OMOZ Conference, Meanjin, Brisbane (2026)

14/08/2026

🖤💛❤️ THAT’S A WRAP | OMOZ 2026

And that’s a wrap on OMOZ 2026. 🥹

What started with a welcome to Meanjin has turned into four days filled with yarns, learning, culture, connection, laughter and some pretty deadly moments.

A massive thank you to the Deadly Ears team at Children’s Health Queensland. The amount of work, care and heart that goes into bringing OMOZ together is huge, and it has been an absolute privilege to capture a little bit of it along the way.

Biggest shout out to Moppy Conlon for all his work, as you can tell from the standing ovation how much we all appreciated it.

Thank you to every speaker, presenter, sponsor, exhibitor, volunteer, cultural performer and, most importantly, every person who showed up ready to share, listen and learn.

And from me, as your OMOZ social media coordinator, thank you for letting me tell the stories of this conference. 📸

It’s been pretty special watching the moments unfold and sharing them with everyone following along.

I’ll be signing off now, but I reckon there are plenty more stories to come.

Until next time, mob. 🖤💛❤️

Nyah Nya bu,
Trent

Supported by: Cochlear Australia and New Zealand Deadly Ears Queensland Health Children's Health Queensland The University of Queensland Pfizer Australia The Institute for Urban Indigenous Health Hearing Australia Children's Hospital Foundation CheckUP Australia VorOtek

14/08/2026

🖤💛❤️ HANDOVER | SEE YOU IN ALICE SPRINGS

And just like that, it was time to hand over OMOZ and look towards what comes next. 🌏

After four big days in Meanjin, we said goodbye with full hearts, plenty of yarns and so many new connections made along the way.

The knowledge, stories and ideas shared throughout OMOZ 2026 will continue to travel with us, back into our communities, services and workplaces.

But the journey doesn’t stop here...

The handover has been made, and we’re heading to Alice Springs!

A huge thank you to everyone who helped make OMOZ 2026 what it was. We can’t wait to see where the next chapter takes us.

See you in Alice Springs. 🖤💛❤️

Supported by: Cochlear Australia and New Zealand Deadly Ears Queensland Health Children's Health Queensland The University of Queensland Pfizer Australia The Institute for Urban Indigenous Health Hearing Australia Children's Hospital Foundation CheckUP Australia VorOtek

14/08/2026

🖤💛❤️ FRIDAY | WHAT’S NEXT?

The final morning of OMOZ 2026 brought us together for one last round of learning, sharing and yarns about what’s next for First Nations ear and hearing health.

From emerging therapies and new research to practical workshops and conversations about improving outcomes for our kids, the morning was a chance to look forward and keep the momentum going.

We heard from researchers, clinicians and health professionals exploring new approaches to otitis media, hearing loss and the way we deliver care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

And of course, we finished with a yarn about where we go from here.

Because the work doesn’t finish when the conference does. The conversations, connections and ideas we’ve shared at OMOZ are what we take back to our communities and our teams.

That’s a wrap on the final sessions of OMOZ 2026. 🖤💛❤️

Supported by: Cochlear Australia and New Zealand Deadly Ears Queensland Health Children's Health Queensland The University of Queensland Pfizer Australia The Institute for Urban Indigenous Health Hearing Australia Jim Pattison Children's Hospital Foundation CheckUP Australia VorOtek

13/08/2026

🌿 OMOZ 2026 | Thursday Mid Morning

Thursday mid morning brought the focus back to the people at the heart of everything we do: children, families and communities.

The afternoon program explored three important areas:

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Community Experiences & Family Voices
Creating space for the experiences, knowledge and voices of families and communities to shape the way care is delivered.

📊 Evaluation & Outcomes
Looking at how we measure our work, understand what is making a difference and use evidence to strengthen services and outcomes.

🔗 Connecting Care Pathways, Partnerships & Innovation
Exploring how stronger connections between services, organisations and communities can create better pathways and more coordinated care.

Across the three rooms, delegates heard about the experiences of families, innovative approaches to care, research and evaluation, workforce development and the partnerships needed to make change happen.

