Ten Indigenous PhD students from the University of Sydney have taken part in a culturally grounded retreat aimed at instilling Indigenous ways of learning into their rigorous study program.

The Ngurra Research Writing Retreat, developed under the University’s ‘One Sydney, Many People’ strategy, saw the higher degree by research (HDR) candidates travel to Gundungurra, Darug and Wiradjuri Country to support their thesis progress through engagement with Indigenous knowledge systems, community, reflection, and structured writing time.

Ngurra means home or country in several Aboriginal languages from Australia’s vast western desert region.

The students engaged with each other’s research under the guidance of University of Sydney academics, encouraging reflections on designing and conducting Indigenous-centred research grounded in knowledge systems which have been developing for tens of thousands of years.

Jo Burton, a Wiradjuri woman with 42 years’ nursing experience – including 22 years working in the NSW prison system – was among the participants in the first program, which ran in December.

Ms Burton specialises in Indigenous intergenerational trauma and recovery care and is undertaking her PhD in the Faculty of Medicine and Health exploring the professional identity of the custodial health nurse – those working to provide medical care to convicted offenders in the justice system.

“Starting our retreat in Kedumba (Katoomba) with Uncle David King's welcome to, and safe passage through, Gundungurra and Darug country on our way to Wiradjuri country set the tone for this deeply spiritual and inclusive gathering,” she said.

“I have lived here for many years, but Uncle David gave me new insight into country and the value of stories and family; reaffirming my connection to this place. Connecting with my fellow HDR student sisters, learning from Aunty Stacey Kim Coates and the fantastic academic allies, has given me confidence and focus to complete my PhD studies. I highly recommend this retreat to any mob undertaking HDR studies.”

Gayiri and Badtjala woman Cathy Eatock, a PhD Candidate in the School of Social and Political Sciences, is researching the capacity of the United Nations to support the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander self-determination.

“The Ngurra writing retreat provided an invaluable opportunity to travel out onto country and hear from local elders of their ancestral connections and history. It enabled space to reflect on our research journey and how our research linked with our own communities, elders, histories and experiences,” Ms Eatock said.

“Meeting with other HDR mob and hearing of their research highlighted that despite the diversity of our work, it’s tied together by our shared cultural obligations to our communities. The presentations, particularly by Aunty Stacey Kim Coates, reassured me that it’s normal to feel lost at times as we negotiate where we fit in higher degree research.”

Ms Eatock also praised the valuable advice of Professor Azrini Wahidin, Head of School, Social and Political Sciences and Professor Eliza Wu, Associate Dean (Research Education) in the Business School.

Following the initial gathering in Echo Point’s Indigenous meeting space overlooking the Three Sisters, the students immersed themselves in the local creation stories under the guidance of local custodians.

Next travelling to Dubbo on Tubbah-Gah Wiradjuri country, the group was welcomed by local elder and artist Uncle Lewis Burns, who prepared them for connecting and learning on country in the coming days.

“Uncle Lewis welcomed us with warmth and wisdom, offering a smoking ceremony that reminded us of the significance of place, presence and relational accountability,” said Associate Professor Stacey Kim Coates, Associate Dean of Indigenous Strategy and Services at the University of Sydney Business School. “It set the rhythm for a retreat centred on care, voice and cultural continuity.”

Uncle Lewis led an on-country session encompassing evidence of enduring Aboriginal custodianship of the area including grinding grooves, living areas, and scar trees – historic evidence of canoe, shelter and food-carrier creation.

The future of Indigenous custodianship of local sites was explored in a visit to the Talbragar Aboriginal Reserve, where local organisations have land and vegetation projects underway. The students also visited the gardens near Terramungamine where an Indigenous burial with various grave goods was infamously disturbed in 1987.

The retreat was facilitated by the University of Sydney Business School and is one of several new initiatives towards the School’s Indigenous strategy, including the extension of the Gadigal Centre in the opening of Ngara – a study and meeting place for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

Other highlights in 2025 included the first Connecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Voices event with Adam Goodes, and a delegation of four Indigenous students to Yawuru country in Broome, WA, to engage with Aboriginal businesses and participate in on-country experiences.

Header image: The Ngurra program participants stand by a canoe tree outside Dubbo. The scarring indicates how the tree has been used and preserved by local Indigenous peoples.