Narrandera High School Aboriginal Education Officer, Aunty Joy O’Hara, was awarded a Secretary’s Award for Excellent Service on Monday night at the Sydney Town Hall by the Secretary for Education, Murat Dizdar and former Justice of the High Court The Honourable Michael Kirby.

This award was presented as part of Education Week and are the highest awards within the NSW Department of Education.

Secretary’s Award for Excellent Service recognises NSW Department of Education employees (teaching and school operations) who have shown outstanding effort in improving the quality of teaching, learning outcomes and/or school environments in the NSW public education sector.

Joy’s citation reads: Joy O’Hara is an outstanding Aboriginal Education Officer who has strived to improve the educational, social, emotional and cultural outcomes for all Indigenous students at Narrandera High School for over 20 years.

She is highly respected in the Narrandera community and has been a positive role model for two generations of students. Her passion for education and for student to strive to be they best they can be is evident in her care and support of students every day.

Joy is an integral member of the Narrandera High School and wider community whose influence will continue to be evident in the community for future generations.

She was joined in Sydney by the Director Educational Leadership for the Narrandera Network, Ms Tanya Whyte, the principal of Narrandera High School, