Senior Project Officer, Early Childhood Education and Care, QLD  

Aunty Merle is an Aboriginal Nguigi women from Quandamooka Nation and Kunju from the Thipan people.

She has over 35 years experience supporting the community, working for the Department of Education in Queensland. She grew up and started working in schools in Far North Queensland, working at Gordonvale SS and numerous schools in and around Cairns. From Far North Queensland, she moved to South East Queensland and then transferred to Brisbane, working in  Mitchelton SHS and worked in and around sounding schools in the South East Queensland.  

Aunty Merle then moved into the Metropolitan Regional Office, working as a Regional Community Education Counsellor and then spent over 5 years working as a Senior Project Officer for the Culture in Community programme. Her time in Early Childhood Education and Care has been very important to her to make change. She believes that the need to make change in Education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families starts in the Early Years, helping our jarjums to become strong learners. In history this has not always been given to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in Education. 

“In all of my roles it has been an honour to be a voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in Education. I have had to adapt and navigate  through the government systems for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and it was always important  to me not give up my cultural identity, as it did conflict with my Culture. Embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives is and always will be my passion. Building Cultural Capability, is also a very strong part of my values,  to know and understand the True History – Hidden History of the First Nations people of Australia”