A newly refurbished meeting room at the Fremantle Hospital has been named in recognition of the contribution to the community of Ballardong Whadjuk Noongar Elder and late Uniting Church minister Rev Sealin Garlett (RIP)

(Story first published by the South Metropolitan Health Service, Health Promotion and Community Development and shared with permission of the SMHS and the Garlett family)

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Recently, the South Metropolitan Health Service (SMHS) Health Promotion team hosted a celebration of the one of the SMHS Aboriginal Community’s greatly revered Elders at Fremantle Hospital on 22 February 2023. The main event was the unveiling of the newly refurbished meeting room at T Block (Level 6) being named the Rev Sealin Garlett (RIP) Consultation Room.

Rev Sealin Garlett (RIP) was a Ballardong Whadjuk Noongar man and respected local Elder who worked closely with the Health Promotion team over many years, as the Chair of the SMHS Walyalup (Fremantle) District Aboriginal Health Action Group and with his community as a Uniting Church minister in and around Coolbellup.

Sealin’s wife Marilyn, his son Mitchell and other family members attended the celebration along with Nola Naylor, Director of Aboriginal Health Strategy, Ron Gidgup, Manager of the Aboriginal Hospital Liaison Team, Kate Gatti, Director of Clinical Services and Christine Kellett, Director of Operations and Site Management at Fremantle Hospital.

“The Health Promotion team has enjoyed a longstanding and strong relationship with the local SMHS Aboriginal community, and it is great to see they have acknowledged one of our leaders in this way.” Nola said. “This has great meaning to Sealin’s family and hopefully helps to continue his partnership work to improve the health of our Aboriginal communities”.

“We are proud to recognise and show respect to the Aboriginal community across Fremantle Hospital and are committed to working in consultation with the community” Christine said. “We look forward to building upon and reinforcing Sealin’s good work.”