss, including the deaths of three of her children, but her determination to make a difference was unwavering, and she was driven to advocate for her community and ensure no one would have to endure the same hardships. She taught those around her the importance of resilience, and her ability to face overwhelming grief and still apply herself to improving Aboriginal health became a defining feature of her leadership. It is a feature that continues to be acknowledged by the Maxine Armstrong Leaders Award today.
Steadfast in her fight against the alarming rates of chronic disease among Aboriginal populations, Maxine became one of the five founding members of the DAHS. From the outset, DAHS was a true community-controlled service, beginning as a small clinic converted from a three-bedroom house. Maxine was instrumental in opening the clinic’s doors alongside just a handful of other staff. Transforming primary services for Aboriginal health, she was a trailblazer and one-of-a-kind negotiator who proved critical in securing funding for key medical areas and establishing a refuge for women in Derby. Maxine drew strength from her community and never lost hope that there were great opportunities possible for them.
Deidre remembers her mother’s advice to “keep your eyes open, keep what’s most important in focus, and love and care for your family.”
Even when faced with terminal cancer, Maxine remained committed to her cause, refusing to let her illness define her. She fought to stay, knowing there was still much work to be done for her community and that she had more to give. She passed away on 23 March 2018 in the arms of Deidre and her grandson.
Maxine’s approach to life was a testament to the woman she was. Her vision, commitment to her people, and ability to lead through adversity inspire those who follow. Celebrating attributes of passion, integrity and resilience, the Maxine Armstrong Leaders Award recognises staff who display those same traits and strengths.
It seeks to safeguard Maxine’s work transforming Aboriginal health services remains a lasting influence for generations and upholds a positive work culture.