Skip to content
The Catholic Leader
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
The Catholic Leader
No Result
View All Result
Home News Education

More than $3.6 million from interest on stolen wages reparations now educating 2,030 students

byJoe Higgins
10 March 2021 - Updated on 6 April 2021
Reading Time: 4 mins read
AA
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Scholarships: St Peter Claver College students at the University of Southern Queensland.

QUEENSLAND Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Foundation has turned stolen wages into scholarships with the latest round of scholarships presented to more than 450 students at its two ceremonies in the last two weeks.

From the 1890s through to the 1970s, the Queensland Government held onto wages meant to be paid to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers.

The scholarship money came from the interest on unallocated stolen wages reparations funds from the first set of reparations in 2008.

“We never ever should forget how QATSIF was founded – that it was founded on those stolen wages, and the interest from those pays for the scholarships and that students need to work hard to achieve their best,” QATSIF secretariat director Michael Nayler said.

“That’s what we’re seeing from our young people – so many coming out and heading into university or TAFE or apprenticeships or running their own businesses or armed services.

“There’s a whole range of things young people are going into and we’re seeing really great results.”

Catholic schools: Lourdes Hill College students and staff at the QATSIF presentation event.

He said they had seen 12,500 young people through QATSIF in the last 12 years.

Mr Nayler said even with all the COVID-19 requirements the scholarship presentations at Australian Catholic University, Banyo, and University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, were some of their biggest to date.

Even more students – past and present – joined in via livestreams to watch the presentations.

Each year, the scholarship ceremonies included a celebration of arts and culture.

Related Stories

Pam Betts hands over the reins at Brisbane Catholic Education after 42 years teaching and leading

Sue finds God’s blessings among the school kids

Young Catholic breaks open the catechism to empower millennials in new podcast series

Students from Ambrose Treacy College performed traditional Aboriginal dance at the ACU event and at USQ, Mischa Ford from Marymount College read a moving poem that she had written for the QATSIF Creative Arts Competition when she was in Year 7.

After the Welcome to Country, QATSIF ceremonies began with the symbolic lighting of the QATSIF Elders’ candle to recognise the rich cultural heritage passed down since the Dreaming. 

Uncle Denis Bobongie, who has been a long-time supporter of QATSIF, lit the Elders’ candle.

After a heart-felt welcome from ACU’s Professor Jim Nyland, there were two inspirational speeches from Professor Cindy Shannon AM and Hayden Kubler. 

Professor Shannon AM, QATSIF’s Chair, shared story of the Stolen Wages and her pride in QATSIF’s work. 

She also challenged the students work hard, take up any opportunities given to them and to “Dream Big” when it came to their futures. 

Justice: St Mary’s College, Ipswich, students and staff at the USQ event.

She said that she was extremely proud to see QATSIF supporting a record 3600 students in 2021.

Hayden Kubler, who was a past QATSIF Scholarship recipient from Xavier Catholic College and is currently studying a Bachelor of Teaching at ACU, spoke passionately about his educational journey from school to university and encouraged the students to chase their dreams. 

He thanked QATSIF and paid tribute to those Elders and Ancestors who had suffered the grave injustice of having their wages stolen and for the many opportunities that were given to him.

The Queensland Ambulance Service’s Assistant Commissioner, Peter Warrener presented Queensland Ambulance Service Scholarships to four of the ten QATSIF students from across Queensland who were selected to receive additional opportunities through the QAS.

Mr Mike Buxton from Transurban also presented Transurban Paiabun Karumba (Yuggera Dream Big) STEM Scholarships to many of the 20 QATSIF students who will receive opportunities to connect with engineers and additional support with purchasing IT equipment.

During the ceremony, some of QATSIF’s 150 school leaders including 20 School Captains were presented with their leadership badges and certificates in front of their proud families and schools.

Catholic Schools were well represented at both events with staff and students from – All Hallows’ School, Ambrose Treacy College, Brigidine College, Carmel College, Clairvaux MacKillop College, Lourdes Hill College, Mount Alvernia College, Mt Maria College (Mitchelton), Mt Maria College (Petrie), San Sisto College, Seton College, Southern Cross Catholic College, St Benedict’s College, St Edmund’s College, St Eugene College, St James College, St John Fisher College, St Mary’s College (Ipswich), St Peter Claver College, St Saviour’s College and St Thomas More College.

QATSIF currently has committed over $3.66 million to support 2030 students to complete Years 11 and 12, including 353 students from 77 Catholic schools across Queensland. 

Across Queensland, many of QATSIF’s current 3600 students joined the livestreamed ceremonies.

ShareTweet
Previous Post

Amidst the ruins Pope calls Iraqis to affirm kinship under one God

Next Post

Pope announces travel plans to Hungary for International Eucharistic Congress

Joe Higgins

Related Posts

Pam Betts hands over the reins at Brisbane Catholic Education after 42 years teaching and leading
Education

Pam Betts hands over the reins at Brisbane Catholic Education after 42 years teaching and leading

31 December 2021
Sue Williams: “I think I'm one of those people that think, ‘How blessed have I been.'"
People

Sue finds God’s blessings among the school kids

15 August 2021
Caitlin West: “I love that experience of taking something that seems so strange and almost illogical and then seeing that light go on and, ‘Oh this actually makes so much sense and such a beautiful truth even if it is kind of overwhelming and huge’.”
QLD

Young Catholic breaks open the catechism to empower millennials in new podcast series

15 July 2021
Next Post

Pope announces travel plans to Hungary for International Eucharistic Congress

New chapter for unique Catholic ministry caring for people living with a mental health issue

Being a working mum gives me a reason to wake up

Popular News

  • Here are the stories of 10 new saints being canonised this Sunday

    Here are the stories of 10 new saints being canonised this Sunday

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Angel’s Kitchen serves hot meals to the hungry in Southport

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI turned 95 on a ‘very happy’ day

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Parishes unite for Logan deanery family festival this Sunday

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Queensland election: The pro-life political parties committed to abortion law reforms

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Search our job finder
No Result
View All Result

Latest News

Holiness is possible and the Church provides tools to attain it, cardinal says
Faith

Holiness is possible and the Church provides tools to attain it, cardinal says

by CNS
18 May 2022
0

HOLINESS is possible, and the Catholic Church provides the tools for attaining it. That was the theme...

Church workers have helped more than 1.2 million Ukrainians during the war, Caritas says

Church workers have helped more than 1.2 million Ukrainians during the war, Caritas says

18 May 2022
Minority Catholic woman takes pride in Asia’s overlooked saints

Minority Catholic woman takes pride in Asia’s overlooked saints

18 May 2022
Bishops call out racism, gun violence after U.S. shooting

Bishops call out racism, gun violence after U.S. shooting

17 May 2022
Parishes unite for Logan deanery family festival this Sunday

Parishes unite for Logan deanery family festival this Sunday

17 May 2022

Never miss a story. Sign up to the Weekly Round-Up
eNewsletter now to receive headlines directly in your email.

Sign up to eNews
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Jobs
  • Subscribe

The Catholic Leader is an Australian award-winning Catholic newspaper that has been published by the Archdiocese of Brisbane since 1929. Our journalism seeks to provide a full, accurate and balanced Catholic perspective of local, national and international news while upholding the dignity of the human person.

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader
Accessibility Information | Privacy Policy | Archdiocese of Brisbane

The Catholic Leader acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Peoples of this country and especially acknowledge the traditional owners on whose lands we live and work throughout the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyChoose another Subscription
    Continue Shopping