2006
Honorary award citation
A leading Indigenous academic and champion for reconciliation will receive an honorary doctorate at a University of Queensland graduation ceremony.
Jackie Huggins, AM, is known internationally for her work as an author, historian and activist, and has served as the deputy director of UQ's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit since 1997.
Of the Bidjara (central Queensland) and Birri-Gubba Juru (north Queensland) peoples, Ms Huggins attended Serviceton State School in Inala at a time when Indigenous Australians weren't counted on the national census.
Motivated to pursue higher education by her grade five teacher Mrs Beryl Roberts - who will be attending the ceremony - Ms Huggins worked at the ABC and the Department of Aboriginal Affairs before commencing undergraduate studies at the University of Queensland.
Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in anthropology and history in 1987, Ms Huggins moved to Adelaide where she completed a Diploma of Education and then honours in history and women's studies at Flinders University.
Becoming a Member of the Order of Australia in 2001 for services to the Indigenous community, Ms Huggins has served on numerous boards and is currently a Co-Chair of Reconciliation Australia and a director of both the Telstra Foundation and the Australian Centre for Indigenous History.
