Charles Sturt University is continuing to recognise the work of Indigenous Australians after holding a First Nations Awards Night at Dubbo RSL.
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The event was held on November 9 and brought together students, staff and community members to celebrate their successes.
Awards were given out for a number of different categories including academic achievement, recognition of service and community impact.
Charles Sturt Pro Vice-Chancellor Heather McGregor said the event was well received by all involved.
"It was really successful, there was a really good vibe," she said.
"Everyone came together for a good cause and it just shows success means to different things to different people.
"In some categories, it is more about achievement and overcoming academic hurdles, in others it's about academic excellence.
"Then when had some community categories and staff one as well."
The biggest award of the night was the First Nations Impact Award which was given to the Indigenous Board of Studies and accepted by Chair Professor Jay Phillips.
"We have many awards within the university and sometimes there are First Nations awards given within those events," Ms McGregor said.
"When you have a whole First Nations event, you get diversity of where people are from culturally or what campus they have studied or what course they have chosen to study.
"The day before the awards we had what we called a 'big deadly yarn up', we got some of our First Nations students and alumni together to talk about their experience at Charles Sturt."
With campuses spread all across regional NSW, Charles Sturt sites are located in highly populated Indigenous areas and can be the first choice for many students in the bush.
It's a reputation Ms McGregor said the organisation is happy to have throughout Australia.
"We've got our regional physical footprint where the Indigenous population is probably a lot higher than particularly in metropolitan areas," she said.
"We are also the leading university in Australia for online enrolments, it's always that balance of knowing where we are and what country we are on but being inclusive of people from all over Australia.
"They could be doing our programs from Darwin, Toowoomba or Hobart."
Charles Sturt First Nations Awards
Recognition of Community Contribution Award
- Aunty Rhonda Radley
- Ms Katherine Kitch
- Uncle Bill O'Brien
Staff Achievement Award
- Ms Jen Hartley
- Mr Lloyd Dolan
- Ms Marlene Bayliss
- Ms Samantha Duke
Student Academic Excellence Award
- Ms Lucia Flint
- Ms Peita Richards
- Ms Sophie Smithers
Student Achievement Award
- Ms Taylor Jane Cutmore-Smith
- Ms Laura Grant
- Ms Natasha Meyer-Cuthbert
First Nations Impact Award
- The Indigenous Board of Studies, accepted by Chair Professor Jay Phillips who is also Head of the Charles Sturt School of Indigenous Australian Studies