Koori community-directed health promotion in the Goulburn Valley

This paper describes a health promotion program conducted within the Koori community of the Goulburn- Murray region of northern Victoria. The program was community-directed, state-funded and involved university researchers. It comprised three separate but related activities devised and carried out within a participatory action research framework with the aim of promoting nutrition and physical exercise. Although the activities did not always meet all their intended aims, and problems arose with the evaluation of some activities, they were nonetheless deemed to have made a valuable and sometimes unexpected contribution to health promotion in the community. Principles of participation and collaboration were central to the program's success. Challenges and benefits of working in genuine partnership are discussed.