Indigenous Collaboration 2007

INDIGENOUS COLLABORATION 2007

ASPIRING TO NEW HEIGHTS

The best of both worlds

BYO board shorts

Converting attitudes

Cultural differences in the classroom

The legacy that keeps giving

Youth on the right path

INDIGENOUS COLLABORATION

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CONTENTS 2 Message from the Vice-Chancellor and President , Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), and Head, Wollotuka School of Aboriginal Studies 4 Wollotuka has profound impact 6 The legacy that keeps giving 7 A long road to tertiary qualifications 8 The voice of experience 10 Converting attitudes 11 Aspiring to new heights 12 BYO board shorts – summer school’s in 13 Yapug enabling program plays critical role 14 An enduring connection 15 The best of both worlds 16 Cultural differences in the classroom 17 University of Newcastle supports Indigenous medical students 18 Making the world a better place 19 Taking students under his wing 20 Walking in the footsteps of elders 22 Looking out for each other 23 An unexpected journey 24 Reaching beyond the known 26 Wollotuka Resource Centre – A journey of discovery 27 Using experience and vision to break down the barriers 28 Youth on the right path

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MESSAGE FROM THE VICE-CHANCELLOR AND PRESIDENT, DEPUTY VICE-CHANCELLOR (ACADEMIC), AND HEAD, WOLLOTUKA SCHOOL OF ABORIGINAL STUDIES

INDIGENOUS COLLABORATION

The University of Newcastle is recognised nationally for its active support of the aspirations of Indigenous people through access to higher education.

This inaugural edition of Indigenous Collaboration highlights the strength of the University’s commitment to empowering Indigenous people through education, and the commitment of Indigenous people to discovering the power of education. Education linked with traditional knowledge will ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people maintain cultural practices and values as well as advance and contribute to society more widely.

The University nurtures and facilitates respect for Aboriginal tradition. Our aim is to increase the number of Indigenous graduates at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Currently around 400 Indigenous students are enrolled at the University, from just two in 1983.

Professor Kevin McConkey Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)

Professor Nicholas Saunders Vice-Chancellor and President

Indigenous students come to the University through a range of entry pathways, including standard admission from high school, articulation from TAFE studies, the Yapug program, and special admission procedures.

The University is home to some of the most prolific and insightful Indigenous students, academics and researchers in Australia. We are immensely proud of them and the diverse and unique range of issues and themes in which they are involved. The stories contained in Indigenous Collaboration reflect the sense of community strongly identified in Indigenous culture, and the supportive and collaborative activity of the University.

Professor John Maynard Head, Wollotuka School of Aboriginal Studies

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INDIGENOUS COLLABORATION

WOLLOTUKA HAS PROFOUND IMPACT It comes as no surprise that Professor John Maynard, Chair of Aboriginal Studies and Head of Wollotuka, School of Aboriginal Studies at the University of Newcastle, describes Wollotuka as “a special place.”

After all, it has had a profound impact on the course of John’s life – just as it continues to play a key role in the welfare of today’s Indigenous students.

John’s traditional roots lie with the Worimi people of Port Stephens, New South Wales.

Looking back on his early years, John describes himself as, “an underachiever at school – a daydreamer. There was nothing I could connect to, and the result is that I don’t have a single fond memory of my schooling.” Once in the workforce, John held a variety of manual jobs – none of which predicted his later academic success. It wasn’t until age 39 that John stumbled upon Wollotuka, seeking advice and material that would help him investigate his family history, a legacy that

included the work of his grandfather – renowned 1920s Aboriginal activist Fred Maynard.

It was an undertaking that would take John on a most unexpected journey. He explains, “The (then) Director of Wollotuka, Tracey Bunda, virtually kidnapped me into doing a Diploma of Aboriginal Studies. I took to study like a duck to water.”

Developing a growing hunger for learning, John began applying for research grants and now has a total of 30 grants, prizes and consultancies to his name.

John attributes his remarkable

success in this area to his interest in a diverse and unique range of previously unexplored themes – issues that include Aboriginal involvement in the steel industry, comparatives of the Aboriginal and Native American Indian experience, and the history of relationships between Aboriginal men and white women.

John’s research has taken him on a diverse geographic journey – having held positions at Flinders University in South Australia, Australian National University and even Boston University.

Along the way he has scaled great academic heights. In 1996 he was the recipient of the Aboriginal History (ANU) Stanner Fellowship. Three years later John completed his undergraduate degree, and by 2003 he had completed a PhD examining the rise of early Aboriginal political activism.

In 2005, John took his young family to the United States where he spent a year at Boston University as a Visiting Scholar.

On his return to Australia, he was

INDIGENOUS COLLABORATION

Citing his role of Head of School at Wollotuka as “a seven days a week job,” John’s work extends beyond the University grounds, encompassing extensive collaboration with local, regional and remote Indigenous communities. “There’s a great deal of scepticism about tertiary study in the Indigenous community,” says John. But his passion for Aboriginal education is infectious. As he points out, “None of us here at Wollotuka came through as normal students. We all came to education later in life.” And eager to spread the word, John conducts numerous seminars and workshops, and has also taken his message on the road in a series of travelling workshops to rural communities. He believes, “If we can make good community connections we can inspire others to make change.”

John acknowledges that for many Indigenous students the challenge of higher education is as much financial as it is cultural.

“A lot of Indigenous people come from socially disadvantaged groups, often with the pressure of a young family to support in addition to caring for the extended family. These pressures mean graduates leave as soon as they have their degree. The challenge is to keep students going, and this can only be done with scholarships and support schemes.”

Already the role that the University is playing in the lives of Indigenous students is evolving.

John explains, “There was a time when we ultimately sought to deliver our students a job in either a government department or Indigenous organisation.

These days however Indigenous students are broadening beyond Aboriginal Studies to take on mainstream degrees.”

John likens the staff at Wollotuka to family, adding, “Everybody here has a voice. There’s no hierarchy where one person is

boss. We are all basically aiming for the same goals – encouraging others to achieve more, and creating opportunities for ourselves, our families and communities and ultimately for the Aboriginal nation.”

While John credits his grandfather Fred Maynard for part of his success saying, “If it wasn’t for him I would never have come to the University of Newcastle looking for information,” he is also grateful to the Indigenous people who “saw the value of my work.”

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The same fostering approach is self-evident at Wollotuka today as Indigenous student numbers are currently around 400 – up from just two in 1983. As today’s Head of School, John’s own experience provides clear evidence of the value of the nurturing environment offered at the University and Wollotuka. As John points out, “If anyone had told me a little over a decade ago that I would be a professor at the University of Newcastle I would never have thought it possible.

My background shows clearly what we can all achieve.”

We are all basically aiming for the same goals – encouraging others to achieve more, and creating opportunities for ourselves, our families and communities and ultimately for the Aboriginal nation

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approached by the University of Newcastle to take up the role of Head of School at Wollotuka.

While initially reluctant to give up his research work, John bowed to the request and has held the position since 2006.

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Tertiary education is essential in the struggle for employment and independence

THE LEGACY THAT KEEPS GIVING The history of the Newcastle Aboriginal Support Group (NASG) dates back to its first gatherings in 1981. At the time, Jack Doherty, a science lecturer at the University of Newcastle, had drawn together a number of like-minded people and set about establishing a platform from which non-Aboriginal people could listen to the opinions and aspirations of the Aboriginal community of Newcastle.

NASG Secretary Rodney Knock, explains, “We are grey and ageing and yet we will continue to do what we can.

A number of our membership worked with Aboriginal communities in rural and remote settings in New South Wales and elsewhere during the ‘50s and ‘60s and knew first hand of the injustices and hardship that people faced. So we will continue to do what we can.”

After a series of consultations with key Aboriginal leaders, the NASG began helping to increase the awareness of the issues facing Aboriginal Australians among the broader population.

Jack campaigned tirelessly in the 1980s for true recognition and justice for Aboriginal people.

