C.A.S. Hawker Scholars

It has been quite a journey since finishing up at Burgmann College in 2009 as a Hawker Scholar. There have been plenty of up and downs, but I must say I have learned more from periods of adversity along the way, rather than success.

During my time at University, I was able to experience College life, while also doing internships for mid/large professional services firms and some federal government agencies. I completed a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) and Bachelor of Laws and did the typical ‘corporate thing’, which was a graduate program for a large multi-national in Sydney.

Big city working life was not my cup of tea. So, I spent some time with family in Australia, went back to South America, toured the United States and Canada, where I reconnected with another Hawker Alumni member. I then went off to Ireland, Europe and the Middle East. It was a wonderful trip, but I realised that I had to find a ‘new normal.’ Travelling without any real purpose can be fun, but it’s not sustainable over the longer-term.

I had previously done an internship with a Community Legal Centre outside Sydney and that was a good reminder about what I was really passionate about - social and community development.

I got the opportunity to do another internship near Cape York, and that led to a job in Brisbane working in Native Title. This was a very challenging role, but it was rewarding to experience so many different communities in outback, rural, regional and coastal Queensland.

By this stage I had finished a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (GDLP) at ANU, largely by distance. I wanted to go back to live and work in the bush. I got an opportunity to live and work in the Central West/Orana region of NSW, where I caught up with more Hawker Alumni members.

I then transferred to the Southern Tablelands, the Barkly region in the Northern Territory, Far-West/Outback NSW and the New England/North-West, near where I grew up. I enjoyed some truly unique experiences, coupled with stints in Western Sydney, where my family now live. I finished a Master of Public Policy and Management through Monash University during that time.

After narrowly missing out on a ‘dream job’ in my hometown, I did some consulting and contracting work in local government across different parts of Sydney. I also did some university teaching, tutoring and marking alongside PhD studies - which are still ongoing.

Now I find myself on a work assignment for a couple of months out on the border of the Simpson Desert and the Channel Country, near the QLD, NT and SA border. It’s very remote, extremely hot and the weather can change very quickly. At the same time, it’s surprisingly refreshing and inspiring to see how well the community overcomes the obstacles of distance, climate and overall scarcity.

Charles Hawker was familiar with similar parts of Australia and became well acquainted with the landscape and its people.  How they managed to survive out here in those days is absolutely remarkable!

His personal story and example continue to inspire me. I can only hope that we as Hawker Scholars live up to his ideals of leadership, service and community spirit.

At Burgmann, I had the great pleasure of teaming up with a number of other Hawker Scholars in different fields, including cricket, hockey, Residents’ Association Executive, First Nations Community Partnership, College Council and various sub-committees.

These experiences taught me a great deal, and prepared me for a lot of the challenging situations I have encountered later in my career. I consider myself fortunate to have kept in touch with so many talented, accomplished and truly wonderful Hawker Alumni members since leaving Burgmann College. I thought putting up with me for three years was an achievement!

I am eternally grateful for the support I have received from them, and the broader Hawker Alumni community over the years. I’m not sure what the future holds for me, but I really hope to stay in touch with this wonderful community, wherever the journey takes me.