This is a story of success in Aboriginal health service in the Northern Territory. The Board members of KWHB had always seen their situation within a historical context of oppression and a lack of say in their own futures. In 1997, they grasped a rare opportunity. With courage and vision, the Commonwealth and Northern Territory governments committed substantial sums of money to an experimental model of health servicing. The result is a story of what can be achieved with vision and commitment. The Katherine West Health Board and its staff showed an absolute dedication to find the best possible mix of services for the communities they served. They integrated their responses to immediate and practical concerns, with equal regards to the legacies of a complex history. This text is interspersed with quotations from the individuals involved in this remarkable trial.