About us
A community-led response to rural health
Established in 2024 and based in St George, Queensland, Big Sky Health brings together community members, health providers, researchers, government and partners to improve health and wellbeing across rural and remote Australia.
Much of Australia's health and wellbeing system is designed around urban norms — large populations, concentrated infrastructure and short distances.
Rural and remote communities are different: vast geography, small populations, limited transport and weather-dependent access. Service models built for metro areas are often expensive and ineffective when transplanted into remote settings. For rural Queenslanders, access isn't just about funding — it's about distance, trust, cultural safety and having services designed for their lives.
Big Sky Health exists to close that gap — acting as a connector, facilitator and catalyst for community-led health improvement.
- Community-led charity
- ACNC registered · DGR endorsed
- Based in St George, QLD
- Est. 2024
Our place
The Balonne Shire
Where one river becomes many
Big Sky Health is based in St George, in the heart of the Balonne Shire — a vast stretch of South West Queensland roughly 500 km inland from Brisbane, just above the New South Wales border. Around 4,500 people call its seven towns home.
St George sits at a rare inland junction where the Balonne River fans out into a network of rivers — the Lower Balonne. These waterways are the lifeblood of the region: shaping its agriculture, its communities and the way people live, work and connect.
- 7
- towns
- ~4,500
- residents
- 31,000 km²
- of country
Seven towns on seven rivers
Our towns
- St George
- Dirranbandi
- Bollon
- Mungindi
- Thallon
- Nindigully
- Hebel
The seven rivers
- Culgoa
- Balonne Minor
- Bokhara
- Ballandool
- Briarie
- Narran
Our vision
Thriving rural communities where people can access the care, support and opportunities they need to live healthy and fulfilling lives.
Our mission
To work alongside communities, health providers, researchers and partners to identify local priorities, strengthen collaboration and develop innovative solutions that improve health and wellbeing outcomes.
Our values
The principles that guide us
Community-Led
Local people help shape priorities and solutions.
Collaborative
Complex challenges require collective action.
Evidence-Informed
Decisions are guided by data, research and lived experience.
Place-Based
Solutions should reflect local contexts and community strengths.
Future-Focused
We seek sustainable improvements that deliver long-term impact.
Rural communities hold strong social connections, deep local knowledge and a genuine commitment to helping one another — Big Sky Health exists to harness those strengths.
Governance
Our Board
Big Sky Health Ltd is a company limited by guarantee, governed by a volunteer Board of Directors drawn from the local community, health and government sectors.
Sheila Marshall
Director & Secretary
Alexander Benn
Director
John Travers
Director
Samantha O'Toole
Director
Ben Brimblecombe
Director
Jeffery Skinner
Director
Registered charity with the ACNC · Endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) · Health Promotion Charity.