Last Friday night, Rockhampton Girls Grammar School representatives attended the Annual Darumbal Youth Awards Night held at the Dreamtime Cultural Centre. This was a great event with the purpose to provide recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who excel in the areas of sports, citizenship, and academics.
Rockhampton Girls Grammar School had six students nominated across all three categories:
Sportsmanship Award – Tahlya Pearson and Ella Lindsay
Citizenship Award – Maggie Liddy and Camryn McPherson
Academic Award – Phoenix Nuggins and Tylah Mitchell
Each of these students were presented with a certificate of recognition and a personalised medallion to congratulate them for their dedication and achievements.
Throughout the evening, there was a market like event held which provided students the opportunity to meet with agencies and companies that provide unique employment opportunities for Indigenous peoples. Many of these organisations also have working agreements with the local Traditional Custodians, the Darumbal People. Some of these stall holders included Ergon Energy, the Defence Force, Indigenous Youth Mobility Program (IYMP) and the Remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Program (RATEP). Additional to this, some of our very own Rockhampton Girls Grammar School families were also in attendance representing the following Indigenous organisations:
Waalitj Foundation represented by parent Naomi Murphy
Ghungalu Enterprises in conjunction with Walawaani Workforce represented by parents Luke Lawson and Suneilia Rebel-Lawson
These stalls were held in the Nola James Conference Building within the Dreamtime Cultural Centre. This building has a particular significance to our Rockhampton Girls Grammar School Indigenous Liaison Officer, Shania Conlon. Shania is the Great Granddaughter of the building’s namesake Nola James who was a founding member of the Dreamtime Cultural Centre.
Various cultural dance groups provided entertainment throughout the night. This included dances by the Boori Burra Aboriginal dance group, the St Brendan’s Torres Strait Islander dancers and the Polyfest dance group. These performances were very engaging and suited to the event theme of showcasing cultural excellence.
Each year, Darumbal Community Youth Services review all award nominations and select two deserving students for Indigenous Education Awards recognising Secondary School Student’s of the Year. Rockhampton Girls Grammar School students Camryn (2023 Boarding Prefect – Year 12) and Tylah (Year 11) were selected as the award recipients for 2023. They were each presented with a personalised plaque and their names are engraved in the Annual Alvarez Broome Memorial Shield.
Camryn was recognised for her desirable leadership skills and admirable volunteer achievements.
Tylah was recognised for her outstanding dedication to her academics alongside her ability to effectively prioritise her extracurricular sporting commitments and employment requirements.
All six of the nominated students are very deserving of the recognition they received. They are model students in their own right and demonstrate resilience, persistence and dedication in all that they do.
Shania Conlon
Indigenous Liaison Officer