Nine outstanding First Nations leaders have been inducted into the Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll recently, one of which is a former Orbost local.
Aunty Lucia Baulch, known as Aunty Lou, is a proud grandmother, health advocate and community organiser.
She has dedicated her life to improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people across the eastern suburbs of Melbourne and beyond.
For more than 60 years, she has led with compassion, strength and cultural wisdom. Her passions are health, wellbeing and preventing family violence.
Born on Gunai Country in 1944 at Orbost and District Hospital in East Gippsland, Aunty Lou is the oldest of nine children, with eight
younger brothers.
She has Monaro Ngarigo and Gunai heritage on her mother’s side, and European heritage on her father’s side.
Aunty Lou grew up in a close-knit family on the edge of the Snowy River with strong ties to the local Aboriginal community.
Aunty Lou helped care for her brothers from a young age and learned the value of service to others, especially Aboriginal women supporting each other through illness and hardship.
After she finished high school at the end of 1960, Aunty Lou worked for two years at the local Orbost and District Hospital as a nurse’s aide. At the age of 18, Aunty Lou left Orbost to pursue
her dream of becoming a qualified nurse.
She began training at Prince Henry’s Hospital in Melbourne in 1963.
After completing her nursing training, Aunty Lou studied midwifery at Box Hill Hospital in 1966.
She soon became one of the first Aboriginal maternal and child health nurses in Victoria.
Aunty Lou’s professional career included decades of hospital work, in-home nursing and community health service across the outer eastern suburbs.
Aunty Lou has been a part of starting and supporting many organisations, but her work has always been focused on what Aboriginal mothers and families need to feel safe and supported.
When her children were young, Aunty Lou started support groups for mothers who didn’t have family nearby.
The mother’s groups helped women to support each other with childcare, transport, a hot meal or simply friendship.
On top of her work for Aboriginal families and organisations, Aunty Lou has given many years of service as an emergency department volunteer as well as to the St Vincent de Paul Society.
She has always believed in helping everyone in her local community.
After officially retiring in the early 2000s, Aunty Lou has remained a full-time advocate and continues to be deeply involved in community life.
She is busier than ever, working on boards, in committees and in
healing spaces.
She attends events, keeps up with the latest health research, and mentors young staff and community leaders.
She is often called on by government agencies to advise on Aboriginal health, family violence and
wellbeing strategies.
Aunty Lou married John Baulch in 1967 and moved to Mount Evelyn, where she still lives today. Together they raised two children in a home surrounded by a thriving garden and a strong sense of community.
She is now a grandmother and continues to inspire her family.
Aunty Lou’s legacy is rooted in building culturally safe, self-determined and empowering spaces for Aboriginal people and families.
She has always advocated for reconciliation by working alongside non-Indigenous organisations and communities to build understanding and partnership.
Aunty Lou’s message to young people is simple but profound: “Be true to yourself.
Know who you are, where you come from, who your family are. Stay connected to your mobs and always keep your ancestors proud of who
you are.”
