Our History/Story

The core of the spirit of Aboriginal people is Mother Earth and it is within this spirit that Wyanga Aboriginal Aged Care Program delivers activities and services to the Elders of Redfern and Eastern Suburb areas. We acknowledge and pay respect to the Gadigal people of the Eora nation upon whose land we stand.

Wyanga was founded in 1996 by Sylvia Scott (nee Ingram), a Wiradjuri Elder from Cowra (NSW) and Mary Silva, a Dunghutti Elder from Kempsey (NSW). The vision of these remarkable women was to improve access to care and support for Elders in the community with a commitment to ensuring that services be provided by trained Aboriginal staff dedicated to high quality aged care standards. The valuable contribution of Elders within the community is the foundation upon which Wyanga was formed and continues to grow.

Our Founders

Mary M Silva
Sylvia Scott Ingram

In 1996, ten Home Care Packages were allocated to Wyanga by the Commonwealth Government. Wyanga gained its autonomy and incorporation as a community controlled organisation in December 1999. Wyanga’s continued growth and sustainability was strengthened in 2005 when the Indigenous Land Corporation purchased an old plumbing shop and renovated the entire building to cater for the needs of Wyanga’s staff and Elders. In addition to in-home services, the center offers a wide range of activities including scrapbooking, jewellery making, transport, outings, cultural excursions, story writing, workshops and health forums.

Wyanga’s vision statement is to ‘strive for excellence and best practice in the provision of culturally appropriate services and quality care for our Elders in their own homes and in the community’.

Why choose Wyanga

  • We understand Elders’ needs: We are an Aboriginal organisation, run for Aboriginal people, by Aboriginal people since 1996.
  • We support you: We individually tailor our services to support your needs to help you stay connected with your loved ones and your community.
  • We care: We are a not-for-profit which means that we continue to re-invest our profit back into improving our services and continuing to support our community.