Principal's Report

At Ballarat High School, we know we are fortunate to live, learn and grow on the land of the Wadawurrung people. We are blessed with the facilities and spaces for all students to develop the skills and knowledge that they will need once they journey beyond Sturt Street. When we meet and acknowledge country, we take the time to reflect on our own connection to the land, the sky and waterways and remind ourselves how they support and sustain our community, as they have done for those who came before us.

Whilst we exist on this timeline for a fleeting moment, what we do with it is critical: critical to our students and critical to how they shape their own futures. There are so many possibilities, so many experiences and so many memories that are created on this land on any given day that influence and shape the direction that our students take. What connects all of these interactions is each other and our sense of community and belonging which is driven by our shared values. Ballarat High School benefits from existing on Wadawurrung country and we owe a debt of honour to their elders past and present for providing us with a place where we call home.

How we repay that debt of gratitude must start in supporting the emergence of future First Nations leaders within our own student body. Student Leadership at Ballarat High School is one of our greatest assets and wherever we can grow student leadership, benefits and enriches our whole school community.

As principal, it is with great pride that I celebrate the outstanding involvement of our students in the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation’s Nallei Jerring Program – a leadership initiative designed for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander young people across Western Victoria.

This is a well-established program at Ballarat High School, due to the tireless commitment of our wellbeing leader, Shirlene Laurie. Shirlene’s advocacy for our First Nations students and her mantra of high aspirations, in the service of self-determination, has led to many students returning year in year out to this program. In 2025, BHS boasted the highest turnout of students from any state, faith or independent school in our area and it was an absolute privilege to see so many of our Year 10 students graduate this year from the program. 

The program fosters strong connections to culture, leadership growth and a genuine sense of community. Throughout the year, our students have shown real commitment as they engaged in cultural excursions, team-building activities and mentoring sessions with respected Aboriginal Elders and community leaders.

Nallei Jerring, meaning ‘Join and Unite’ in Woi Wurrung language, provides a unique opportunity for students to develop resilience, communication skills and cultural pride, all while being supported in a safe and empowering environment.

We commend our students for embracing this opportunity and thank the program organisers for continuing to inspire the next generation of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders. The program’s closing ceremony took place at Mooreshead soccer facility with our very own Mia Nikkelson’s willingness to help and support others being recognised by being selected for the William Cooper award for 2025. Whilst clutching the coveted signed Bulldogs guernsey, Mia spoke of the journey that she has been on and her pride and connection with her community. 

For those unfamiliar, William Cooper was famous for being an influential Yorta Yorta Aboriginal leader and activist who campaigned for Indigenous rights in the 1930s. He founded the Australian Aborigines' League, organized the first Aboriginal Day of Mourning in 1938, and led the famous petition to the British monarch calling for Aboriginal representation in the Australian Parliament.  

This award is given to a student who continues William’s legacy of supporting community and making a difference in the lives of others by leading. We congratulate Mia on this award, along with her fellow Year 10 graduates of the program. 

It is humbling, as in all things our students get involved in, to see how BHS leads the way and to witness the difference opportunities to grow has on any individual student.  Our motto, ‘Duty Always’, speaks of mateship, camaraderie and the bravery of being an upstander and making a difference. To all our students who have taken part in this program, I challenge you to take this learning and make it count throughout our community on a daily basis. 

Also, this semester, Ballarat High School has proudly partnered with MAEDEC Australia and the National Indigenous Australian Agency (NIAA) through the Closing the Gap Funding Program to participate in the Indigenous Youth Leadership Program (IYLP). This initiative supports First Nation students, to empower them to complete their senior years and pursue successful post-school pathways. Through the program, six students – Mia Nikkelson (Year 10), Akaysha Dodds (Year 10), Ella Haby (Year 10), Ethan Brown (Year 10), Angelina Keddie (Year 11), and Heidi Possingham (Year 9) – have been awarded scholarships. These scholarships support a wide range of educational and wellbeing needs, including school materials, tutoring and extracurricular activities and are contingent on high attendance, strong academic performance and upholding school values. They reflect the drive and ambition that these students possess and their willingness to challenge themselves to learn and grow whilst at BHS. Well done all.

And finally on this theme, Mia, Akaysha and Ozzy Possingham (Year 7) held the attention of a room full of educational and community leaders at the SWVT Marrung Forum, speaking about racism in schools, how it impacts groups and individuals and how student voice is so important in how we can understand what is needed to change. There is power in speaking up and speaking for the victims of racism and as a wider community, we must listen to secure a culture where every student has the opportunity to realise their potential and achieve the success that matters most to them.

Stephan Fields

Principal