Sue Brown, President of the Branch announced the winners. Jemma Pokoney was presented with the Cowra- Canowindra HSC Scholarship by Ms Leila Smith and a second Cowra Canowindra HSC Scholarship, funded by the Cowra services Club Grants programme was presented to Bronwyn Johnson, mother of India Johnson, by Joanna Treasure, the first female board member of the Services Club. 

Both winners are to study Primary Education at the University of Wollongong.

Jemma spoke passionately about her future career, one which she has aimed to follow for many years.

She thanked the AFGW for the assistance the scholarship will be to her and finished with the quote, "A beautiful woman is a beautiful woman, but a beautiful woman with a brain is a lethal combination and achieve great things.” 

India’s mother read her thank you speech, thanking the AFGW for helping girls who are moving on to study away from the shelter of home and familiar surroundings.

She was also passionate about teaching and left us with the thought that the future of the teaching profession will be in safe hands when these two fine young women finish their degrees.

Marianne Payten introduced the guest speaker, Ms Leila Smith BA MPhil, who had traveled from Sydney for the night.

Leila’s father, Tom traveled from Canberra to hear his daughter and her great aunt, Aunty Esther Cutmore was in attendance to welcome everyone to country.

Leila spoke with great love and admiration of her grandmother who had suffered trachoma and after receiving treatment from Ophthalmologist Ross McGregor and with his assistance, became the first Aboriginal employee at the Cowra District Hospital.

Leila’s father Jim attended Young High School and, as he was keen to study but found it hard to work at home, was recognised by the headmaster with the school keys so that he was able to study after school hours in a quiet environment.

Tom went on to become one of the first  Aboriginal school teachers in Canberra where Leila was educated along with 30 other indigenous students at Scrumlo High School.

The prevailing attitude at the time was to attend school, not necessarily to achieve full potential, if you were Aboriginal.

Leila passed the HSC and went on to study at ANU where she achieved a B.A with 1st class Honours.

She later received a Charlie Perkins Scholarship and traveled to Cambridge to study for a Master of Philosophy in Public Policy.

There are 20 places available each year for Aboriginal students at Oxford and Cambridge in the UK and Leila spoke of the friends she met and related the stories of their roads to success.

During this time she received assistance and guidance and realised the necessity to do the same with younger students.

The Aurora Education Foundation of which she is deputy CEO works with Aboriginal students, guiding them, nurturing their culture and requiring them to give time to attend 20 days a year of mentoring and guidance with career choices and study options.

Students are selected with two or more chosen from the same school to provide peer support.

The Aurora Foundation is funded by philanthropy, the British Government and the Australian Government. In concluding Leila thanked all the trailblazers that went before, for making it easier for Aboriginal children to realise their potential and value education.

Among the guests were students who are sitting their HSC exams this year and teachers from both Cowra High School and St Raphaels School.

Christine Parker gave a vote of thanks to Leila.

The proceeds of the evening will go into the fund for next year’s scholarship.

Everyone is reminded that the Barbara Wright Memorial Scholarship will be presented to a female post graduate student in 2020 and applications are available from the AFGW website or by contacting Dr Lois Foster.

Applications close in August 2019 so if you are aware of any student that may benefit from a scholarship please encourage them to apply.