A long-serving community leader has been honoured by Queensland’s peak body for her outstanding contribution to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services across Cairns and Far North Queensland (FNQ).
Debra Malthouse was inducted into the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC) Hall of Fame at their Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner at the Gold Coast last Wednesday, 21 October 2026.
The QAIHC Hall of Fame award recognises individuals whose leadership, commitment and contribution have had a lasting impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health in Queensland.
QAIHC Acting CEO Paula Arnol said Ms Malthouse’s induction into the QAIHC Hall of Fame was fitting recognition of a career dedicated to improving the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
“The QAIHC Hall of Fame award is one of the highest honours our sector can bestow,” Ms Arnol said.
“Debra Malthouse is highly respected across Queensland and nationally for her integrity, determination and unwavering commitment to community.”
Currently CEO of Apunipima Cape York Health Council, Ms Malthouse has been a pioneering face of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services in FNQ for 45 years.
Wuchopperen Health Service CEO Joy Savage said Ms Malthouse’s ability to build sustainable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services will impact generations to come.
Ms Savage described Ms Malthouse as a quiet achiever with a reverberating vision, crediting her with the expansion of infrastructure and services at Wuchopperen during her time with the organisation from 1982-1989 and 2010-2017.
“Debra has had a touch point with nearly every community-controlled organisation in Cairns, and in health she’s been quite the powerhouse,” Ms Savage said.
“It’s been many a decade now of a full suite of child, youth and family services that this community may not have seen had it not been for Debra’s foresight many years ago.”
In 2020, Ms Malthouse joined Apunipima which delivers primary health care and social and emotional wellbeing services across one of Queensland’s most geographically dispersed and complex health care environments.
Since then, she has worked tirelessly to increase access to culturally safe, community-controlled health care and strengthen collaboration across Cape York.
This culminated in a 2024 Statement of Commitment between Apunipima, Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service, Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service, and the Royal Flying Doctor Service to work together to Close the Gap in Cape York.
Ms Malthouse said the Hall of Fame honour for her was less about personal recognition and more about acknowledging a lifetime spent working alongside strong Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women whose goal was to improve the lives of their people and communities.
“One of the biggest achievements is being part of the community-controlled sector for more than 45 years, seeing what it was intended to be, and still holding true to those values today.”
“I know why we (community-controlled organisations) were established all those years ago and this knowledge is the foundation for the work that I do.”
Born in Mareeba and raised on the town’s Aboriginal Reserve, known as The Yumba, Ms Malthouse credits her grandmother with shaping the values that guided her career.
Ms Malthouse’s grandmother, who was taken as a young girl to work on a Station outside Mt Molloy, often reminded her “don’t big note yourself”.
Ms Malthouse said this essentially meant listen, observe and understand people and situations before acting.
