Media release from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
The Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr
Michael L'Estrange, will today present two students from the
University of Canberra with the Department of Foreign Affairs and
Trade's 2006 Roni Ellis Indigenous Study Award.
The recipients are Danielle Johnson, a young Aboriginal woman
from Nyngan in mid western NSW who is studying psychology and
coaching science and aspires to a career in health policy and
administration. The other awardee is David Harley, a Pallawa man
born in Tasmania who has recently returned to study after suffering
a debilitating spinal injury. David is studying for a Bachelor of
Creative Writing and hopes to use his degree it promote the
understanding of Indigenous culture in Australia and
overseas. Each awardee receives a bursary of $1000.
The Roni Ellis Indigenous Study Awardsare made to the
most promising Indigenous students studying the semester-long
Foundation Program at the University of Canberra. The
Foundation Program assists Indigenous students who have come late
to tertiary studies or are improving their qualifications before
embarking on a degree.
Nine awards have been made previously to Indigenous students
from the University of Canberra. Previous recipients are
Andrew Horne (2001), from Queanbeyan, NSW; Melita Berthaly
(2002), from Coonamble, NSW; Jillian Omosigho (2002), from
Thursday Island, Torres Strait; Daphne Bennell (2003), from Albany,
WA; and Mark Halloran (2003) from Tumut, NSW, and Tarran Backhus
(2004) from Amaroo, ACT and Jessica Wanganeen (2004), from Kambah,
ACT, Nathan George (2005) from Wellington, NSW and Paul Schmider
(2005) from North Queensland.
The awards were launched in 2001 in the memory of Roni Ellis, an
Indigenous DFAT employee who died of leukemia in 2000. Roni
joined DFAT in 1991, where she managed the promotion of
Australia's Indigenous culture and art abroad. She was
instrumental in building understanding of Indigenous culture and
history among her many friends and colleagues in Australia and
overseas.
Media Inquiries: DFAT Media Liaison on 02 6261 1555