Keep up with
the news

Across South West Queensland, community halls and craft circles became places for some of life’s most important conversations. 

Over seven days, from April 27 to May 3, Louise O’Neill, CEO of Palliative Care Queensland, supported by Western Queensland Primary Health Network (WQPHN), travelled through regional and remote communities to deliver palliative care education, practical support and meaningful community connection. 

Louise was joined by WQPHN Senior Program Officer – Palliative Care, Sheena Larter and Clinical Nurse Consultant – Palliative Care Charleville Primary and Community Care & SWHHS, Carolyn Mandersloot, to help deliver education sessions and community conversations across the region. 

From Quilpe to Yowah, Cunnamulla to Charleville, the tour created safe spaces for people to ask questions, share stories and learn how to support loved ones through serious illness, dying, grief and loss. 

The South West tour was about meeting people where they are empowering communities with knowledge, confidence and connection. 

Building confidence through Last Aid 

The tour began with Last Aid training sessions in Quilpie on April 27 and Yowah on April 28, before heading to Charleville for another session on May 2. 

Last Aid is a community education program that helps everyday people feel more comfortable supporting someone who is ageing, dying or grieving. Participants explored topics like compassionate conversations, practical care, advance care planning, and what to expect at the end of life. 

The sessions sparked thoughtful discussion, honest reflection, and reassurance that nobody needs to navigate these moments alone. 

For many participants, the training provided permission to talk openly about topics that are often avoided, while also reinforcing the strength and compassion that already is present in the community.

Arts, yarns and connection with community and Navigating the Journey 

One of the most powerful moments of the tour came on April 29th and 30th, when Palliative Care Queensland partnered with the Cunnamulla Aboriginal Corporation for Health for a special Arts and Yarns and Navigating the Journey session. 

Community members gathered together to stitch felt hearts as part of the 1000 Hearts initiative while sharing stories and yarning about living with serious illness, caring for loved ones, family decision-making, grief, and planning ahead. 

The simple act of sitting side-by-side, creating with hands while talking from the heart, helped foster conversations that can often feel difficult to begin. 

There was warmth, laughter, reflection and deep listening — a reminder that conversations about dying and caring are also conversations about love, culture, family and connection. 

The session highlighted the importance of culturally safe, community-led spaces where people feel comfortable sharing their experiences and supporting one another. 

For the Navigating the Journey session— a culturally safe program was designed specifically for First Nations communities to help people build practical skills and confidence around planning ahead, supporting loved ones, and navigating palliative care and end-of-life conversations in a way that respects culture, family and community. 

The session explored how to have meaningful conversations, understand choices around care, and ensure a person’s wishes are heard if they can no longer speak for themselves. 

Importantly, the program focused not just on information, but on helping people feel empowered to advocate for themselves, their families and their communities in ways that felt culturally appropriate, safe and meaningful.

Crafts and conversations in Charleville  

In Charleville on May 1st, at the Waroona Multi-Purpose Centre a Crafts and Conversations sesson was held— another welcoming opportunity for locals to connect, create and talk openly in a relaxed environment. 

These informal gatherings reinforced an important message throughout the tour: palliative care conversations do not need to happen only in hospitals or clinical settings. They can happen around craft tables, over cups of tea, and within trusted community spaces. 

Strengthening compassionate communities 

Throughout the South West tour, one thing became clear, regional communities already hold enormous strength, compassion and willingness to care for one another. 

By bringing education and conversation opportunities directly into these communities, Palliative Care Queensland and WQPHN are helping build confidence, reduce fear, and ensure more Queenslanders feel supported to live, die and grieve well, no matter where they call home. 

To learn more about Palliative Care Queensland’s community education programs, including Last Aid and Navigating the Journey, or to explore opportunities to bring these conversations to your community, visit www.palliativecareqld.org.au/learn