Queensland’s viral hepatitis sector lost an incredible community champion on May 9th this year. Kathy Clark was one of the founding members of the Cairns Hepatitis Action Team (CHAT), which evolved from a hepatitis C support group into a highly effective peer-led powerhouse in the fight against hepatitis C elimination in Far North Queensland.

Along with her CHAT peers, Kathy contributed to the 2015 parliamentary inquiry into hepatitis C in Australia, supported the successful Resilience exhibitions at the Tanks Arts Centre markets, featured in the CHAT short film ‘You Can’t Hep That’, and helped to connect many community members to care once the new DAA’s (direct-acting antivirals) arrived in 2016.

Kathy generously devoted her time to World Hepatitis Day events each year and was always ready to support visiting research teams as a peer worker and community connector. She shaped some of the most successful messaging and health promotion materials for the Cairns Hep C Free campaigns from 2016 to 2020, and during COVID she kept clients linked to services, harm reduction, and social connections.

Kathy brought people together; she was excited by new projects and reaching those who may have been underserved by mainstream health services due to discrimination and stigma. She walked alongside many community members who noted that without her gentle encouragement, they might never have sought care for their chronic health conditions.

Kathy cared deeply about all members of the community, and when take-home naloxone became available, she facilitated peer training to equip people with the skills to respond to an overdose and save lives.

Kathy always spoke of her role as a community educator as something that brought her happiness, but honestly, she was a ray of sunshine, always kind and brave in offering gentle yet insightful challenges, improving the way others viewed the world. Her commanding words always landed as softly as a butterfly; she had such a thoughtful approach.

She was clever and an excellent orator and storyteller. She proved this time and again when she represented the Cairns community at several large conferences across Australia.

Kathy was a humanitarian at heart, driven to combat injustice for our most marginalised and stigmatised community members, and she made a difference.

She will always be remembered with much respect and love.