Always was, always will be Aboriginal land.
The University of Sydney Library acknowledges that our buildings, collections, and practices exist on unceded Aboriginal lands. We recognise the diversity and knowledges of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and students across all the lands the University stands on, and respect the ongoing connection Aboriginal people have to these lands, their cultural practices, knowledge systems and histories. We pay our respects to their Elders, past and present, who have handed down custodianship to each generation for more than 60,000 years.
Money, J. (2021). Yilabara (Now). Filmed on Gadigal Country. Commissioned by the University of Sydney Library
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors at the University of Sydney: new book display at Fisher Library
Jamie-lee Ferguson standing beside her NAIDOC Week book display in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders student space in Fisher Library
These inspiring works of research and storytelling not only provide powerful knowledge but also a chance to see many topics through the Indigenous lens such as caring for country and the ongoing impact of history today..
A new book display highlighting the scholarly contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander academics and researchers can be found on level 3 of Fisher Library. Curated by Jamie-lee Timbery Ferguson, the Library’s Indigenous Engagement Assistant and proud Bidjigal-Dharawal, Wailwan, Biripi and Bundjalung woman, the display showcases significant works by First Nations voices across the University.
Ferguson, who has spent most of her life on Bidjigal Country and now works on Gadigal land, developed the exhibition to strengthen connections to culture while highlighting the significant academic contributions of First Nations scholars at the University.
“These inspiring works of research and storytelling not only provide powerful knowledge but also a chance to see many topics through the Indigenous lens, such as caring for country and the ongoing impact of history today.’ explains Ferguson, who has strong family connections spanning NSW and southern Queensland.
This display is a culmination of written work by mob such as Professor Lynette Riley, Professor Lisa Jackson Pulver, Dr Michael Mossman and many more to increase visibility of Indigenous voices and resources as well as strengthen connection to culture.
Located in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student space on level 3 of Fisher Library, the exhibition will run from 3 February to 23 May. For those unable to visit in person, many of the featured resources are accessible online through the Library's digital collections.
Note: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised there may be material containing writings and/or images of deceased community/family members.
Museums and the Public Sphere, by Jennifer Barrett
A chapter from Jennifer Barrett's book
King Plates, A History of Aboriginal Gorgets by Jakelin Troy
The Indigenous Book Display information signages
Below is the complete resources list currently on display:
- Bailey, R., Hardie-Boys, N., Bailie, J., Carr, J., Moodie, D., McLean, G.,
Scanlen, A., Bainbridge, R., Monaghan, R., Walke, E., & Bailie, R. (2018). Evaluation of the Australian Government’s Investment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care through the Indigenous Australians’ Health Programme: Monitoring and Evaluation Design Report. Wellington: Allen + Clarke. - Barrett, J. (2011). Museums and the public sphere. Wiley-Blackwell.
- Barrett, J., & Butler-Bowdon, C. (2001). Debating the city : an anthology. Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales in association with the University of Western Sydney.
- Case, L. (2022). The Adaptation of Violin Playing by Indigenous People in Early Twentieth-Century Western Australia and New South Wales. Musicology Australia, 44(2), 107–126.
- Chakraborty, A., Walke, E., Bainbridge, R., Bailie, R., Matthews, V., Larkins, S., Burgess, P., Askew, D., Langham, E., Smorgon, S., Swaminathan, G., Cameron, D., Piccoli, T., & Passey, M. (2022). VOICE-Validating Outcomes by Including Consumer Experience: A Study Protocol to Develop a Patient Reported Experience Measure for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Accessing Primary Health Care. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(1), 357-.
- Christie, V., Riley, L., Green, D., Amin, J., Skinner, J., Pyke, C., & Gwynne, K. (2024). Improving Breast Cancer Outcomes for Indigenous Women in Australia. Cancers, 16(9), 1736-.
- Case, L. & Harris, A. (2024) Cultivating a European Concert Culture in Colonial Sydney and Hobart, 1826–1840. In The Cambridge Companion to Music in Australia (pp. 93–110).
- Dickson, M. (2020). “My work? Well, I live it and breathe it”: The seamless connect between the professional and personal/community self in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector. BMC Health Services Research, 20(1), 972–16.
- Dickson, M. L. (2018). Understanding and valuing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of working: Opportunities for change in health service provision to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The University of Sydney.
- Gibbs, M. C., Parker, L. M., Scanes, E., & Ross, P. M. (2024). Recognising the importance of shellfish to First Nations peoples, Indigenous and Traditional Ecological Knowledge in aquaculture and coastal management in Australia. Marine and Freshwater Research, 75(4).
- Gibbs, M., Ross, P., Scanes, E., Gibbs, J., Rotolo‐Ross, R., & Parker, L. (2023). Extending conservation of coastal and oyster reef restoration for First Nations cultural revitalization. Conservation Biology, 37(6), e14158-n/a.