The conversations reinforced an important message from throughout OMOZ:

Good ear and hearing health care isn't just about what happens in the clinic.

It's about listening to families, understanding community, building strong partnerships and creating pathways that work for the people who use them.

Another big day of learning, sharing and yarns on Jagera and Turrbal Country. ❤️💛🖤

Supported By: Cochlear Australia and New Zealand Deadly Ears Queensland Health Children's Health Queensland The University of Queensland Pfizer Australia The Institute for Urban Indigenous HealthHearing Australia Children's Hospital FoundationCheckUP Australia VorOtek

13/08/2026

🖤💛❤️ Thursday Morning | Powerful Perspectives

Thursday morning started with some powerful and challenging conversations.

The opening speaker session brought together different perspectives on racism, language, culture and the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people within health and healthcare systems.

The speakers challenged us to think differently about the words we use, the systems we work within and the assumptions we can carry into our practice.

There were different perspectives, different experiences and different ways of looking at the same challenges. And that was exactly what made the session so powerful.

These weren't always easy conversations, but they were important ones.

OMOZ is about creating space for those conversations, listening to different perspectives and being willing to reflect on what we can do differently to create better experiences and outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and communities.

A strong way to start Thursday. 🖤💛❤️

Supported by: Cochlear Australia and New Zealand Deadly Ears Queensland Health Children's Health Queensland The University of Queensland Pfizer Australia The Institute for Urban Indigenous Health Hearing Australia Children's Hospital Foundation CheckUP Australia VorOtek

12/08/2026

🌿 OMOZ 2026 | Wednesday Afternoon

After lunch, OMOZ 2026 moved from exploring the challenge to asking an important question:

What are we doing?

Wednesday afternoon brought three streams of presentations focused on the work happening across Australia to improve ear and hearing health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and communities.

👂🏽 Outreach & Service Delivery
Exploring different approaches to delivering care across diverse communities, including outreach models, continuity of care and improving access to services.

🔎 Screening, Assessment & Pathways, including Telehealth & Integrated Care
Sharing approaches to screening, assessment, referral pathways and using innovative models of care to connect children and families with the services they need.

🤝🏽 Workforce & Capability Building
Looking at how we can strengthen the workforce, build local capability and support culturally safe, clinically strong care.

The afternoon showcased the incredible range of work happening across the country, from remote outreach and telehealth to workforce development, local partnerships and new approaches to delivering care.

It was a chance to share what is working, learn from each other and ask how we can continue to do things better.

One deadly day down, and plenty more yarns, learning and connection to come. ❤️💛🖤

Supported by: Cochlear Australia and New Zealand Deadly Ears Queensland Health Children's Health Queensland The University of Queensland Pfizer Australia The Institute for Urban Indigenous Health Hearing Australia Children's Hospital Foundation CheckUP Australia VorOtek

12/08/2026

🌅 OMOZ 2026 | Wednesday Morning

Wednesday morning marked the beginning of the main OMOZ 2026 program, bringing everyone together to explore the challenges facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and communities in ear and hearing health.

The morning opened with Welcome to Country, followed by an introduction from Dennis ‘Moppy’ Conlon, before hearing from a range of leaders and voices across Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.

We heard from Jess Oostenbroek, Wayne Ah Boo and Professor Kelvin Kong, setting the scene for the conversations ahead and highlighting the importance of strong leadership, community-controlled health and improving equity in ear and hearing health.

From there, the program moved into the first major theme:

👂🏽 What is the Challenge?

Across three streams, delegates explored:

🔹 Epidemiology & Burden of Disease
🔹 Health, Education & Development Outcomes
🔹 Disease Mechanisms & Microbiology

The sessions brought together research, clinical knowledge and community experience, looking at the scale and complexity of ear disease and hearing loss, its impact on children and families, and the work being done to better understand and address these challenges.

It was a strong start to the main conference program, setting up the conversations and questions that continued throughout the week.

❤️💛🖤 Different perspectives, shared knowledge and one common goal: better outcomes for our mob.

