Purple House: how the Western Desert Dialysis started

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers should be aware that this video may contain images and voices of persons who have passed.

Purple House CEO Sarah Brown and Board Director Marlene Spencer talk about getting their organisation started. They explain why it was so important for Pintupi people to start their own service. Purple House was started using funds raised from Pintupi people’s paintings. The Art Gallery of NSW auctioned the paintings and raised over $1 million dollars.

Purple House’s approach in the early days was to take things slowly. They trialled their approach and services for the first three years before deciding to incorporate. This meant they were able to build strong local control in the early establishment phase. They also built confidence in their own approach to governance and service delivery.