James Cook University’s Yeinie Building in Cairns has been officially opened marking an important milestone in the University’s commitment to improving health outcomes across northern Queensland and the tropics.
The Yeinie building is home to JCU’s Nursing program and Years 4 to 6 of Medicine and will soon also house Midwifery, creating a multidisciplinary environment designed to reflect the realities of modern healthcare.
While students and staff have been learning and working from the facility already this year, the official opening celebrated the collaboration and joint investment between JCU and the Commonwealth Government to train the next generation of northern Australia’s healthcare workers locally in Cairns.
JCU Vice Chancellor and President Professor Simon Biggs and JCU Chancellor Ngiare Brown welcomed Cairns Hinterland Hospital and Health Service Chief Executive Leena Singh, Federal Member for Leichhardt Matt Smith and Gimuy Walubarra Yidinji Elder Professor Henrietta Marrie AM for the landmark occasion.
“It’s important we recognise how important the role the Yeinie building will play in training the next generation of healthcare workers – from nurses to doctors and midwives – that will treat patients in northern Australia and the tropics,” Professor Biggs said.
“The Yeinie Building is the result of a transformative $60 million investment by the Commonwealth Government — an investment in the health of the North, and in the people who will shape its future.
“It’s also important to acknowledge the efforts of the Commonwealth Government, Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service, Traditional Owners and all our project partners for helping bring this state-of-the-art facility to life.”
The building boasts eight rooms for clinical teaching, a two-bed demonstration ward set up for medical clinical skills demonstrations and a 10-bed hospital ward, along with multipurpose teaching rooms, lecture spaces and desks for 50 staff.
“Here, students, clinicians, researchers and industry partners will work side by side — learning from each other, collaborating, and ultimately improving health outcomes for communities across Far North Queensland and the tropics,” Professor Biggs said.
“It is a place where academic and practical learning converge, where the next generation of healthcare professionals will be shaped not only by knowledge, but by experience, collaboration and purpose.”
The building’s name, Yeinie, was gifted by Professor Henrietta Marrie AM and the Gimuy Walubara Yidinji People and honours a respected ancestor and warrior.
Professor Biggs said the name reflected the University’s commitment to ensuring innovation and progress were grounded in culture, connection and history.
“At JCU, we have always believed that where you train shapes how you serve,” he said.
“By embedding our students in the communities they will go on to support, we strengthen both our workforce and our impact.
“The impact of what happens here will extend far beyond these walls — into hospitals, clinics, communities and lives across the tropics.”
