First Indigenous Australian scholars settle into life at Oxford

21 October 2010

Oxford University’s first Indigenous Australian scholars are settling into their doctoral studies in Oxford and are available for interview to discuss their progress.

Christian Thompson and Paul Gray are the inaugural Charlie Perkins scholars, having won scholarships to pursue graduate study at Oxford.

Gray, 26, holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology/Aboriginal Studies from the University of Sydney. He was the first Indigenous Australian student to be admitted to the combined degree at Sydney University and the first to graduate with Honours in Psychology. He is studying for a DPhil in Experimental Psychology.

Thompson, 32, is an acclaimed artist and holds a Masters of Fine Art from RMIT in Melbourne. He is pursuing a DPhil in Fine Art at the Ruskin School of Art, and his work has attracted the interest of actress Cate Blanchett, who recently purchased three of his photographs.

The  Charlie Perkins scholarships were launched in 2008 to enable Indigenous Australian students to study at Oxford. Despite a significant Australian student body, it is believed there has never been an Indigenous Australian studying for an undergraduate or graduate degree at the University.

Hetti Perkins, Chair of the Charlie Perkins Trust and scholarship selection panel, said: 'Until now, for Indigenous students, studying at Oxford was an unattainable dream. With the Charlie Perkins Scholarships, these two talented Indigenous scholars can make the dream a reality.

The scholarships are named in honour of Charlie Perkins, who while playing soccer professionally in the UK was inspired to return to Australia to undertake university study after playing in a game against Oxford University. At the time he had not matriculated from high school. He was the first Indigenous Australian man to graduate from university and the first Indigenous head of an Australian Government department.

Elleke Boehmer, Professor of World Literatures in English at Oxford and a member of the Charlie Perkins Trust’s Board, said: ‘It is incredibly moving and significant that these talented postgraduate students from one of the world's most deprived and  marginalised communities now have the opportunity, through Charlie Perkins, to study at one of the modern world's oldest centres of learning. The scales of historical injustice are being rebalanced.

Images of both scholars are available upon request.

For further information or to schedule an interview, please contact Julia Paolitto in the Press Office, Oxford University, on +44 (0)1865 280 531 or julia.paolitto@admin.ox.ac.uk.