Humpty Dumpty Foundation: Ray Martin receives Administrator Medal in Darwin

Under Ray Martin’s leadership, a foundation has delivered almost 1000 pieces of medical equipment to hospitals and health services in the Territory since 2017. He has now been recognised.

Ray Martin was honoured at Government House by NT Administrator Hugh Heggie.

Award-winning journalist Ray Martin has received a prestigious award for his contribution to Territory health at a low-key event at Government House.

On Thursday, about 20 people gathered in the home of NT Administrator Professor the Honourable Hugh Heggie to witness Mr Martin receive an Administrator’s Medal for his longstanding contribution to the Humpty Dumpty Foundation.

Beyond his five-decade long career in media, for 34 years Mr Martin served as a patron of the foundation, which aims to deliver healthcare to children across the nation.

Under Mr Martin’s patronage, the foundation has raised more than $100m and delivered more than 6000 pieces of medical equipment to almost 500 hospitals and health clinics across Australia.

Under Martin’s leadership, the Foundation delivered almost 1000 pieces of medical equipment to hospitals and health services in the Territory since 2017.

Mr Martin called the award a “great honour”.

On receiving the award, Mr Martin said it was a “great honour”.

“It’s also a little bit embarrassing to get an award like this – I love this charity and you probably shouldn’t be thanked for things that you love doing,” he said.

“Any chance I get to come to the charity, and I’ve been here (in the NT) probably 50 times over the last 45 years, I come.”

Mr Martin said he continued to believe in the difference the foundation made to peoples lives.

“Governments can’t do all this – (they) are stretched, whether in the Territory, in Canberra, or New South Wales, so we need to help,” he said.

“We’re a wealthy society, we can actually give a little bit of money and try and help out instead of saying governments are slack and letting us down – well that’s not the case, we can do something.”

Ray Martin visits Royal Darwin Hospital in 2015.

Mr Martin stressed that improving healthcare was key to ‘Closing the Gap’.

“I think big mining companies could solve rheumatic fever tomorrow if they pumped money into having the various devices that Humpty Dumpty’s bought,” he said.

“Devices that are really the size of a mobile phone that can detect rheumatic fever in young Aboriginal, children – we can end that sort of stuff.

“Don’t tell me how impossible it is, tell me how possible it is.”

Originally published as Humpty Dumpty Foundation: Ray Martin receives Administrator Medal in Darwin