Sadly, he passed away in 1990.

It’s now 2007 and with many of its long-standing members approaching their senior years, the Aboriginal support group’s focus and commitment to helping Aboriginal people remains strong.

Apart from financially supporting Indigenous students at the University, NASG also aims to promote better understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. It also supports local and national initiatives proposed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups.

NASG, which has around 150 members, meets bi-monthly and its activities include organising forums and workshops on Indigenous issues. The group is also heavily involved in lobbying governments for improved land

rights and to raise awareness about the retreating role of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission.

Led by the late Greg Heys in 1997/98, NASG formed the Guraki panel, an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advisory group, which assists Newcastle City Council.

As part of NASG’s community commitment, it established the Jack Doherty Undergraduate Scholarship in 1992 for Indigenous students studying at the University. The focus of the scholarship is to highlight the importance of tertiary education for the Aboriginal community.

Rodney says, “NASG also agreed to support the scholarship as a practical memorial to Jack.”

The $2,000 scholarship provides Indigenous students with the financial support needed to continue at university and is an example of how the

University of Newcastle assists its students. Funded solely from NASG donations, the Jack Doherty Scholarship has been presented to nearly 80 students in the past decade.

“Tertiary education is essential in the struggle for employment and independence. In a time of cynicism and diminished care by the wider Australian community, we have a cause, which justifies every cent given,” said Rodney.

“Several of the scholarship winners have distinguished themselves and most of them are committed to using their talents in the service of their communities.”

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For most tertiary students, the path to a degree is a long one.

For Gail Koeford, the journey is long in every sense. A student at the University of Newcastle’s Port Macquarie campus, each week Gail makes an eight-hour return trip from her home in Gunnedah to Port Macquarie to study for her Bachelor of Nursing degree.

Having worked in nursing for 16 years, Gail is formalising her qualifications through her degree. Presently in her first year of the course, Gail believes the degree will enhance her career progression and help her branch out into other areas of nursing.

Gail acknowledges that she could have chosen a university closer to home, but after comparing the available options, she believed the University of Newcastle’s degree was the best available. In addition

to the face-to-face teaching she receives at Port Macquarie, Gail is also able to complete part of her studies over the internet.

However she describes the full-time study load as challenging – especially when she is continuing to work five nursing shifts each fortnight back in her home town of Gunnedah.

Despite the challenges, Gail says, “Study is getting easier though at first it was a big transition to start studying at university.” She’s also grateful for the assistance she receives from the Wollotuka Indigenous Support Unit. “There is always plenty of mentoring and support,” says Gail. “Something that has been especially helpful with tutoring.”

Gail explains, “With my background in nursing there is a great deal of course content that I’m already familiar with.

But I found some of the more theoretical subjects, like bioscience, particularly challenging, and part of the difficulty is that I’m a long way from the campus. I could phone my lecturers for help, but talking with someone over the phone

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doesn’t always make complex topics easier to understand.”

It was an area where the University was able to provide Gail with outstanding and individual assistance, helping to locate, and fund, a tutor in her local area. It’s a helping hand that Gail believes has assisted her through the more challenging aspects of her studies.

Once her degree is completed, Gail plans to specialise and become a midwife. It means an additional year of study, and recognising that she may need to take a break, Gail is hoping to spend time sharing her nursing skills with remote Indigenous communities.

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With my background in nursing there is a great deal of course content that I’m already familiar with

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A LONG ROAD TO TERTIARY QUALIFICATIONS

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THE VOICE OF EXPERIENCE The University of Newcastle has established Wollotuka as a beacon for Indigenous students.

The University is committed to the best possible education, support and encouragement as well as introducing Indigenous students to the influences of important members of the local community, such as elders Uncle Ron Gordon and Aunty Peggy Skeffington.

Ron is an Ngemba/Barkintji man from the far west region of New South Wales. In 1979, while living on a mission in Brewarrina, 98 kilometres from Bourke, Ron made the crucial decision to pull up stumps and take his family to the big smoke of Newcastle.

The local elder vividly remembers the mission days living on a reserve, and says, “Life was a real struggle and a real battle.” Many kids were forcibly removed and taken away. Moreover the teacher at Ron’s local primary school wasn’t qualified to teach above third class. “We had to work with our hands, it seems that was what was intended for us,” recalls Ron. After finishing school, Ron worked for many years as a shearer. But the backbreaking work left Ron fearing for his health and the wellbeing of his family.

The hardworking Ron was determined a good education was critical to improving his family’s

situation. Ron explains, “Because we fell short on education, my wife and I made the decision [to move to Newcastle] together so that our children would have a good education.”

The Ngemba/Barkintji man was determined to consider all opportunities. He immediately applied for a position with Aboriginal Hostels Limited, which has provided temporary accommodation services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people since 1973.

Apart from accommodation, the job involved providing management and live-in care for young teenage boys from all

INDIGENOUS COLLABORATION

For the past 16 years, Ron Gordon has fulfilled the role of General Manager for the Awabakal Local Aboriginal Land Council. This position has allowed the former Brewarrina resident to take an active interest in community affairs.

In recognition of his community work, Ron was appointed to the University’s Board of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education and Training in 2006.

He is also acknowledged as an Elder of the Newcastle Aboriginal community, a tribute that makes Ron extremely proud. “I feel real humble by that title and it makes me very proud,” says Uncle Ron Gordon.

Like Ron, Aunty Peggy Skeffington, a senior Wonnarua custodian, is also a highly respected Elder of Upper Hunter Valley Aboriginal community with a firm commitment to the virtues of tertiary education provided by the University.

In the 1990s, when Aunty Peggy reached her 60s, she convinced her daughter to enrol with her at TAFE. She completed an Aboriginal education course and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Given her own commitment to education and Elder status, it’s hardly surprising that Aunty Peggy is now heavily involved in the Indigenous student entry process at the University. She sits on the interview panel that considers each applicant and this enables her to meet many of the young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people eager to study at the University of Newcastle.

As a member of the entry panel, Aunty Peggy is always full of admiration and respect for young people with the courage and determination to pursue tertiary education. She explains, “The minute they walk through that door looking to get a better education, they’re already winners in my eyes.”

Aunty Peggy has regularly attended meetings of her local Aboriginal education consultative group for the last 15 years. It keeps her current with any changes that may threaten the rights of young Aboriginal people, a luxury older generations fought so hard to obtain. “My Grandmother, she stood up to them, the government.

I mean, she fought for what was right,” recalls Aunty Peggy.

A very caring and considerate supporter of both the University, Wollotuka and the Indigenous programs, Aunty Peggy is strong in the old ways called the ‘Grandmother law’. Indeed her own grandmother was a tower of strength to a large extended family, which she managed to keep together through some extremely difficult times. Aunty Peggy explains, “She made us kids learn to read and write and we had to go to school no matter what.”

Aunty Peggy adds, “I hope and pray that Wollotuka can keep on doing the job that it is doing for many years to come, so that students know where to go for help with their education.”

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The minute they walk through that door looking to get a better education, they’re already winners in my eyes

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over New South Wales. Ron secured the job and eventually provided 13 years of service to Aboriginal Hostels Limited and has since forged lifelong friendships with many of the young men he cared for.

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CONVERTING ATTITUDES

Still considering a secondary teaching career, Brooke completed a Diploma of Education following her degree.

While waiting for a posting, Brooke was approached by Wollotuka’s then Head, John Lester, to consider taking on an honours year, again majoring in english literature. For Brooke, this proved a pivotal point. She says, “I really loved completing my honours year – for the first time ever I was really thinking.

I discovered new levels of knowledge and my own ability to question the mainstream way of thought.” Brooke adds, “The research for my honours thesis allowed me to explore my own Aboriginality.”

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The research for my honours thesis allowed me to explore my own Aboriginality

The experience of completing this thesis encouraged Brooke to “Give it another four year years at University,” and she committed to PhD research investigating Australian children’s literature from an Indigenous perspective.

