Acknowledgement of Country
We acknowledge and pay respect to the people of the Kulin Nation, the Traditional Owners of the land upon which Trinity College is situated. We pay our respects to all Elders, past and present, of Indigenous students who call Trinity College home. We also acknowledge all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders, members of the Trinity College community, the University of Melbourne and the wider world.
Set in the context of the College’s commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous communities, Trinity's Indigenous programs continue to develop.
The imperative of the program is to implement practical steps that make a real difference to the lives of capable students and the communities to which they belong.
Trinity College operates a multi-faceted program that celebrates and informs the wider community about Indigenous culture, contributes to the perception of Indigenous achievement being natural and expected, and provides opportunities for capable students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to:
- experience life at college
- establish Indigenous students as role models in their local communities and at their high schools
- engender the firm belief that a tertiary education is an accessible reality.
A new perspective
Trinity’s Indigenous programs recognise that extra effort is required to address the specific challenges faced by many Indigenous Australians who wish to undertake tertiary studies. The College offers advice, support and financial assistance to empower Indigenous students to aspire to a fulfilling and successful future and become agents of change. Trinity’s programs demonstrate that a pathway from metropolitan, regional or remote areas, to a course at the University of Melbourne and residence at the College is achievable.
Indigenous students make up approximately ten percent of Trinity's Residential College and they form part of a vibrant Indigenous community on the University of Melbourne campus. The Murrup Barak Melbourne Institute for Indigenous Development (MIID) at the University of Melbourne provides extracurricular activities and support services for Indigenous students.
Trinity’s commitment to increase educational access and opportunities is demonstrated by:
- ensuring Year 9-11 high achieving Indigenous students have the means to attend the Young Leaders Program Summer School (through scholarships)
- providing residential scholarships for University of Melbourne Indigenous students
- initiating, designing and teaching the foundation year of the BSc (Extended), BA (Extended) and pathway to BCom.