‘Make the Most of Yourself … for that is all there is of you.’

Abstract

This profile of Mr Via Chapman is adapted from the December 1979 edition of “Aboriginal Quarterly” with permission of the Editor and of Mr Chapman.

In submitting his story to “Aboriginal Quarterly” in response to that journal’s request to hear from some of the 15 fully qualified Aboriginal teachers in NSW, Mr Chapman observed:

“I didn’t set out to be the first Aboriginal teacher or the first Aboriginal principal or the first Aboriginal anything – these issues are not really important to me personally…I reckon I could write a book and fill in the sadder and more negative bits – but to what avail? I subscribe to Yunupingu’s comment on Australia Day – ‘we must leave history behind and look forward’.”