According to Brooke, “Even from the days of early colonisation there was a massive awareness of Aboriginal presence. It wasn’t necessarily explicit – but was mentioned via appearances or encounters.” Nonetheless, many of these images were negative.

“It has only really been in the last

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Dr Brooke Collins-Gearing is only half joking when she says she started her degree at the University of Newcastle to escape her home town of Moree. Undertaking a Bachelor of Arts majoring in english literature, Brooke initially thought she may pursue a teaching career though she admits, “I wasn’t really working towards anything.” Despite these inauspicious beginnings, Brooke has gone on to achieve a distinguished academic career, including becoming the University of Newcastle’s first Indigenous PhD graduate.

Wollotuka is all about the collective benefit rather than the individual

15 years or so that the depiction of Indigenous people in children’s literature has improved, and much of this is attributable to the growing prominence of Indigenous authors.”

By age 28, Brooke CollinsGearing had completed her PhD. The subsequent challenges she has faced involve juggling the status her qualification bestows between different cultures. She explains, “Some Aboriginal people see my PhD as too Westernised, and I need to remember who I am and where I came from. While my family is very proud of me, a PhD doesn’t do anything tangible back home. In the university environment by contrast, people often mistake me for a student because I’m young and female, yet I very much feel I’ve earned the right to be here. It can be a case of putting my qualifications on the backburner in one world, then stepping into another and having to push the issue.”

After such an intense period of tertiary study, Brooke enjoyed a few years of time out to raise her two young children in southern Queensland. In 2006 however, a position became available at Wollotuka, and in the space of just six weeks Brooke found herself back in familiar territory.

Brooke explains, “I made a conscious decision that I wanted to move into Aboriginal Studies and not stay in the mainstream.

Today I teach a variety of students – some who want to enhance their knowledge of Aborigines, others because the subject fits in

with their schedule, and others who come with a defensive attitude and are only undertaking Aboriginal Studies because their degree demands it. This latter group of students are the ones who are truly great to work with.

I can see a real conversion in their attitude by the end of the course.”

The support of the University has played a pivotal role in Brooke’s time both as a student and a staff member at Wollotuka. She confirms, “The sense of belonging and support provided by the staff at Wollotuka has always pushed my insecurities to one side.

“Having Wollotuka behind me was a driving force in completing my PhD,” says Brooke. “The staff always understood where I was coming from, and unlike some schools within other universities, Wollotuka is all about the collective benefit rather than the individual.”

As a teacher of today’s undergraduates at the University, Brooke believes she has come the full circle, saying, “I feel a real affinity with those students who are still working out their own identity. Yet at the same time it’s great to see far more confidence in my students rather than a self-questioning of whether or not they should really be here.”

She adds, “The wonderful thing is that through the University of Newcastle, students are coming to Wollotuka for more. They’re not just getting information to become an engineer or a scientist – they are coming here to find out who they are.”

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ASPIRING TO NEW HEIGHTS

For Allison Burgess, a traineeship at the University of Newcastle took her life in a new direction. Allison’s career aspirations became a reality under the guidance of Lori Parish, Indigenous Employment Coordinator at the University.

In pursuing these goals, the University has formed a number of partnerships with community groups including Mission Australia, Wesley Uniting Employment and Employment Plus. The idea is to tap into these agencies to achieve the common goal of transferring Indigenous people from welfare to employment.

As evidence of these outcomes, the University has a very strong tradition of employing and supporting Indigenous staff across all areas of activity. Along the way, Lori provides support, nurturing and skill-sharing to “help people realise their full potential.” She describes her reward as, “an overwhelming sense of pride in seeing Indigenous people aspire to new heights.”

This was certainly the outcome for Allison, who completed a business administration traineeship with the University of Newcastle in 2005-06.

After leaving school in Year 11, Allison pursued a retail career, but by her early 20s was looking for fresh challenges. Not only was Allison successful in applying for and completing her traineeship, at Lori Parish’s

suggestion she entered the NSW Training Awards in the category of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.

To her surprise and delight, Allison won her category – a victory that has provided the inspiration to scale new heights.

Allison is now enrolled in a Bachelor of Social Science degree, majoring in Aboriginal Studies. Just to add a little extra challenge, she is also completing a Diploma of Human Resources through the Open Training and Education Network.

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It’s a solid workload for this young woman, who juggles her studies with a full-time career while caring for her pre-schooler. But Allison, with the support of the University, is continually moving her own goal posts forward. She says, “The traineeship really kicked things off for me, giving me the confidence to enrol in University.

I just want to learn more now and combine my studies with work experience to step up the career ladder. It’s all about taking opportunities and taking chances. You never know where it can lead you.”

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Now in her seventh year in the job, Lori describes her role as, “the conduit between Indigenous communities and employer groups.” But the involvement goes beyond job placement. Lori explains, “It’s important to do more than bring people into a role – it’s essential that skills aren’t allowed to stagnate, and that means bringing people into traineeships, seeing them through their coursework and helping them move on to more mainstream positions.”

It’s important to do more than bring people into a role – it’s essential that skills aren’t allowed to stagnate

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At the University of Newcastle, support for Indigenous students is provided well before they enter the University’s gates.

The Indigenous Australian Engineering Summer School (IAESS) is just one example of this support, with a program that offers Indigenous high school students from around Australia a taste of the engineering profession and what it involves.

BYO BOARD SHORTS – SUMMER SCHOOL’S IN

The IAESS is an annual event first established in 1999 by Engineering Aid – a philanthropic organisation committed to providing engineering services to disadvantaged communities in Australia and overseas.

Designed to encourage Indigenous Australians to consider a career in the engineering profession, the Summer School is a week-long live-in course that showcases what engineering is all about. It provides a forum for students to meet engineering role models, and gain insights into the opportunities engineering can offer to all communities.

Organising the Summer School calls for a joint effort from a number of Australian universities – including the University of Newcastle. Part of this collaboration involves deciding which students will attend the School from the multitude that apply. Professor John Carter, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment at the University of Newcastle, says, “Entry to the IAESS is highly sought after, and as many as 1,000 students from around the country apply for a place.” With places for only 20 students, Professor Carter explains, “Selecting the successful applicants is not an easy task. The final decision is usually based on a composite of enthusiasm and the academic proficiency necessary to meet the rigorous demands of the engineering profession.”

In 2007, the IAESS is being held at the University of Newcastle, with students residing at one of the University’s Residential Colleges. Participants are supervised at all times by University staff and Indigenous peer mentors. According to Professor Carter, daily activities during the IAESS include tours of engineering facilities at the

University followed by visits to on-site engineering operations.

The School aims to promote teamwork and communication skills, with several competitions to motivate and inspire both individual and group involvement.

The Summer School is made possible through the sponsorship of a range of organisations including engineering companies, government departments and private donors.

Travel costs to and from Sydney, as well as accommodation and Summer School fees are provided without charge to the participants. Students’ only financial needs are for pocket money when travelling and during their stay at the University.

The IAESS week concludes with a graduation dinner where former Prime Minister, the Hon. Bob Hawke, Patron of the Summer School attends, followed by a reception for both participants and sponsors hosted by the Governor-General, Major General Michael Jeffery.

Interestingly, Professor Carter notes that the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment is not always the key beneficiary of the IAESS. Students attending the Summer School may enter the University of Newcastle following matriculation, but head off to other faculties to pursue different areas of learning.

Irrespective of where students finally settle their interests, the IAESS plays a valuable role in opening doors to Indigenous students.

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The decision to undertake a tertiary education is never made lightly. But for a mature age student with a pre-schooler in tow the prospect of higher education is even more challenging. For first-year Bachelor of Commerce student Carolyn Schiavo, the Yapug Enabling Program and the support of the University of Newcastle played a pivotal role in her quest for a degree.

A one-year full-time program, Yapug is designed to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people gain skills for entry into health and other professions. It includes courses important to the development of the skills and competencies necessary for tertiary studies.

