Identification in Victoria

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Victoria are only partially visible in health statistics due to inconsistencies in health data describing them. The correct identification of ‘Indigenous status’ in birth, death and hospital records is crucial to the accurate recording and reporting of the health of Aboriginal (and non-Aboriginal) Victorians.

With incorrect identification of Indigenous status, health services and government policy makers are restricted in their ability to effectively allocate resources and develop and evaluate programs and services to meet the greatest need.

Prior to 1976, no Australian jurisdiction separately identified Indigenous persons in vital statistics or hospital based collections. In 1984, the Australian Government initiated moves nationally to fully identify Indigenous Australians in birth and deaths data collections. By the end of 1997, all major vital statistics and hospital based collections in every state and territory included Indigenous status. 

Those Australian States where the current ascertainment of Indigenous status is of greatest concern are Victoria, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Tasmania and Queensland (before 1998). Data from these jurisdictions are often excluded from nation reports on Aboriginal health, particularly Aboriginal mortality due to incompleteness of Indigenous status (ABS 2008).

This research will provide a major contribution to addressing this gap in information for Victoria by further developing and enhancing the groundbreaking work of Freemantle et al. in Western Australia.