The pattern of coronary heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Indigenous Australians differs to that in non-Indigenous Australians. This paper shows that Indigenous Australians have higher hospitalisation and death rates for these conditions than non-Indigenous Australians, and are more likely to die from these conditions at younger ages. However there are some encouraging trends seen in the Indigenous population, such as declining death rates from coronary heart disease, improved chronic disease management and declining smoking rates.