With a successful career to her name, the birth of Carolyn’s daughter four years ago brought her to something of a crossroads in life. Carolyn had extensive experience in accounting and was accustomed to putting in long hours at work. But like many parents, she wanted more balance in her life. Carolyn seized the opportunity to undertake tertiary studies however she faced two keys issues. Carolyn explains, “I wasn’t confident enough to go straight to university, and I was worried that if I didn’t make it through the first semester, I’d still be left with a student debt.”

Yapug helped Carolyn clear both hurdles. She says, “Yapug was one of the best things I have ever done. It taught me so much and

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really built my confidence, so I knew I could handle a degree.

The compulsory part of the course taught me valuable learning and research skills, but I also learned other skills, ie how to talk to elderly Indigenous people.”

During her Yapug year, Carolyn spent much of her time at Wollotuka Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Centre – and she still does. “Wollotuka has a very relaxed atmosphere and there is always plenty of help available. It’s a wonderful base to meet people and it also has excellent resources including computer facilities and a great Indigenous library.”

At this stage, Carolyn plans to major in finance, expecting to complete her degree in three or four years. Ultimately, she hopes to become a financial planner working with Indigenous communities in the Newcastle area. She says, “I don’t believe money should control our lives – there has to be a balance. I want to help Aboriginal people find that balance in their lives.”

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Wollotuka has a very relaxed atmosphere and there is always plenty of help available here. It’s a wonderful base to meet people and it also has excellent resources including computer facilities and a great Indigenous library

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YAPUG ENABLING PROGRAM PLAYS CRITICAL ROLE

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The program offers excellent opportunities, and it’s definitely something I would recommend to other students

AN ENDURING CONNECTION Dedication, drive and the support of the University and Wollotuka have helped Tara Byron realise her long-term ambition of a career in communications. And despite juggling the demands of work, motherhood and a masters degree, Tara has the drive and determination to reach the top of her chosen profession.

Tara enrolled at the University of Newcastle to complete a Bachelor of Communications degree – a goal she had set herself from her high school days. In 2006, the third year of her degree, Tara chanced upon a poster on display at Wollotuka promoting Newcastle City Council’s Graduate Program, run in conjunction with Newcastle’s Civic Theatre.

Offered as part of the National Indigenous Cadetship Program, the year-long Graduate Program

combined paid work experience with additional training. Within days of applying, Tara was successful in winning a place in the Graduate Program.

The program certainly opened doors for Tara, who so impressed the staff of Newcastle City Council that she was offered a permanent role on completion of her cadetship. It was an offer she accepted, and she is still employed

by Newcastle City Council today.

Tara believes, “The program offers

excellent opportunities, and it’s definitely something I would recommend to other students.”

emotional support when my father passed away, and this meant a great deal to me.”

For Tara however, the challenge of additional tertiary education beckoned. In pursuit of “further intellectual challenge,” she is currently completing a Masters of Marketing at the University of Newcastle. It’s a substantial workload that calls for something of a juggling act with Tara balancing her career aspirations and study commitments while caring for her one-year-old daughter. It’s an achievement made all the more remarkable as Tara is just 21. Moreover her current success belies the personal hardship she overcame in the early years of her undergraduate degree.

Throughout her undergraduate degree, Tara continued to benefit from the support and encouragement offered by Wollotuka. She explains, “In my first year I sometimes struggled with the workload, and everyone was always keen to help – even contacting lecturers on my behalf.

Later, when I was considering the Newcastle City Council Graduate program, I received a great deal of encouragement.”

Not long after Tara enrolled at the University of Newcastle, her father passed away. She was struggling to come to terms with the loss, but found considerable support from the staff. She explains, “Wollotuka went beyond providing support through learning programs. The staff was also a valuable source of

These days, Tara is enjoying meeting the challenges she has set herself. She has “a passion for the media” and would like ultimately to work in marketing.

While keen to stay in the Newcastle area, Tara believes her ambitions could eventually take her further afield. With her masters degree due for completion in less than 12 months, it’s a case of ‘watch this space’ for Tara. Her formidable combination of drive, talent and commitment could take her as far as she wishes to go!

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THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS A talented athlete, Brett Lee was competing in state, national and international triathlon events while still at high school. During this period, Brett never envisaged the challenges that full-time university study would add to his already busy schedule.

Feeling like he needed to take stock of his situation Brett joined the Intensive Student Support Program provided by the University of Newcastle through Wollotuka. The ISSP provides assistance to Indigenous students who are considered to be at risk of failing their courses. By working with students to establish a time-management plan, as well as organising meetings before assessments are due, the ISSP helps students solve any problems they may be having.

The ISSP’s Bronwyn Kendrigan helped Brett develop a timemanagement plan that would allow him to successfully manage his studies in the Bachelor of Teaching/Bachelor of Arts program. “Bronwyn suggested I lay out my university workload so that I could focus on what was required and then I could develop a timetable of due dates,” recalls Brett.

But with such a tough training schedule in addition to increased study commitments, Brett realised he would need to make a major sacrifice if he wanted to do well

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academically. “I had to sacrifice one of my passions, at least in the short term, so I decided to take a year away from competition and sport,” said Brett.

With the decision to focus on his studies, Brett was able to complete five subjects in 2007 and has received plenty of encouragement for his scholastic efforts. The sports enthusiast considers these results to be a major improvement on his efforts from last year. “It was really satisfying to know that I gave up my training and competing to study better at uni. When it pays off it is really pleasing,” adds Brett.

That said, Brett still credits his sporting career as the original source of his teaching passion.

“I have always enjoyed helping my Dad out with coaching the younger kids in Forster,” recalls Brett.

Sport has also provided Brett with a natural teaching manner that he has now supplemented with academic skills thanks to the support of the University and Wollotuka. Well on his way to achieving his teaching degree, Brett is confident he will be an excellent teacher.

The budding educator is also extremely positive that the support from the University has given him an excellent chance with future employers. Brett says, “The NSW Department of Education is always on the look out for young male teachers.”

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The 21-year-old student at the University of Newcastle recalls the difficulties he faced in his first year of full-time study. “Living away from home and training between 20 and 30 hours per week I found it hard to adapt, I just struggled. I didn’t have that support around me and then I got injured and failed a few subjects,” explains Brett.

It was really satisfying to know that I gave up my training and competing to study better at uni.

When it pays off it is really pleasing

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CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN THE CLASSROOM

To understand the nature of Michael’s research, it’s worth taking a look at how Aboriginality is addressed in schools across New South Wales. As Michael explains, “The quality teaching framework currently calls for teachers to consider all the cultural and family differences – including those of Indigenous Australians. At present this framework, while representing good teaching practice, is not mandatory.”

Michael says, “My research aims to show that by identifying cultural differences in the classroom, Indigenous students will be more engaged, and hopefully have more positive educational outcomes.”

Additionally, Michael’s research will identify teaching practices that support Indigenous styles of learning, ultimately resulting

in academic publications as well as pedagogical materials for use in schools and Indigenous communities.

In emphasising the relevance of his work, Michael notes that across Years 7 to 10 in New South Wales schools, students are required to have only 100 hours of Aboriginal history/geography. He believes the result of this paucity of information means, “Australian society knows absolutely nothing about Aboriginal culture. The general level of awareness is very poor, with misleading stereotypes.”

Indeed, his work in the field has provided Michael with clear evidence of the value of his research. He recounts his experience working as an assistant in one particular Newcastle primary school saying, “When I first asked students ‘What is an Aboriginal?’ the responses were largely negative. After two years of folding Aboriginal culture into key learning areas, I repeated the question and the negative responses dropped remarkably.”

The merits of Michael’s PhD research aren’t limited to the Indigenous population. He points out, “Teaching students about Aboriginal culture doesn’t just have the potential to enhance the engagement of Indigenous students. It also benefits non-Indigenous Australians by breaking down negative stereotypes.”

