Raelene Ward

One Basin CRC Director

Raelene is a proud Aboriginal Kunja woman and traditional owner of Cunnamulla and surround areas on her late Grandfathers side Albert McKellar and her late Grandmother Hazel McKellar is a Kooma elder from south west Queensland. Raelene is a Senior Academic in the School of Nursing and Midwifery and researcher working at UniSQ close to 15 years.

Raelene has been a nurse for 30+ years both hospital and university trained. She completed a PhD Exploring Aboriginal understandings of suicides from a Social and Emotional Wellbeing Framework and continues to undertake independently funded and commissioned research in the area of suicide. Raelene continually gives back to her community and others whom she works with, her research is Aboriginal led and community driven (suicide, social and emotional wellbeing, Indigenous engagement, capacity building in research).

Raelene is highly respected in the community controlled health sector in many Aboriginal communities, organisations and industry providing advocacy for and leadership in Aboriginal health and wellbeing. She is valued and approached at various times to support non-Indigenous peoples and organisations in understanding history and contemporary perspectives of Indigenous people on all issues. Raelene has an extensive network personally and professionally establishing longstanding, meaningful and effective relationships with Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.