Confronting Australia’s past can be painful, as I found one day in October 2023 when I visited the Ration Shed Museum in Cherbourg, in south-eastern Queensland.
There, draughty dormitories that housed generations of children removed from their families are a stark reminder of the horrific injustices Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have experienced nationally. The 1897 Aboriginal Protection Act of Queensland did little to protect the families or ancient culture of those who found themselves living on this Aboriginal Reserve, many miles from home.
In Armidale, the former East Armidale Aboriginal Reserve – now the site of an Aboriginal Community Garden – tells a similar story of displacement. But, like the Cherbourg museum, it is also now a wellspring of hope and strength. Managed by the Newara Aboriginal Corporation, this small patch of land is feeding big efforts to honour the voices and histories of the Anaiwan, Gumbaynggirr, Dunghutti and Kamilaroi peoples.
Reclaiming language is central to celebrating this heritage, culture and identity. And it is why I asked descendants of the Anaiwan people for permission to teach me some of their words to share during my installation as Chancellor earlier this month. What we say matters.
But what we do matters even more. And I am proud of what UNE is doing to foreground Indigenous knowledges, support the success of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, and boost the wellbeing of their communities. In 2024 we cheered on a record number – 135 – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander graduates and this year student enrolments have risen by 27%.
In the fields of medicine and health, especially, UNE research is playing its part in helping to close the gap. Our strong partnerships with local Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (Armajun, Walhallow and the Tamworth Aboriginal Medical Service) are dedicated to better understanding and improving health outcomes for Aboriginal people of the New England-North West. We have also carried out research with local communities on the impact of bushfires and COVID-19, and sought to address adolescent mental health needs. With Armajun Elders, we are designing protocols to manage pain.
Across our university, we are working to increase Indigenous academic leadership, and to integrate Indigenous knowledge systems in teaching and learning. We have the Oorala Aboriginal Centre – almost 40 years strong – to thank for much of this. A place of connection and empowerment, it is even extending its reach into NSW classrooms, launching the Ronyera Ekina Deadly Stars Curriculum that embeds Indigenous content in secondary school subjects, with the support of the Department of Education.
Our new Pro Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous) Professor Peter Anderson, joining us at the end of June, will continue to champion UNE’s Indigenous education, employment and research initiatives. One of his key roles will be to strengthen ties between UNE and local Indigenous communities and to formalise a Council of Elders to guide us. We want UNE to be a safe space, where sometimes painful stories can be shared – and heard.
That our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander partners continue to engage so graciously with us inspires me. Given all that has been taken from them, it is an act of incredible generosity – and a powerful example.
In giving his Welcome to Country at my installation, magnanimous Uncle Steve Widders warmly invited us to the lands of his ancestors, to enjoy the “many stories for all of us”, culturally, historically and spiritually. “We have to learn a lot more about the real history of this country as Australians, as we stand together,” he said.
During this Reconciliation Week, I will be reflecting on the ongoing impacts of colonisation on the First Australians and the importance of what the Ration Shed Museum describes as “an accurate and inclusive account” of our shared history. I will also be recognising the extraordinary contributions that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have made and continue to make to define and enrich our continent.
These are things to remember each and every week.
- UNE Chancellor, Dr Sarah Pearson