Part of the problem stifling change within the classroom is the lack of understanding of Aboriginal culture among many teachers. Michael points out, “Many teachers are trying to do the right thing but there is often a failure to pick up on local Indigenous culture. This local element is extremely important in supporting Indigenous students, and it is something

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Since joining the University of Newcastle, Michael Donovan has set out to make a difference. The completion of his PhD – currently at the mid-way stage – should achieve just that.

that can be achieved through the involvement of community elders and looking at role models of local Aborigines.”

Without this, Michael says, “There is no point of reference for Indigenous students.”

In addition to his PhD studies, Michael is a member of staff at the University of Newcastle. In 1996, following completion of his Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) at the University of Western Sydney, Michael took on a 12-month role at Wollotuka as a project officer.

He has remained with the University ever since and currently holds the position of associate lecturer. As a teacher, he believes the University of Newcastle is to be commended on the decision to make Aboriginal Studies a mandatory

Australian society knows absolutely nothing about Aboriginal culture. The general level of awareness is very poor, with misleading stereotypes

INDIGENOUS COLLABORATION

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UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE SUPPORTS INDIGENOUS MEDICAL STUDENTS University of Newcastle fourth-year medical student, Beimop (BJ) Tapim hails from remote Murray Island in the Torres Strait, which was also home to famous Aboriginal Land Rights crusader Eddy (Koiki) Mabo.

As a teenager, BJ was thrust into boarding school at All Souls in Charters Towers.

Despite the trials and tribulations of his unfamiliar surroundings, the modest Murray Islander completed Year 12 in 1994. “I did okay at school,” says BJ. “But my whole plan involved getting into the Navy.”

After leaving All Souls, BJ applied for and was accepted by the Australian Navy. BJ started his maritime career as a medic and was a Medical Officer, when a Navy doctor convinced him to try medicine.

Now 30, BJ selected the University of Newcastle based on its significant contribution to the ranks of Indigenous medical doctors in Australia. component of the Bachelor of Education. Michael explains, “Since 1999, we’ve had 500 to 600 education students pass through the School of Aboriginal studies each year.”

Of Wollotuka itself, Michael says, “It is the first workplace I have ever been a part of where everyone is an Aboriginal.” In addition to describing the School of Aboriginal Studies as a “lovely family environment” Michael quips, “It is a place where I can tell a joke and everybody understands it.”

Michael says, “The University of Newcastle and Wollotuka have a very strong connection with the community.” He adds, “The community relays its needs and we are able to adjust our programs for this.” With a further two years of his PhD to complete, there is no doubt Michael’s research will uncover additional findings, which will help all Australians gain a better understanding of who they are, and where they belong in contemporary Australian society.

After taking leave without pay from the Navy, the determined BJ completed a bridging course in chemistry at the University of New South Wales.

“I passed that and that university invited me to do medicine there.

But the University of Newcastle accepted me. My uncle, who is also a medic, advised me to do medicine at the University of Newcastle because it’s a five-year course compared with six everywhere else,” recalled BJ. “The statistics in favour of the University of Newcastle also looked pretty good as well.”

The Torres Strait Islander says he wasn’t overconfident about his academic prospects. However, with the backing of his family and the University, he is now on the cusp of his final year.

“The University offers very good support, not only to Indigenous medical students but students throughout the University.

There’s always tutoring available.”

The independent-minded BJ also landed himself the Eddy (Koiki) Mabo Scholarship.

This was awarded by benefactors

Roger and Pat Reardon, who make it their purpose to ensure those from disadvantaged backgrounds have access to higher education.

“Uncle Koiki Mabo is from Murray Island and I wanted the scholarship to help me get through university without struggling.” To apply for the Scholarship, BJ wrote an essay, and now receives a $5,000 annual grant for his initiative.

In addition to the support of the Faculty of Health, BJ says Wollotuka has been of huge assistance. “Wollotuka is more than the one building on campus.

Its support and culture is there to help us get through the difficult times. The staff are always quick to help me out. They have their own style about how they deal with issues. It’s more Black Fella way,” describes BJ. “It’s the language they use. I come from a remote background and English is my second language. It’s really good to come in and relax and use our own Indigenous talk.”

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MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE Mick is a Narwan man, hailing from the New England region of NSW. Now in his 50s, Mick admits that until the age of 30 he “hated education.” He recalls, “Back in my day, people never saw an Aboriginal person finish high school, let alone go further.

The Aboriginal kids in our school were all lumped together, and staff didn’t see you as worthwhile.” He poignantly recalls how he was discouraged from finishing Year 11, saying, “The headmaster introduced a new rule saying students needed a particular uniform. Our parents couldn’t afford it, and so we were effectively embarrassed out of school.” Little wonder, the school system left a bad taste in the young man’s mouth. Yet today he declares, “I can’t get enough of education.”

The turnaround began with Mick’s association with the University and Wollotuka in the early 1980s.

Mick explains, “I had completed several traineeships that were designed to secure a place in the workforce. In reality, employers were receiving subsides to hire me and as soon as the traineeships were completed I was moved on.”

After completing several such schemes Mick had been passed from one government department to another. In 1980 he decided to acquire his own qualifications, and completed an Associate Diploma of Social Welfare.

Of the many success stories from the University of Newcastle, Michael Davison’s is one of the most distinctive.

He is a great example of how the University’s Indigenous partnerships can open doors for all Australians, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, while enriching our culture in the process.

From here, Mick worked with the Department of Employment, Education and Training in a role that saw him travelling throughout the Hunter region helping Indigenous parents fund education for their children. In 1987 he backed up his earlier studies by commencing a Bachelor of Arts degree with Wollotuka while still working – this time as a high school liaison officer. Mick travelled throughout New South Wales, speaking with Indigenous students and encouraging them to complete their education.

Between 1996 and 2002, Mick ran a freelance business travelling throughout communities with his much-loved didgeridoo. His interest in the didge is strong, and although he had never completed his Bachelor of Arts degree, his graduate status was bestowed on him through Recommended Prior Learning, which acknowledged the value of his life experience and history. This opened the door for Mick to take his studies further – this time in tandem with his well-travelled didge.

Starting in 2002, Mick completed a Master of Creative Arts degree at the University of Newcastle’s Conservatorium of Music. His thesis, ‘Introducing the Orchestra to the Didge’, involved the creation of a notation system for the didgeridoo – a unique undertaking and one Mick believes does more than legitimise the music of the didge.

He explains, “Originally the didge was only ever played around the Arnhem Land region where it was used by about 30 different tribes.

Traditionally known as the Yadagi, it has travelled through trade routes down through the rest of Australia over the last 200 years.”

By developing his unique notation system, Mick is convinced the didge is an instrument all people can learn to play.

Of the University and Wollotuka, Mick says, “I’ve spent half my life there,” and from next year that association is set to strengthen.

From 2008, the man who, as a youth was ‘embarrassed’ out of school, will be undertaking a PhD. He jokingly says, “The staff at Wollotuka can’t get rid of me.”

These days, in addition to running his own business, Mick likes to speak with Wollotuka’s new students to offer his own words of encouragement.

He says, “When you speak to these students from the heart, they know you’re genuine and they respect your advice.” That’s what the University is doing – inspiring students to keep going to make the world a better place.

INDIGENOUS COLLABORATION

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TAKING STUDENTS UNDER HIS WING John Doolah is a proud member of the Murray Island people of the Torres Strait. A resident of Newcastle, John is completing an honours degree in Aboriginal Studies at the University of Newcastle.

After leaving school, John followed in the footsteps of his dad and uncles and joined a fettler gang, working in the railway track maintenance industry. He spent a number of years travelling around the country, eventually arriving in Newcastle in 1980.

Over the next 15 years, John continued to work as a fettler.

However the ambition to improve his education burned brightly inside him. He wanted more from life and felt he was not using his mind to full advantage. In 1995, John decided to act and enrolled at the University of Newcastle as a full-time student.

