The Winnunga Nimmityjah health centre - set to open in a formal ceremony on Saturday - is the first purpose-built facility of its type in the ACT.
"This will be a huge day for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, clients and our non-Aboriginal staff and supporters," the centre's chief executive Julie Tongs said.
"This building is a huge game-changer in many ways and is a true testament to Aboriginal self-determination."
She said it was needed because the life expectancy of Aboriginal people and Torres Strait islanders was still far behind that of the wider community.
The elegant purpose-built building in Narrabundah will serve about 5000 people a year in about 60,000 visits.
"We've got so many people who are vulnerable," she said.
"Here, in Canberra, people think it's the land of milk and honey but it's not for a lot of people."
At a cost of $20 million, it will provide a wide range of medical facilities for Aboriginal people in the territory. There are six GPs, three nurse practitioners and 14 nurses. Physical and mental health will be dealt with at the centre.
The bulk of the money ($13 million) for it comes from the ACT government. The rest comes from the federal government ($4 million) and from the organisation's own fundraising.
Ms Tongs said that the new centre was supported by the three parties in the ACT assembly. She thanked them and the Commonwealth government.
ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said: "Winnunga is a valued partner in our health system and plays a vital role in providing culturally appropriate, safe and quality healthcare for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community."
Julie Tongs said that while the bulk of the money came from government, the community then decided how those funds should be used, including the commissioning of architects.
She said the project came in on time and on budget.
The Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal health service started as temporary service in the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in 1988 (in the Wiradjuri language, Winnunga Nimmityjah means "strong health").
Since then, it has occupied make-shift premises near Ainslie shops and in Civic. In one, Julie Tongs said they had a room for a doctor "which was as big as a closet".
They then moved to the current Narrabundah site but demand outstripped the original facilities there, so the decision was made to build anew.
Julie Tongs is clearly very proud. "This is a huge deal because it's what our community deserves," she said.
We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.
