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The Sister Alison Bush Medal for Contribution to Indigenous Community
Commitment to Indigenous community
This medal recognises contribution to Indigenous community by representation or significant involvement in projects and initiatives that enrich Indigenous communities through creativity, innovation, volunteering or service to the community.
To be eligible for the 2024 Alumni Awards, nominees must be an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander student who meet the following selection criteria:
- Nominees must have completed their degree requirements or conferred/graduated in 2023 from the University of Sydney.
- Nominees must have achieved a minimum credit average (65-74 mark range) during their award course at the University (any qualifications with pass/fail criteria excepted).
- Nominees must demonstrate contribution to Indigenous community by representation or significant involvement in projects/initiatives that enrich Indigenous communities through creativity, innovation, volunteering or service to the community.
2023 winner
Rebecca Hyland
Graduate Diploma in Indigenous Health Promotion '22
Rebecca Hyland is a proud Kamilaroi-Gomeroi woman who is dedicated to empowering through education. Her career has taken her across remote areas of Australia, working in First Nations Engagement across government, non-government and corporate sectors. The completion of her Graduate Diploma in Indigenous Health Promotion has helped to prepare her for what will surely be a busy few years ahead.
She is currently the Co-Chair for the GACD Indigenous Populations Working Group, as well as being the Senior Projects Manager for iSISTAQUIT, a national research project. iSISTAQUIT recently received an additional three years of funding to 'scale up' into more services and more communities across Australia. She has also committed to further study, undertaking a master's degree by research. With such deep engagement with lifelong learning, we look forward to seeing Rebecca continue to progress positive outcomes in Indigenous communities.
About Sister Alison Bush
Sister Alison Bush was a trailblazer who dedicated more than 40 years to caring for Aboriginal mothers and their babies at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, a teaching hospital of the University of Sydney. During her career she delivered more than 1000 babies from across New South Wales becoming one of the state’s longest serving and most influential midwives.
When she began work at RPA in 1969, she was the first Aboriginal midwife at a major maternity hospital in the state. Alison was pivotal in providing a link between the Women’s Health Service and other Aboriginal initiatives and was dedicated to improving the experiences and outcomes of women, in particular Indigenous women during their pregnancies and early years of childcare.
