C287/08
29 October 2008
Western Australia’s longest running Aboriginal School celebrated 25 years of Indigenous education with a special ball last week.
Established in 1983, Curtin University of Technology’s Centre for Aboriginal Studies (CAS) boasts the largest enrolment of Indigenous students in Australia.
The ball was attended by about 200 people including prominent members of the local Indigenous community and past CAS Directors including Pat Dudgeon, Joan Winch and Ted Wilkes, as well as past staff and students.
Opposition Treasurer, Ben Wyatt MLA, spoke on the importance of education for Indigenous people and his experience of getting where he is today.
Curtin’s CAS Director, Associate Professor Anita Lee Hong, said the ball provided the perfect vehicle to showcase and celebrate the achievements of the Centre over the past 25 years.
“Since its inception, we’ve seen a big increase in the number of Indigenous students participating in higher education at Curtin,” she said.
“This has been due to the programs and courses CAS offers which exist alongside those implemented by the University.”
CAS promotes participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in tertiary studies and creates new ways of learning and working that are culturally appropriate.
The Centre was also instrumental in making Curtin the first university in Australia to launch a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). The plan was launched in May this year.
A CAS alumni chapter will be set up to ensure that past students can stay in touch with each other.
Past students interested in being part of the alumni chapter can contact Cathryn Battersby on (08) 9266 9835 or c.battersby@curtin.edu.au
Modified: 29 October 2008
