Director looks to future for JABAL Centre

By Shelly Simonds

One of Australia's first Aboriginal graduates has been appointed director of the ANU's JABAL Centre, the Indigenous student support unit.

Neville Perkins was among the first three Aboriginal students to graduate from Sydney University in the early 1970s.

"Back then you could count the number of Aboriginal students in university on your hand," said Mr Perkins.

The experience sparked a concern for the promotion of educational advancement and scholarship among Aboriginals.

As director of JABAL, Mr Perkins hopes to recruit more indigenous students to disciplines like science, business, political science and health.

"The more successful indigenous Australian scholars there are, the better we can advance our cause in the greater society," said the former general manager of Imparja, the TV network owned by Aboriginals and broadcast via satellite to over half of Australia.

Mr Perkins also aims to expand JABAL's academic coordinator project, presently only operating in the Law faculty.

Two part-time coordinators help the Law faculty's 13 indigenous students reach their academic goals while also providing a resource for academic staff.

Plans are under way to place an academic coordinator in the Arts faculty and possibly other faculties which have significant numbers of indigenous students.

The JABAL Centre is also relocating in a few months to another larger area in lower Melville Hall.

The expanded centre will include an improved student common room, computer laboratory, study and reading room, tutorial rooms and seminar room.

"An important part of my job as director will be to make changes for the better, in order to secure improved results for JABAL, for indigenous students and the ANU."

Mr Perkins also joined widespread condemnation of Independent MP Pauline Hanson.

He said the media had been irresponsible in making a celebrity out of Ms Hanson and he was surprised journalists have not investigated her background, associates and policies more thoroughly.

"Why aren't they looking into her former life, her motives and her affiliations? I bet they'd find something we'd all like to know about," Mr Perkins said.

As a former member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory, Mr Perkins also questioned Ms Hanson's ethics as a parliamentarian, and her commitment to established democratic principles.

"When you're an MP you have a responsibility to represent the interests of all your constituents and it doesn't matter if they're black, white or brindle," he said.

"Ms Hanson has a right to freedom of speech, but she has no right to racially vilify Aborigines and Asians."