John explains, “It was time to get the cobwebs out,” – and get them out he did. With the help of the University and Wollotuka, John graduated with a Bachelor of Aboriginal Studies and a Bachelor of Applied Science (Consumer Science) in 2004.

However John is determined to achieve more.

Studying full-time requires vision, determination and resolve and as John explains, “Any student who comes to university must learn to learn – this is what I have done.”

He has also acquired many additional skills such as the ability to research, communicate and write.

A recipient of a Jack Doherty Scholarship in 2005, John was enthusiastically studying for an honours degree in Aboriginal

Studies and found himself in financial difficulties. He explains, “While completing my thesis I wanted to research the issue of diabetes in the Indigenous communities on the Central Coast. The Jack Doherty Scholarship helped me with travel and other associated costs to complete my research.” Jack Doherty was a lecturer at the University of Newcastle who started the Newcastle Aboriginal Support Group. This group brings together non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal Australians to assist the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

John is also extremely generous in his praise for the teaching staff and support program at Wollotuka and today is a lecturer at the School of Aboriginal Studies. In other words, the student is now the teacher.

It is a job that makes John very proud and he believes he brings a wealth of experience to the role that is proving a big help for current students at the University. John explains, “You see I know what they’re going through. When that self doubt is in your mind it is very hard to overcome. However with good support, guidance and encouragement you can do it.”

John has blazed an academic pathway for future Indigenous students who attend the University and is an inspiration for Indigenous Australians from the Torres Strait. He

demonstrated his inspirational streak when Toby Whaleboat, a relative, enrolled at the University. John explains, “We are cousins and have a similar background coming from the Torres Strait.” Taking the freshman under his wing, John mentored Toby through the early days of university life.

At the end of the day, developing the rigor required to complete a university degree requires a determination and commitment to succeed.

Fortunately, for students new to the University and Wollotuka, they have John Doolah in their corner helping them to overcome these initial hurdles.

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WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ELDERS

INDIGENOUS COLLABORATION

As the longest serving member of staff at Wollotuka, Deirdre Heitmeyer is well placed to talk about the history of the University of Newcastle’s School of Aboriginal Studies.

In 1991 two key teaching positions at Wollotuka were advertised by the University.

With encouragement from close friends and associates, Deirdre successfully applied for the position of lecturer. Upon arrival she was informed the newly appointed Director of the School, Tracy Bunda, was taking maternity leave, and Deirdre found herself thrust into the role of Acting Head of School.

It was a job Deirdre was to become familiar with over the following years. Moreover with the strong support provided by Professor Mick Carter, she also built some of the earliest foundations of the Wollotuka School.

Tracy Bunda returned from leave in 1992 and Deirdre reverted to her original position. With the backing of the University, Tracy and Deirdre expanded many of the current programs, including the Diploma of Aboriginal Studies, which in 1999 was upgraded to a Bachelor of Aboriginal Studies. Deirdre and Tracy also shared responsibility for teaching a major in Aboriginal Studies as part of the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Social Science degrees. As well as their teaching tasks, the duo also supported all Aboriginal students at the University of Newcastle.

Over the next few years, Deirdre’s teaching load would also include ongoing academic support for a wide range of students at the University who

were completing third and fourth-year education studies.

It was around this time that the ‘Earth Charter’, which stemmed from the Indigenous Earth Summit in Brazil 1992, inspired Deirdre. The enthusiastic teacher was deeply struck by the line – “we walk in the footsteps of our ancestors.” She explains, “This got me thinking about my own life and that of our people here in Australia.”

Deirdre immediately began retracing her own life journey and that of her ancestors. Her birth mother was a Koamu woman from northern New South Wales.

Her father was the owner of a property close to Rowena Station, a large pastoral property.

Deirdre’s mother was forcibly removed from her traditional country and placed at the Cootamundra home for girls and was eventually placed at Rowena.

When Deirdre was born she was adopted by a local station hand and his wife. Eventually Deirdre’s family moved to Maitland, which was the start of her strong affiliation with the Hunter Valley, including schooling in Maitland and Newcastle.

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When the University established Wollotuka in 1990, Deirdre was approached by John Heath, who asked her to consider a part-time teaching position at the Indigenous facility. She was to be involved in delivering the study skills component of the Aboriginal Bridging Program. As Deirdre explains, “The School did not have a lot of teaching staff at that time. I accepted and continued in this role for about a year.”

I was teaching the kids nobody wanted to teach and I loved it After leaving school, Deirdre was accepted by the University of Newcastle. The diligent student decided teaching would be the best way to support herself.

Deirdre explains, “My parents were earning too much money for me to get any assistance.

If I elected to study teaching, I could get some assistance and eventually secured a scholarship of $28 a fortnight. This was my living away from home allowance.”

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After completing her degree, Deirdre began teaching at Jesmond High School in Newcastle. She remained at the school for a number of years before returning to University to gain further qualifications including a degree that allowed her teach Special Education.

After graduation, Deirdre was posted first to King St Primary School at Singleton and then to Canley Vale School in Sydney’s inner southwest. With a very high population of people from a non-English speaking background, the enthusiastic teacher felt she might have found her calling. Deirdre explains, “I was teaching the kids nobody wanted to teach and I loved it.”

Now also armed with a newly acquired qualification, Deirdre found herself in an executive position for the first time. “In those days, not many teachers had degrees,” recalls Deirdre. “If you had a degree you were considered to be leadership material.” As a result of her new-found status, Deirdre not only helped her pupils but also was able to relocate her classroom to a more prominent position in the school.

Wollotuka’s longest serving staff member has recently decided to trim back her teaching hours at the University of Newcastle. The intention is to spend more time with family members. However, Deirdre still maintains a burning passion for Indigenous education and the role that Indigenous elders can continue to play in the life of students at the University.

Deirdre fondly recalls the occasion at the old Wollotuka building when she found herself speaking with some elders about the Centre’s new computers. As Deirdre tells it, “The elders uttered in amazement, ‘Who would have thought that we Aborigines would one day have all this’.”

Deirdre insists the Wollotuka community must never forget that the older people did not receive the benefits they fought so long and hard for. “We did and their grandchildren will,” declares a passionate Deirdre.

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LOOKING OUT FOR EACH OTHER

As representatives of the NUSA student collective, the dynamic duo meets every month with other representatives, which highlights the role Indigenous students are encouraged to play in campus life. During these discussions, Breanna and Toby help develop ways to assist students deal with vital student issues. These include access and equity as well as working towards a model of education promoted by the University that is free from racism, sexism and homophobia.

Toby explains, “We take any concerns from the Indigenous students and we are the voice at these meetings. We have formed a committee so that we can organise functions and look after any student issues on campus.”

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It just gives me a sense of achievement that I am able to do all that For example, Toby and Breanna are involved in organising the University of Newcastle’s participation in the National Indigenous Tertiary Education Student Games (NITESG) that was held this year in Wollongong.

NITESG began in 1996 as a University of Newcastle initiative.

“It has since grown into a sporting and social highlight, which attracts more than 200 Indigenous students and staff from universities all over Australia,” explains Toby.

In 2007, defending champs the University of Newcastle sent two mixed teams to NITESG, which competed in five sporting categories. These include touch football, volleyball, basketball, netball as well as traditional Indigenous games.

Breanna says NITESG is important because it enables people to get together and have some fun by playing sport.

“The games aim to promote

sportsmanship, fun and fitness,” says Breanna who is from the Wonnarua people who trace their ancestry back to the Upper Hunter Valley region in New South Wales. She is currently studying law and science and is interested in the field of environmental law.

Breanna is fully committed to providing on campus support and says this can have plenty of rewards, particularly for those new to the University. “It just gives me a sense of achievement that I am able to do all that,” explains Breanna. “I’ve become more confident and I can talk to people more easily.”

A descendant of the Merriam people from Murray Island, in the Torres Strait, Toby is just two years away from completing a degree in environmental studies.

