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Acknowledgement of Country
We acknowledge and pay respect to the people of the Kulin Nation, the Traditional Custodians of the land upon which Trinity College is situated. We pay our respects to all Elders 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.
Trinity College embraces and celebrates First Nations cultures and welcomes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to apply. Hear from some of our students below, on their experiences of living at Trinity College.
The support we provide
Our team supports Indigenous students through the application process, including scholarship applications and ABSTUDY (which can cover some, if not all, of your college and university fees). We also help students with study plans, referrals to other services, and coordinating cultural initiatives for First Nations students and the wider Trinity community.
All students at Trinity College also get access to ongoing wellbeing and academic support.
Trinity College works closely with Murrup Barak, the Melbourne Institute for Indigenous Development at the University of Melbourne.
Join us on NaArm
If you identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and want an amazing university experience surrounded by fun, supportive and encouraging people, contact our Dean of the Residential College, Leonie Jongenelis on leoniej@trinity.unimelb.edu.au now and you'll receive help with the application process (including financial support, if needed).
It doesn’t matter if you’re from a metropolitan, regional or remote area, we’ll help you get settled at Trinity College and in Melbourne, and will offer you an opportunity like no other.
First Nations student committee
Students who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander are encouraged to join our student committee, Kumergaii Yulendji.
The name Kumergaii Yulendji was gifted to the committee by Aunty Carolyn Briggs, a Boon Wurrung elder and valued member of the Trinity College community, and means ‘knowledge arising’ in Boon Wurrung language.
The committee aims to share knowledge about First Nations cultures and build meaningful relationships within the Trinity community and beyond. Kumergaii Yulendji runs a number of initiatives and events throughout the year to coincide with important events such as Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week.
Kahlee's story
From Darwin to Melbourne – hear about Kahlee Stanislaus's experience of living at Trinity College. Read more about Kahlee here.
More student stories
To find out more about what some of our Indigenous students' experiences have been like at Trinity College, click on the following articles.
- Tyrina Garstone, who grew up with her mob on Yawuru country (Broome, Western Australia) and moved to Melbourne and Trinity College to pursue her university studies.
- Elias Jarvis, a Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung man who says that college has given him the opportunity to make friends, access support and share his culture.
- Cassie Lew-Fatt, a Larrakia woman who visited Trinity College as part of a school netball tour in Year 9, then secured a Trinity scholarship to help her pursue her dreams in Melbourne.
Our alumni
Some of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members of our alumni community (i.e. former students) have gone on to do great things in their careers – this could be you one day!
On this page you can read about Ethan Taylor (below), current AGL Shaw scholar at Oxford University; Sana Nakata, Trinity's first Indigenous student and current member of the Trinity College Board; and Jordan Holloway-Clarke, who helped establish our First Nations student committee, Kumergaii Yulendji.
This artwork pays respect to local customary designs representing Bouverie Creek – a subterranean watercourse that runs from Princes Park, underneath Trinity College, to Bouverie Street.
Our designer, Dixon Patten, is a proud Yorta Yorta and Gunai man. He is also director of Bayila Creative – a Melbourne-based Indigenous-owned creative agency.