April 22, 2026
Kath Ryan is an Ingaarda woman from the Gascoyne region of Western Australia, with family ties to Noongar communities in the Great Southern. Across more than 25 years working in Aboriginal Health, she has dedicated her career to supporting Aboriginal communities through culturally informed care, advocacy and education.
After graduating from Curtin University with a degree in Indigenous Community Health, she worked extensively across the Kimberley and Pilbara regions, primarily in the areas of drug and alcohol support and mental health. Her work in mental health became deeply personal following the loss of her eldest son to suicide in 2006, strengthening her commitment to supporting young Aboriginal people, families and communities navigating grief, trauma and wellbeing.
Now retired, she continues to work as an instructor delivering Aboriginal Mental Health First Aid training across Australia, sharing her knowledge and lived experience with communities nationwide. Known for her warmth, generosity and willingness to connect with others, she is a proud mother of seven children, grandmother to twenty grandchildren and great-grandmother to five great-grandchildren. Based in Perth, she regularly returns north to visit family and remains passionate about working collaboratively and meeting new people.