A long-running effort by Redfern’s Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS) to secure ownership of its Turner Street premises has gained support from the City of Sydney, which has called on the Catholic Archdiocese to consider transferring the property to the community health provider.
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The council unanimously supported the motion on 26 October, asking Lord Mayor Clover Moore to write to Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher and express the city’s strong support for an ownership transfer.
Moved by Cr Yvonne Weldon and seconded by Cr Olly Arkins, the motion recognised the AMS’s longstanding contribution to Redfern and the wider Aboriginal community. It also noted that the property remains owned by the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney. The resolution does not approve a transfer or require the Church to hand over the building. It formally places the city’s support behind the AMS’s request.
A Redfern institution
The AMS was established in July 1971, initially operating from a shopfront in Regent Street. It became Australia’s first Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service, providing healthcare designed around the needs of Aboriginal people.
The service moved to its Turner Street premises in 1977, where it has continued its work in Redfern. Its history is closely connected to the suburb’s Aboriginal community and the development of community-controlled healthcare across Australia.
The Archdiocese owns the former school building occupied by the service. According to the City of Sydney’s motion, the AMS has sought ownership for more than 25 years, with previous requests unsuccessful. The issue has drawn renewed attention following calls from prominent Indigenous leaders for the Archdiocese to reconsider its position.
The Church’s alternative proposal
The Archdiocese outlined its position in a statement published on 19 October, saying a transfer would be impractical because the building is not freestanding and would require a complex subdivision.
It argued that the subdivision report provided by the AMS addressed planning and heritage matters but did not resolve other concerns, including fire separation, building compliance and access.
The Archdiocese also pointed to other users of the site, including parishioners, visiting clergy and Jarjum College, an independent primary school supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
Rather than transferring ownership, it said it had offered the AMS a 10-year rent-free lease with an option to continue beyond that period. The arrangement, it said, would provide greater security while allowing other users to retain access to the shared property. In its statement, the Archdiocese said the AMS had not accepted the offer at that time.
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The decision ahead
The council’s intervention adds another voice to a disagreement that has continued for decades, but the ownership question remains unresolved.
The next step requested by councillors is for the Lord Mayor to communicate the city’s position to Archbishop Fisher. Whether that support leads to further discussions or a change in the Archdiocese’s position is not yet established by the available records.
Published 7-November-2026
