Aunty Liz Hayden, Balladong Wilman Elder, Matriarch and PhD student in the School of Allied Health recently gave her PhD milestone three presentation in a unique On Country setting in a significant move away from how PhD milestone presentations are typically undertaken.

Staff, family and friends of the School of Allied Health travelled to the Wheatbelt to participate in the cultural, PhD milestone presentation and celebration at the Brookton Aboriginal Reserve where Aunty Liz had spent time as a child and continues to be a significant Nyoongar cultural site. The presentation featured the attendance of four generations of Aunty Liz’s family, emphasising the importance of intergenerational cultural learning.

Aunty Liz role modelled what is possible as part of a PhD and with the support of the School of Allied Health, showed that doing a PhD does not require you to leave behind your cultural practices and ways of working. Her PhD, titled “Voice of the Other: A creative representation of oral histories for Aboriginal people” explores Nyoongar stories of the Brookton area, with a focus on the Brookton Reserve and has resulted in the creation of an “Elder methodology.”

The School of Allied Health leadership team participated in an overnight camp in 2021 at the Brookton Reserve, hosted by Aunty Liz and the local Community. From this experience and the foundation of the strong, reciprocal relationship that ensued, a safe space was created for Aunty Liz to pursue her PhD journey and challenge normative approaches to not only what constitutes a PhD but also how Aboriginal research students present, speak and create their PhD thesis.

Aunty Liz said this milestone had been part of an incredible journey, a point of reference.

“I had given up completing a PhD, then I was inspired by the School of Allied Health to be passionate about picking up the PhD and moving forward with it,” Aunty Liz said.

“In this journey, amazing relationships between the School, myself and my family have been created.

I hope they will be a legacy leading to better opportunities for Aboriginal people to do a PhD,” she said.

Photo credits: River Starcevich and Rebecca Waters

A large round campfire with people sat around in chairs. In the middle is Aunty Liz speaking into a microphone. In the background is the landscape of trees with salmon coloured bark and dark green leaves.
Aunty Liz Hayden gives her PhD milestone three presentation On Country at Brookton Aboriginal Reserve.

 

Aunty Liz sitting down, touching the hand of her son, Lee, on her shoulder. Her other son, Bevan, is on her other side with his hand on her shoulder too.
Aunty Liz Hayden (middle) with her sons, Lee Hayden (left) and Bevan Hayden (right).