First Nations Program
Learning and growing in understanding, together.
Learning and growing in understanding, together.
Our steps towards reconciliation
Pymble Ladies’ College has a deep and enduring commitment to First Nations students and communities, which began in the 2007 with our first scholar, Dr Jessica Johannsen (Ah Chee, 2010), under the guidance of our program patron, Mrs Evonne Goolagong Cawley AC MBE.
The program has since grown into a cohort of 21 First Nations students from communities across Australia. We are committed to standing shoulder to shoulder with our First Nations students, families and partners as we learn and grow together. Our community is stronger, wiser and richer for having the opportunity to share their journeys.
Our vision for reconciliation
Our vision is for everyone across our school to respect the rich, living cultures of First Nations people and embrace the responsibility to be part of creating a more just and reconciled Australia. We commit to learning from and with First Nations students, families, staff and community members as we work to build respectful relationships and achieve reconciliation through education.
Reconciliation Action Plan
2007
Pymble's First Nations Scholarship Program was established under the guidance of Patron, Mrs Evonne Goolagong-Cawley AC MBE, to offer young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women access to an exceptional education.
20+
Years
Building genuine, lasting relationships with First Nations communities through reciprocal partnerships and learning opportunities has been an important part of teaching and learning at Pymble since the early 2000s.
87
Graduates
Our community is stronger, wiser and richer for having had the opportunity to learn alongside 87 First Nations young women who have graduated from Pymble through our First Nations Scholarship program.
21
Scholars
Today, 21 First Nations students call Pymble home, supported by dedicated staff, a strong scholarship program and a community committed to strengthening relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples for the benefit of all.
"Pymble nurtured that part of me and showed me what was possible for a young Aboriginal girl from the desert. It gave me a sense of belonging to something bigger, yet reminded me to hold tight to where I came from."
Dr Jessica Johannsen (Ah Chee, 2010), First Nations Scholar and General Practitioner
Pymble’s First Nations Scholarship Program
The Evonne Goolagong Cawley First Nations Scholarship, offered in partnership with the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation, provides girls from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia with access to a world-class education at Pymble. Scholarship recipients board at the College and are fully supported through their secondary schooling.
We are incredibly proud of our First Nations Scholars, many of whom have held significant leadership roles during their time at the College. Alumni include Dr Jessica Johannsen (Ah Chee, 2010), who is now a GP in her Alice Springs community and Libby Cook-Black (2011), who represented Australia in Women’s Rugby League and established a not-for-profit organisation to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls in remote communities through access to sport and education. Both women remain connected to Pymble through ongoing mentorship of the next generation of First Nations scholars.
Life at Pymble for First Nations students
Pymble is committed to creating an environment where First Nations students feel safe, confident, free to be themselves and proud of their culture. This commitment is backed by concrete programs and structures outlined in our Reconciliation Action Plan.
First Nations Advisory Group
Comprising First Nations alumni, current and past parents and grandparents, staff and community members, this group makes culturally informed recommendations on all matters relating to First Nations students.
Cultural mentors
First Nations alumni serve as cultural mentors for current scholars. This connection between generations is one of the most valued aspects of the program for our First Nations students and their families.
Yarning Circle
Opened in 2023, the Yarning Circle and First Nations Garden on campus provides a dedicated gathering space for students, staff and community to connect, reflect and share culture.
Aboriginal Studies
Offered in Years 8, 10, 11 and 12, many Pymble students have excelled in this subject at HSC level, including Lucy Robinson 7th in state (2023) and Abigail Barfield 1st in state (2024).
First Nations Round of Sport
Our annual celebration of sport and our First Nations community was established in 2018 and proudly continues today. Reconciliation and NAIDOC weeks are also celebrated across the school each year.
Community partnerships
Pymble has partnered with remote First Nations communities since 2006, including Gapuwiyak and Milingimbi in the NT, Tagai State College in the Torres Strait Islands, and Goodooga, Brewarrina, St Joseph’s, Walgett and Moree East in regional NSW.
We welcome your enquiries
Families from Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander communities who are interested in Pymble’s First Nations Scholarship Program are warmly invited to contact our Enrolments team. The program is managed in partnership with the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation (AIEF), and applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