- Gilroy, J., Veli‐Gold, S., Wright, W., Dew, A., Jensen, H., Bulkeley, K., & Lincoln, M. (2023). Disability workforce and the NDIS planning process in regional, rural and remote regions of Australia: Scoping review. The Australian Journal of Rural Health, 31(5), 839–854.
- Heiss, A., & Minter, P. (2008). Macquarie PEN Anthology of Aboriginal Literature (1st ed.). Allen & Unwin.
- Hiyare-Hewage, A., Sinka, V., Grande, E. D., Kerr, M., Kim, S., Mallitt, K.-A., Dickson, M., Jaure, A., Wilson, R., Craig, J. C., & Stephens, J. H. (2024). The cultural safety of research reports on primary healthcare use by Indigenous Peoples: a systematic review. BMC Health Services Research, 24(1), 873–12.
- Harding, S., Jackson Pulver, L., McDonald, P., Morrison, P., Trewin, D., Voss, A. (2017). Report on the quality of 2016 Census data. Retrieved from
- Jackson Pulver, L. R., McDermott, D., & University of New South Wales. School of Public Health and Community Medicine. Muru Marri Indigenous Health Uni. (2008). Bringing them home : Kinchela Boys’ Home Aboriginal Corporation : strategic plan. Muru Marri Indigenous Health Unit, University of New South Wales.
- Jones, K. A., Henderson, H., Bright, T., Segal, L., Mauerhofer, O., Lake, K. J., Julian, R., Duncan, J., Raymond, A., Jones, A., Cameron, D., Fergie, D., Andrews, S., Stewart, S., Atkinson, C., Elliot, A., Crawford, B., Mohammed, J., Bundle, G., … Chamberlain, C. (2024). Healing the Past by Nurturing the Future: trauma-aware, healing-informed care to improve support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families – implementation and evaluation study protocol. BMJ Open, 14(7), e085555-.
- Khanna, P., Walke, E., Bailie, J., & Angelo, C. (2024). Shaping competencies for culturally safe practice among medical students. The Clinical Teacher, 21(6), e13831-n/a.
- McNeill, D., Mossman, M., Rogers, D., & Tewdwr-Jones, M. (2022). The university and the city: Spaces of risk, decolonisation, and civic disruption. Environment and Planning. A, 54(1), 204–212.
- Mossman, M. & Ewald-Rice, A. (2018). Yarrabah Housing Studio 2018. School of Architecture, Design and Planning.
- Pitt, J. P. A., & Bennetts, L. G. (2024). On transitions in water wave propagation through consolidated to broken sea ice covers. Proceedings of the Royal Society. A, Mathematical, Physical, and Engineering Sciences, 480(2297).
- Pitt, J. P. A., Zoppou, C., & Roberts, S. G. (2018). Behaviour of the Serre equations in the presence of steep gradients revisited. Wave Motion, 76, 61–77.
- Riley-McNaboe, D., Riley, L., & SBS Learn. (2022). Wiradjuri workbook : Bula : family terms, body parts & colours. University of Sydney.
- Troy, J., Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies., & National Museum of Australia. (1993). King plates : a history of Aboriginal gorgets. Aboriginal Studies Press for the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.
- Troy, J., Australian National University. Research School of Pacific Studies. Department of Linguistics., & Linguistic Circle of Canberra. (1990). Australian Aboriginal contact with the English language in New South Wales : 1788 to 1845. Dept. of Linguistics, Research School of Pacific Studies, Australian National University.
- Veli-Gold, S., Gilroy, J., Clough, A., Thompson, F., Bohanna, I., Fitts, M., Esterman, A., Fleming, J., & Maruff, P. (2020). Presenting to hospital emergency: Analysis of clinical notes for Indigenous and non-Indigenous patients with traumatic brain injury in North Queensland. Australian Aboriginal Studies (Canberra, A.C.T. : 1983), 2020(1), 54–65.
- Walke, E., Townsend-Cross, M. L., Garay, J., Matthews, V., Dickson, M., Edwards, D., & Angelo, C. (2024). Where our identity lies: Confirmation of Aboriginality - narratives of colonial and lateral violence. AlterNative : An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, 20(1), 3–11.
- Wardle, I. (2023). To what extent do Aboriginal families view the Family Group Conference model in New South Wales as culturally safe? The University of Sydney.
- Yadav, U. N., Smith, M., Agostino, J., Sinka, V., Williamson, L., Wyber, R., Butler, D. C., Belfrage, M., Freeman, K., Passey, M., Walke, E., Hammond, B., Lovett, R., & Douglas, K. A. (2023). Understanding the implementation of health checks in the prevention and early detection of chronic diseases among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia: a realist review protocol. BMJ Open, 13(6), e071234–e071234.