A look inside a coronavirus quarantine camp for indigenous people

A group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in South Australia are hosting a quarantine camp, for people locked out of their remote Indigenous communities during the pandemic.

A South Australian Indigenous quarantine camp, for people who were locked out of their remote homes due to the pandemic. Source: SBS

About 300 kilometres north of Adelaide, in Kuyani Country, a community-led initiative is hoping to save the lives and culture of those considered among the most vulnerable to coronavirus.

With many Aboriginal people displaced from their communities during the pandemic - and unable to return to their homes in remote areas- representatives from the Kokatha, Barngarla and Kuyani peoples knew they had to act.

Camp Wiru, or Camp Beautiful as it’s referred to by Elders in the community, was established to give those isolating a safe remote place to quarantine.

Donald McKenzie run the camp, he says it has been an effective way to keep the community safe during the health crisis. "It all comes back to losing our stories, our people, older people, middle aged people and even the younger ones are dying. If we lose that the kids could grow up with nothing. We don’t want that" he said.

A South Australian Indigenous quarantine camp for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples who were locked out of their remote homes due to the coronavirus Source: SBS

The camp was established in May, under a local Aboriginal health response plan. Since then, more than 250 people have attended.

Everyone is offered a cabin, with a bed, toiletries, first aid supplies, hand sanitiser and a beanie.

There is a mixture of cultural breakfast options including kangaroo tails, damper and other traditional stews. Resourcing the camp has been a team effort, with the Salvation Army and Adelaide hospitals offering supplies and assistance.

David Kelly from the Kokatha Aboriginal Corporation says the quarantine camp is filling gaps in the existing healthcare system.

"You can directly see the impact it’s having on people and it’s been quite shocking some of the circumstances that I’ve seen" said Mr Kelly.

There are other benefits too. Camp manager Lavane Ngatokorua says it is teaching younger residents how to protect themselves.

"We will survive this , we are the oldest living culture in the world and we have had pandemics, we've had epidemics come our way, but our people have survived" said Mrs Ngatokorua. 

Further planning is underway to build a permanent camp to accommodate those in the Port Augusta and Davenport areas.