Like Breanna he is completely dedicated to his role as a student representative at the University of Newcastle and to helping new students. Toby explains, “At the

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Breanna Casserly and Toby Whaleboat have extremely important roles to play at the University of Newcastle, especially since their election to the Newcastle University Students’ Association (NUSA) in 2007 as representatives of Wollotuka Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Centre.

start of the year we welcome the new students to University. We want them to feel comfortable because some have travelled from far away communities in New South Wales and some even from other states.”

Indeed Toby’s support for new students unquestionably dates back to his own early experiences at the University of Newcastle. “It was very hard.

I didn’t know how to do the work and [complete] the assignments.

But the staff helped me out and showed me how to get through it – although the first essay I wrote was, well, no good,” laughs Toby.

As for his thoughts on the University and Wollotuka, Toby says it’s the best place for Indigenous students to be.

“The staff here give you so much support, and you’re amongst your own people. You just know you’re at home, everyone just gets along really well and if I am stressing out I can come here to get away from everything.”

INDIGENOUS COLLABORATION

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AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY As Tom recalls, “My wife warned me that I would have to work hard, and I was certainly concerned about writing assignments.”

Undaunted, Tom maintained a full-time study load while working two days a week.

Tom completed the equivalent of his Higher School Certificate at boarding school in Warwick, Queensland in 1992. However at that stage he didn’t feel ready to undertake tertiary study and decided to join the workforce.

This included a job in the education field with Katherine School of the Air.

In regards to his university studies, Tom says, “To be honest I didn’t know what to expect. There were aspects of the course that I had life experience of – like living in communities. But there were plenty of aspects that I found very challenging – especially the research component.”

Tom was keen to pursue a career in either health or education because, “these are both areas where I can help people.” When Tom’s wife Angela Moore was called back to her hometown of Newcastle to be closer to her family, Tom took to the road with her.

Tom explains, “When we first arrived in Newcastle I was 27, and initially I was hoping to secure an apprenticeship but there was no work available. It was at that point I decided to enrol in university.”

Wollotuka was able to provide valuable support for Tom. He notes, “Everyone at Wollotuka gave me a great deal of help.

They were able to provide tutors if I was struggling with a subject and the lecturers always made themselves available to speak with students.”

With the passage of time, Tom embraced university life and formed support networks of his own. He says, “About halfway through my degree I realised everyone was going through the same sorts of experiences as me, and I started to build partnerships with other students.”

Ultimately Tom believes, “My degree definitely helped me secure a good job. But I also learnt of my personal history during the course of my degree. At one stage, I encountered a tape that recorded my grandmother speaking as a young woman.

She had passed away by then and it was a very emotional experience for me.”

Far from working in a trade, Tom is now a health professional with Hunter New England Health. He works in the area of community health, focusing on the needs of Aboriginal people. Currently he is involved in a program that screens school children for Otitis Media (essentially hearing difficulties), which he says afflicts a large number of Indigenous youngsters.

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Travelling among 70 schools in the Greater Newcastle area, Tom has certainly realised his ambition of helping others.

Keen to progress further along the career ladder, he has plans to complete a Certificate level TAFE course next year, to enhance his skills and understanding of Otitis Media.

While he believes “today’s school leavers enjoy better opportunities to take a break before embarking on tertiary study,” Tom also feels the chance to enrol at university is something today’s youngsters shouldn’t pass up. “You just never know where the path will lead you,” he says.

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It’s a long journey from Katherine in outback Northern Territory to Newcastle in New South Wales, and as University of Newcastle alumni and former Katherine resident Tom Croft knows, the road has many unexpected turns.

About halfway through my degree I realised everyone was going through the same sorts of experiences as me, and I started to build partnerships with other students

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REACHING BEYOND THE KNOWN

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I wouldn’t be where I am today without the backing of the staff at Wollotuka – and I know there are plenty of other students in a similar position

INDIGENOUS COLLABORATION

At the age of 29 Tara Mallie has acquired an impressive pedigree of tertiary qualifications. And not content to rest on her laurels, Tara is adding to the list, currently completing a masters degree at the University of Newcastle.

A descendant of Thursday Island people in the Torres Strait Island archipelago, Tara was born and raised on Darkinjung land on the New South Wales Central Coast. With an interest in architecture that extends back to her mid-teens, Tara is among the handful of Australia’s practising Indigenous architects.

Entering the University of Newcastle immediately after leaving school, Tara completed a Bachelor of Science (Architecture) degree in 1999, backing up immediately for a Bachelor of Arts degree, which she completed in 2001. Indeed, a 2002 Hansard report from the NSW Legislative Assembly makes mention of Tara’s graduation, in congratulating the work of Wollotuka, the University of Newcastle’s School of Aboriginal Studies.

Eager to pursue additional study, Tara then undertook a third degree – a Bachelor of Architecture – which she completed in 2004.

While Tara explains that architecture requires two degrees, she says her Bachelor of Arts, in which she majored in Aboriginal Studies, was, “more about learning for me.” She notes too that this particular degree offered by the University heralded the start of her progression into postgraduate studies. And while she allowed herself six months respite from tertiary study, Tara began a

Master of Architecture in mid-2005 degree opting for research rather than coursework.

Tara’s outstanding list of qualifications is all the more impressive as she also works full-time. In 2000, Tara was offered – and accepted – a cadetship with the NSW Department of Works and Services, which was subsequently amalgamated into the Department of Commerce.

Her design work to date with the Department has principally centred on the design of buildings used for education, most notably schools.

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complete her research Tara may need to take leave from her professional role, something she describes as “challenging when you have a mortgage.”

While her future path for study is undecided at present, Tara is very clear on the value of assistance she has received.

The recipient of an Australian Research Council research grant, Tara acknowledges this support saying, “I wouldn’t be where I am today without the backing of the staff at Wollotuka – and I know there are plenty of other students in a similar position.”

In her professional capacity, Tara believes, “Architecture is as much about the spaces that a building creates as it is about the structures themselves.” As an Indigenous Australian, Tara feels her background helps her, “look at things in a different way.”

Although she is quick to point out that our views are also strongly shaped by “our environment and how we are taught.”

These days, Tara is giving something of herself back to the University of Newcastle.

She is a member of the Board of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education and Training.

And despite living and working in Sydney, Tara makes a regular trip to Newcastle to meet with fellow board members to discuss issues affecting the welfare of Aboriginal students and staff.

With a pet hate for architecture that portrays Aboriginal and Indigenous culture in a stereotypical way, it’s not surprising that Tara’s masters thesis examines Aboriginal identity in Australian architecture. It’s an area where Tara has identified the need for new research, explaining that she hopes to, “go beyond what is already available to discover completely new findings.”

Given she is producing an original body of work, Tara is weighing up the prospect of extending her masters degree into a PhD. As for many PhD students however, the greatest obstacle is financial. To

She adds, “The facilities at the University and Wollotuka are excellent and there is a great community spirit. If ever I have an issue I need help with, I know I will find support there.” When asked about the importance of the role the Wollotuka Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Centre plays, Tara is quick to respond, “It’s the sort of assistance that is essential to attract – and retain – students on campus.”

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We started to operate with a small collection of about 80 to 100 books and we were working in a photocopy room!

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WOLLOTUKA RESOURCE CENTRE – A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY As the Resource Centre Coordinator at Wollotuka, the University of Newcastle’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Centre, Amanda Kelly is very proud of the Centre’s resources. And she has every right to be. The Centre’s outstanding collection of resource material has been carefully built up with the support of the University over 15 years, and according to Amanda,

“It is probably the only resource centre in the Newcastle area specifically designed to support Aboriginal studies.”

Amanda’s connection to the Centre dates back to 1992 when she took on the position as resource co-ordinator initially in a part-time role. At that stage she says, “We started to operate with a small collection of about 80 to 100 books and we were working in a photocopy room!”

