New prize for brilliant Indigenous minds
In honour of the late writer and social justice activist Guy Alder Morrison, former Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences lecturer Dr Sandra Symons has partnered up with two associates to establish an annual $4,000 cash prize to recognise the outstanding achievements of a UTS Indigenous Bachelor (Honours) student.
An accomplished writer, editor and journalist, Guy Morrison dedicated his life to the humanities and the pursuit of social justice. Alongside carving out a successful career working for key mastheads The Australian and The Sydney Morning Herald, he published several original works including the 1952 memoir We Shared an Island about the year he spent on a remote island in the Great Barrier Reef.
In the 1970s and 1980s, he joined the anti-Vietnam War movement, and later played an instrumental role in bringing to life the Apmira Artists for Aboriginal Land Rights project.
Named for the Arunta word for ‘land’, the Apmira Festival series included fundraising concerts and art exhibitions in 1981 and 1982, coordinated by Mr Morrison under the patronage of high profile artists such as Arthur Boyd, Max Dupain, Lloyd Rees and Patrick White. Both Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists donated their original works to the events, with all proceeds given to the NSW, Kimberley and North Queensland land councils to support the land rights movement.
Inspired by Morrison’s commitment to advancing Indigenous rights in Australia, Dr Symons created the newly established Guy Morrison Prize for Excellence to celebrate the academic achievements of Indigenous UTS students.
“This prize recognises Guy’s dedication to supporting First Nations people,” Dr Symons says. “It celebrates, acknowledges and rewards the brilliant work of Indigenous UTS students in all faculties.”
The Jumbunna-led Guy Morrison Prize for Excellence is now taking applications from any Indigenous-identifying Bachelor (Honours) student from across the university, up until 1 September 2022.
Students will be required to submit a 500 word outline of their Honours thesis work, and all applications will be reviewed by a selection panel led by Maree Graham, Director of Indigenous Students and Community Engagement in the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education & Research, with participation from the Jumbunna Institute.
For full details, eligibility criteria and to apply, visit the scholarships page.
