our team
Mookai Rosie is only as good as the solid people who work here and with a team made up overwhelmingly of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women we understand the needs of our clients and can provide a safe, friendly place for you to stay.
Our professional staff include highly qualified medical experts who can make sure that you have the care and information you need to maintain your health, or give your baby the best possible start in life.
Our great cooks, catering staff, receptionists and administrative workers will make your stay friendly, comfortable and as stress-free as possible.
Our friendly drivers will take you to your medical and other appointments and pick you up afterwards. They will even take you on weekend trips for swimming, fishing, shopping and to Cairns events like the Cairns show or the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair.
Lavinia Coyle
Health Program Manager
Born to an Aboriginal mother of the Wiradjuri nation; and a Maori father of the Te Whānau-ā-Apanui tribe, Lavinia is Mookai Rosie’s Health Program Manager, responsible for ensuring that the clinic, health and accommodation team are well supported so that they can, in turn, support our clients to achieve the best possible outcomes for their health and wellbeing.
Growing up on the Darling Downs, Lavinia first came to Far North Queensland Cairns and to Mookai as a 21-year-old Health Worker. She then left Mookai to work in the legal sector for a Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Legal Service before returning as a Senior Manager.
Lavinia considers the two main reasons why she loves working at Mookai Rosie as being the ladies and children we care for; and the environment Mookai creates for its family (clients and staff).
“I love working at Mookai Rosie mainly because of the ladies and children we help; and because we provide such a unique service; such a desperately needed service. We provide supported accommodation for people at the most important times of their lives, when they’re needing medical attention or when they are having their bubba. It’s a privilege we have to be a part of our ladies lives and provide care for them in these times.”
She says that the founders of Mookai Rosie, Auntie Rosie Richards herself, Esmae Hudson and Bonnie Simpson are the inspiration for her hard work.
“The fact that more than 30 years ago these women saw a need in our communities and then made sure that need was addressed. They have done so much for our people through their perseverance and it’s that legacy that motivates me every day.”