Amanda explains, “We gradually moved into a larger space in the old building to help house the growing collection, we then moved into the new building – Birabahn – in 2002.”

Today, Wollotuka’s Resource Centre has an enviable collection of over 4,000 items – ranging from books, videos, cassettes, slides, student theses, reference books, and copies of the National Indigenous Times, and the Koori Mail newspaper – all of which Amanda describes as invaluable to students.

All Indigenous students enrolled at the University have access to the Resource Centre as do nonIndigenous students. Members of Newcastle’s Aboriginal community also use the Resource Centre and local high school students come by for information for assignments.

Amanda points out, “Everyone is more than welcome to sit and read.”

Many of the students visiting Wollotuka’s Resource Centre embark on a very personal journey of discovery. Amanda explains, “We get a lot of mature-age students who initially use the Resource Centre to find out how to access books, materials and computers. A lot of them pick up books with information about their family that they haven’t come across before.”

While the Resource Centre can hold the key to the past, Amanda has her eyes set firmly on the future. Most notably she is looking for materials that relate to Indigenous languages and family history. To meet this end she hopes to collaborate with, and source materials from, state archives and collections in state libraries. As Amanda puts it, “It’s exciting to be looking toward the future in taking the Resource Centre’s collection to another level.”

INDIGENOUS COLLABORATION

USING EXPERIENCE AND VISION TO BREAK DOWN THE BARRIERS After a lifetime of tirelessly working for Indigenous Australians, Dr William Jonas has amassed an impeccable record of achievement.

A Worimi man from the Karuah River area of New South Wales, Dr Jonas has devoted much of his working life to the community – a passion he still pursues today.

He is a long-standing member of Newcastle’s Awabakal Aboriginal Co-operative and has been both a Director and Chair of its Board.

In the mid-1980s, Dr Jonas was a Royal Commissioner on the Royal Commission into British Nuclear Tests in Australia with the late Justice Jim McClelland. He has held positions on the Immigration Review Tribunal, the Australian Heritage Commission and the State of the Environment Advisory Council. He chaired the Joint Ministerial Taskforce on Aboriginal Heritage and Culture in New South Wales and the Heritage Council of the ACT. In 1991 he moved to Canberra to become Principal of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies and after five years in that role became Director of the National Museum of Australia during its design and early construction stages.

Between 1999 and 2004, Dr Jonas fulfilled terms as both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner and acting Race Discrimination Commissioner.

In 1980, Dr Jonas was awarded a PhD by the University of Papua New Guinea for research into PNG’s timber industry.

Subsequent awards include membership of the Order of Australia (AM) 1993, Honorary Doctorate of the University of Newcastle 1998, Professional Excellence Medal of Convocation of the University of Newcastle 1999 and the Commendation for Professional Excellence from the Institute of Australian Geographers 1999.

Dr Jonas’ involvement with Wollotuka, the University of Newcastle’s School of Aboriginal Studies, extends back almost two decades to 1990, when he spent six months as Director of the School. Since then Dr Jonas has

maintained an ongoing connection with the University, saying, “It has always been a very welcoming, very protective environment. It is a place where contributions are always valued, and I have been keen to preserve my connection.”

According to Dr Jonas, Wollotuka is very highly regarded because of its long-standing tradition of integrity. “As a result of Wollotuka’s work, Indigenous student numbers have risen,” adds Dr Jonas.

Dr Jonas explains, “The University of Newcastle has sometimes taken the approach that entry grades were less important than the student meeting the required standards for graduation. The most important thing was that students achieved the necessary results to qualify for their degree.

This approach has proven vital for Indigenous students who, because of socioeconomic circumstances rather than ability, may arrive at the University with lower grades.

The University and Wollotuka provide support to students, creating an atmosphere where students felt they could achieve – and so they did achieve.”

Today, Dr Jonas is Chair of the University’s Board of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education and Training and a member of the University Council.

While he believes the graduation of Indigenous students has done much to break down stereotypes, he cautions, “We still have a long way to go. High school retention rates are still very low and we have a strong role to play there.

Within the University, too, we can provide even greater exposure to Indigenous culture to break down stereotypes.

“That’s the wonderful thing about the work being done at Wollotuka and across the University,” concludes Dr Jonas. “It is breaking down barriers in a non-confrontational way, and it is in this area that Wollotuka has a big future.”

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28 | INDIGENOUS COLLABORATION

YOUTH ON THE RIGHT PATH

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Pathways introduces Indigenous students to educational options in schools, TAFE and tertiary education

The first step on the long road to achievement is selecting a particular pathway from one of many. The University and Wollotuka are committed to providing such pathways to Indigenous students, and the Central Coast Aboriginal Pathways Awards do more than recognise student success. They symbolise the opening of pathways to students who may otherwise have had limited life choices.

The Gibalee Centre at the Ourimbah campus supports the Pathways Awards. Chris George, Gibalee Team Leader, explains, “Pathways introduces Indigenous students to educational options in schools, TAFE and tertiary education.”

He adds, “The Pathways Awards have evolved to recognise educational achievement in a number of categories including students who have successfully completed Year 10 and the Higher School Certificates, TAFE students who have completed certificate and diploma level courses, as well as university graduates.”

The Central Coast Pathways Awards also applaud the achievements of members of the Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG) – a community-based education organisation. And this year, for the first time, the Awards included students from the National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA).

Demonstrating the strength of community sentiment towards the Pathways concept, 2007 saw the involvement of the Central Coast Community College as well as Youth Connections, an organisation offering TVET courses – vocational education undertaken by school students prior to attending TAFE. Chris George notes, “It is extremely important that we focus on providing a pathway for Indigenous students. We have identified that Aboriginal students were dropping out of school at a rapid rate – they simply didn’t see a pathway through education.” In this sense, the Awards go beyond providing kudos for achievement.

They are a means of showcasing to the community that Indigenous students can – and do – complete secondary and post-secondary education, often notching up extraordinary success.

In the five years since its inception, the Central Coast Pathways Awards has celebrated the educational achievement of hundreds of Central Coast Indigenous students. In 2007 alone, 260 Awards were bestowed.

The Central Coast Pathways Awards go beyond recognising student success. They are also a way of expressing appreciation to members of the community for service to schools and Aboriginal education. This year, for example, Maitland-based Karen Jones, the first Aboriginal School Education Director in NSW, received a Recognition of Contribution Award.

The Pathways Awards are very much a team effort involving significant collaboration across the Department of Education,

Science and Training (DEST), the AECG, TAFE, and the University of Newcastle to name a few. Chris George believes, “The Awards bring all these organisations together to work on student initiatives and to promote Pathways to students on an ongoing basis.”

While Pathways is presently focused on the Central Coast, other organisations are looking to replicate the program’s successes in other areas. The NSW Department of Education and Training, DEST, AECG, TAFE and the University of Newcastle for instance are in the process of organising a Pathways Awards in the Hunter Valley next year. If the success on the Central Coast is anything to go by, this initiative can make a valuable difference to the ability of Indigenous communities to choose positive educational paths through life.

The University of Newcastle For more information about the articles in this publication please visit www.newcastle.edu.au/school/aboriginal-studies/ Project Manager Adelle Grogan adelle.grogan@newcastle.edu.au Editors Kate Robinson, Manager – Media and Public Relations kate.robinson@newcastle.edu.au Katie Porritt, Coordinator – Media and Public Relations katie.porritt@newcastle.edu.au Writers Ray Kelly summer hill communication Design Bounce Design Photography McKean Photo

Wollotuka Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Centre

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The University of Newcastle University Drive Callaghan NSW 2308 Australia T: +61 2 4921 6863 F: +61 2 4921 6985 W: www.newcastle.edu.au/school/aboriginal-studies/ CRICOS Provider 00109J

INDIGENOUS COLLABORATION 2007

ASPIRING TO NEW HEIGHTS

The best of both worlds

BYO board shorts

Converting attitudes

Cultural differences in the classroom

The legacy that keeps giving

Youth on the right path