Special Achievements

• In 1987, Maureen became the first Indigenous volunteer cancer support worker in Australia.  She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987 and, at the time, there were no cancer prevention, care or support services for indigenous Australians.  After receiving treatment, she began her long road of cancer support work.
• Maureen worked as the indigenous women's cancer support officer for Queensland Cervical Screening Program, Queensland Health and was a project officer with the Women's Cancer Screening Services in Brisbane.  In 1997, Maureen initiated two qualitative research projects into why indigenous women present late with advanced breast and cervical cancer and why they are less likely to receive, or complete, cancer treatment.
• In 2000, Maureen was presented with the Queensland Health Outstanding Achievement Award for her long-term commitment to the prevention and advanced detection of women's cancer among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.

Additional Information

• Maureen was the author of Barriers to and Appropriate Delivery Systems for Cervical Cancer Screening in Indigenous Communities in Queensland:  Final report.

Document - Obituary, Maureen Patricia Kirk (nee Brown)

From The Age, 2001

Article courtesy of The Age.

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Link - Barriers to and appropriate delivery systems for cervical cancer screening in indigenous communities in Queensland. Final report

National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine

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Link - Thinking Pink to Save Lives

South Burnett Times, November 5 2014.

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