National Reconciliation Week is an important reminder for non-Indigenous Australians to take the time to learn the truth about our history.

Georgina Nash is Senior Program Coordinator – Pat Turner Scholarships at the Sir Roland Wilson Foundation and throughout her career has been supporting the advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

It started when she took the time to learn.

“I had a moment when I was living overseas and I realised I needed to learn the true history of my own country. I had learnt nothing about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures at school, so I came home and enrolled in a Diploma of Aboriginal Studies,” Georgina said.

Since then, Georgina has managed education engagement programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth at the National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy and a tertiary scholarships program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples at the Mary MacKillop Foundation.

Now at the Sir Roland Wilson Foundation, Georgina supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander public servants to complete postgraduate study at The Australian National University or Charles Darwin University through the Pat Turner Scholarship Program.

“I was attracted to the Pat Turner Scholarship Program because in previous roles I had been working at a grassroots level and I felt the people at the top were not listening to what they were being told.

“This program represents a really great opportunity to change the story. The Australian Public Service will soon have more Indigenous people in senior positions than ever before. They will have a voice in the creation of policy that affects people on a daily basis.

“At the same time, this program is only just beginning. Four Pat Turner scholars will soon graduate with PhDs and return to work at Services Australia. They’re becoming experts in their field and are already being sought out for their advice and knowledge.

“In 2020, 49 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders completed a PhD in Australia. To think that four of those people could be Pat Turner scholars next year is just brilliant.”

Georgina hopes National Reconciliation week serves as a prompt for more non-Indigenous Australians to learn the truth and actively engage with our history and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures.

“There is so much information out there for us all now. There’s no excuse for not knowing,” Georgina said.

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