Supported by: Cochlear Australia and New Zealand Deadly Ears Queensland Health Children's Health Queensland The University of Queensland Pfizer Australia The Institute for Urban Indigenous Health Hearing Australia Children's Hospital Foundation CheckUP Australia VorOtek

11/08/2026

🌅 OMOZ 2026 | Day 1 Morning Reflection

We started Day 1 of OMOZ 2026 with a powerful welcome from Gavin Tyson of Native Born Enterprises, setting the scene for what was to come.

Moppy and Kelvin then officially opened the day, welcoming everyone into the space and reminding us why bringing people together matters.

What followed was a morning full of yarns, stories and connection.

People from across the country got up and shared the work they are doing in their own communities to improve ear and hearing health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.

For the first time in OMOZ history, we had representation from every state and territory across the country. 🌏 Too Deadly that.

It was deadly to hear about the breadth of work happening right across Australia, while also recognising the common purpose that brings us together.

Different communities. Different services. Different experiences.

But one shared commitment to better ear and hearing health outcomes for our mob. ❤️💛🖤

We finished the morning with ngullina lines sharing the story behind the OMOZ 2026 artwork, yarning about the cultural meaning woven throughout the artwork and what it meant to see those stories represented across the conference.

A beautiful way to finish the morning, bringing us back to culture, story, connection and why we come together.

A huge thank you to all of the organisations who proudly supported OMOZ 2026 and helped us bring mob together from across the country.

Supported by: Cochlear Australia and New Zealand Deadly Ears Queensland Health Children's Health Queensland The University of Queensland Pfizer Australia The Institute for Urban Indigenous Health Hearing Australia Children's Hospital Foundation CheckUP Australia Vorotek

More from Day 1 coming soon. 👂🏽

11/08/2026

OMOZ 2026 | Day 1 Afternoon

After a morning full of yarns, stories and connection, Day 1 continued with a chance to slow down, share a feed and experience some of the culture and art.

We headed to the park for lunch, spending time together outside the conference space, having a yarn and connecting with new and old friends. 🌿

Of course, we had to capture the moment with a big OMOZ group photo! 📸

The afternoon then took delegates out into the community, with cultural tours of GOMA, the State Library of Queensland and the local art gallery.

These experiences gave everyone the opportunity to connect with the stories, art, history and culture of Megandjin, and to learn more about the places and communities that welcomed us for OMOZ 2026.

For us, these moments outside the conference room were an important part of OMOZ. They created space for culture, connection, conversation and shared experiences.

That's what makes OMOZ more than a conference. ❤️💛🖤

A big thank you to everyone who helped make the afternoon possible and to all the mob who came along, shared a yarn and made it such a deadly afternoon.

Supported by: Cochlear Australia and New Zealand Deadly Ears Queensland Health Children's Health Queensland The University of Queensland Pfizer Australia The Institute for Urban Indigenous Health Hearing Australia Children's Hospital Foundation CheckUP Australia VorOtek

10/08/2026

OMOZ 2026 | Review, Recap & Reflect

OMOZ 2026 was last week, and what a week it was!

Now that we've had a little time to catch our breath, we're going to spend this week looking back at some of the moments, conversations, stories and learnings that made OMOZ 2026 so special.

Each day, we'll share a small part of the week that was.

For those who joined us in Meanjin, we hope these recaps give you a chance to pause, reflect and reconnect with some of the moments and conversations you shared with us.

For those who weren't able to attend, we hope they give you a little insight into what OMOZ was all about and the incredible people, knowledge, culture and stories that came together across the week.

From Mob Only Day, to inspiring speakers, clinical conversations, research, community voices, culture, connection and plenty of deadly yarns, there is plenty to look back on. ❤️💛🖤

We'll also take some time to recognise the people, organisations, sponsors and partners who helped make OMOZ 2026 possible.

So, over the next week, come back with us as we revisit OMOZ 2026.

👂🏽 Review. Recap. Reflect.

Supported by: Cochlear Australia and New Zealand Deadly Ears Queensland Health Children's Health Queensland The University of Queensland Pfizer Australia The Institute for Urban Indigenous Health Hearing Australia Children's Hospital Foundation CheckUP Australia VorOtek

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