Reflections of an Aboriginal school principal on leading change in an Aboriginal school: Australia

From August 1998 until March 2005, I had the privilege of being principal of Cherbourg State School, an Aboriginal community school just three hours’ drive northwest of Brisbane, Australia. At the time, it seemed a daunting task, as I had never been a school principal before but, as an Aboriginal academic getting frustrated by questions from undergraduates such as ‘Are you a qualified lecturer?’ I felt it was time to get on with the business of working with my own people and with my own ideas.