Indigenous Nationals returns home for 30th Anniversary

When Aunty Trish Neal helped launch the very first Indigenous Nationals in 1996, she wouldn’t have guessed it would grow to become one of the country’s most significant Indigenous student events. It was simply an assignment.

“I was at the old Wollotuka Institute doing a diploma in Aboriginal Studies… and in the second year of the diploma, our assessment was to start the National Indigenous Student Games,” Aunty Trish said.

“At the first games we had a team from Wollotuka, a team from the University of Western Sydney, three students who were very, very tall from UNE (University of New England) who came down here to play basketball, and one student from the University of Canberra, and that was it,” she laughed, describing its humble beginnings.

Aunty Trish Neal was among the group of creators of Indigenous Nationals at the Wollotuka Institute in 1996 and is a current lecturer still with Wollotuka.

Nearly 30 years on, that classroom project has grown into a nationally recognised celebration of culture, connection and competition.

At the end of this month, Indigenous Nationals presented by bp (Indigenous Nationals), returns home to the University of Newcastle, where more than 500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students will come together on Awabakal and Worimi Country.

Cultural sharing and social events

Indigenous Nationals is delivered by UniSport Australia in partnership with the University of Newcastle and the Wollotuka Institute

For those who have been part of the journey, the true legacy of Indigenous Nationals lies in the people and the stories carried across generations.

Raymond Kelly Junior was just 15 when he attended the inaugural games, watching his mother, current Wollotuka Elder in Residence, Aunty Amanda Kelly, compete across multiple sports.

“I remember the first Indigenous Nationals being a lot of fun — some teams were extremely competitive, and others were just there for the cultural sharing and social events,” he said.

Since then, he has returned not only as a participant, but as a coach and mentor for University of Newcastle students.

Opportunities to connect

“In 2019, I had the pleasure of taking a wonderful group of students to compete in Western Australia,” Mr Kelly said.

“What stood out most was how big the games had gotten, as teams were wearing complete sports uniforms including socks and backpacks, which was very different from the first event where some teams were in mixed uniforms and had to write names and numbers on the back with texta!”

This year, Raymond will don one of those full sporting kits as one of Wollotuka’s competitors and current communications student.

“We had to write names and numbers on the back of jerseys with texta”

That growth reflects what Indigenous Nationals has become: more than a sporting competition, it is a shared cultural experience that brings together students from across the country.

It creates opportunities to connect, strengthen cultural ties, showcase athletic prowess, build networks, and even enhance future job prospects.

Head of the Wollotuka Institute, Loren Collyer, said the 30th anniversary was a celebration of those who have shaped the event and an opportunity for future generations.

“Indigenous Nationals has been built by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students over decades, and is an event for us, and by us,” Ms Collyer said.

“Every participant brings their own story, their own community and their own identity, and together, that’s what makes this event so powerful.”

Mob Markets to showcase business

Held from June 29 to July 3  to July 3, Indigenous Nationals will feature daily competition across basketball, netball, touch football and volleyball, alongside cultural activities, community events and opportunities to connect.

The week will also include opening and closing ceremonies, a dedicated day for visiting high school students, and ‘Mob Markets’ showcasing local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses and creators.

Starting as a small gathering of a handful of teams, to welcoming hundreds of participants from universities nationwide, the event continues to evolve while staying grounded in its original purpose.

“It’s absolutely amazing to see hundreds of students from all around Australia, I’m so proud to have been part of something that means so much to so many,” Aunty Trish said.

As the University of Newcastle hosts the milestone anniversary and welcomes back many past participants, Indigenous Nationals stands as a living legacy. It is shaped by every student who has stepped onto the court, field or Country over the past thirty years.

• Main photo: Team Wollotuka are the original and reoccurring hosts, as well as the 2025 champions. Picture: UniSport