Kununurra is a relatively new town. Developed in the sixties to serve the Ord River Irrigation Scheme, it is the regional hub for the East Kimberley and home to many of the traditional owners of the country in which it sits.

It was therefore essential that the building not only be operationally efficient but that it also be welcoming and engaging. Permeability and connectivity are the key drivers of the building design, with an expansive glazed entry facing the street which draws visitors and patients to the building.

Passing through this glass wall and penetrating deeply into the reception area is a major collaborative artwork developed by eight aboriginal artists from the Waringarri Arts Centre. This artwork, which celebrates bush medicine, was shortlisted for the 2013 Sulman Prize.