Barbara Clarke remembers a time when the sleepy stillness of her rural Queensland home was overrun with a cacophony of shrieking children racing about the house.
"I loved those little kids. They were my little helpers. They were good kids," the 65-year-old said.
Surrounded by vast stretches of red earth and desert grasses, the Aboriginal community of Dajarra is home to less than 200 people.
For 47 years, Ms Clarke has called the remote town her home — as have her children, her grandkids and the 40 foster children she has raised.
Her passion and commitment to the place and the people she loves were recently highlighted when she was named the 2022 Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) Local Hero for her work encouraging locals to get health check-ups.
Among the community, she is known as "Mumma".
While many of the foster children she took under her wing are now grown and have moved away for work, Ms Clarke said they would always hold a special place in her heart.
"I enjoyed those kids, the times we had together, and they were always there for me all the time," she said.
'Mumma' to kids in need
Ms Clarke said she had a few tricks up her sleeve for when a new child came into her care.
"When they first come, there's a bit of shame," she said.
"So I'd walk up to them and give them a little hug, and I just tell them that, 'You're welcome here. This is home for a little while'.
"After a while, they all start callin me 'Mumma' … that makes you proud."
Ms Clarke said those shy little kids that walked into her home on their first night now heckle her name unashamedly across the street when she sees them in the neighbouring city of Mount Isa.
"I see a few of them who have moved to Mount Isa for work. Sometimes I see them, I'll drive by, and they'll be yellin out, singin' out, and I'll pull over and have a yarn," she said.
Along with her fostering role, Ms Clarke has raised about 17 kids from extended family members over the years.
However, she said along with the good memories came heartbreak.
"One little young fella from Mornington Island, he has passed away – that broke my heart," Ms Clarke said.
"I raised him here, and then he went back to Mount Isa and got a job. I was so proud of him.
"That was the saddest thing."
Years earlier, Ms Clarke lost her daughter. Her son-in-law was later involved in a motorbike accident, leaving him paralysed.
She is now raising their daughters while looking after her 88-year-old mother.
An inspirational doctor
Ms Clarke's passion for looking after people extends to her wider community as she regularly encourages them to visit the clinic for regular check-ups and attend visiting services provided by the Royal Flying Doctors Service.
She said her inspiration came from an RFDS doctor who looked after her family for years.
Don Bowley OAM, or "Dr Don", has been serving remote Queensland communities for more than 25 years.
"My dad would go to Dr Don — he was a top doctor for all of us, you know. He used to spend more time with my dad and have a little talk with him," she said.
"And that's why I care.
"To me, he is the best doctor. He is brilliant. That's why the RFDS has been important in my life."
While Dr Don no longer flies out to Dajarra regularly, RFDS doctor Deidre Stark says people like Ms Clarke are essential for her and her team to provide help.
"When we fly out to remote places like Dajarra it is local people like Barbara who make our work to look after the whole community possible by encouraging her extended family to show up and take an interest in their overall health," Dr Deidre said.
Encouraging young women to get checked
One of the biggest challenges as a health advocate in her community was convincing young women to get checked.
"They don't go to the pap smear tests, and they feel a bit shame, but I say you've got to be on the safe side," she said.
"I'm 64, and I had my breasts scanned, things like that.
"Sometimes Aboriginal people can be really shy, so I tell them, "There's no need to be shy. They're here to help us. That's the whole reason they're here — for us."
As for the future, Ms Clarke can't imagine one outside of her beloved Dajarra.
"I don't want to leave. I just like it here. It's quiet and peaceful … it's home."
