Reclaiming Eldership in the academy: An examination of the Elders in Residence roles in Australian higher education

Matilda Harry; Michelle Trudgett; Susan Page; Rhonda Povey

doi:10.55146/ajie.v55i1.2049

Authors

Matilda Harry Western Sydney University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0254-2757
Michelle Trudgett Western Sydney University https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6022-0169
Susan Page Western Sydney University
Rhonda Povey Western Sydney University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55146/ajie.v55i1.2049

Keywords:

Elder in Residence; higher education; self-determination; Indigenous leadership; equity

Abstract

Indigenous Australian Elders are key cultural authorities in higher education, with their presence expanding through Elders in Residence programs over the past two decades. While government reports, sector-wide reviews and institutional strategies recognise the value of Elders in Residence roles, research on the scope, efficacy and integration of such roles into institutional governance remains limited. Reporting on findings from an Australian Research Council-funded study, this paper centres the voices of six Elders in Residence through in‑depth qualitative interviews and examines their positioning within complex, nuanced ecosystems of university governance, Indigenous leadership and community engagement.

Drawing on Moodie’s (2018) decolonising race theory, we analyse Elders’ contributions across fragmented webs of institutional power and accountability. Conceptually, the paper introduces the Dhurrun model to illuminate the layered, relational and adaptive nature of Elders’ roles within higher education ecosystems. Our findings reveal that Elders’ roles are often misunderstood, inconsistently supported, and at risk of being reduced to symbolic gestures, rather than recognised as vital agents of reform and relational governance. We argue that (re)claiming Eldership within universities is essential to restoring Indigenous authority and embedding relational accountability at the centre of higher education ecosystems.

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Author Biographies

Matilda Harry, Western Sydney University

Dr Matilda Harry is a proud Wiradjuri early career academic whose PhD amplified the voices of Indigenous young people and mentors, focusing on success and mentorship. She developed the Indigenous Cultural Wealth Mentoring Model and has published widely, presenting nationally and internationally. Her research has received multiple awards for impact, including the AARE Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Postgraduate Student Researcher Award. Currently, she is a postdoctoral researcher on an ARC-funded project examining Indigenous leadership in higher education, with a focus on governance, autonomy and embedding Indigenous leadership within university structures.

Michelle Trudgett, Western Sydney University

Professor Michelle Trudgett is an Indigenous scholar and executive leader from the Wiradjuri Nation in New South Wales. She currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Leadership and Vice-President at Western Sydney University. Additionally, she is a Board Member of the GO Foundation. Professor Trudgett is one of Australia’s foremost researchers in Indigenous education and leadership. Her significant contributions to the sector have been recognised through several prestigious awards.

Susan Page, Western Sydney University

Professor Susan Page is an Aboriginal Australian academic whose research focuses on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ experiences of learning and academic work in higher education and student learning in Indigenous Studies. Susan has collaborated on several competitive research grants, and has received the prestigious title of Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA), Advance HE. This global recognition highlights her exceptional contributions to student learning and strategic leadership in Indigenous learning and teaching. Susan has further been awarded the national award for Excellence in Teaching (Neville Bonner Award for Indigenous Education) and is well published in Indigenous higher education.

Rhonda Povey, Western Sydney University

Dr Rhonda Povey lives and works on Dharug land and has extensive experience in Indigenous education research. Her PhD examined the delivery of Western education to Indigenous students in remote Western Australia during the expansion of the cattle industry, with a focus on Indigenous oral histories. Rhonda aims to contribute to decolonising education in remote contexts. She has worked on ARC-funded projects including Walan Mayiny: Indigenous Leadership in Higher Education and Developing Indigenous Early Career Researchers, and is currently a researcher on Yarruwala: Complex Ecosystems of Indigenous Higher Education Leadership.

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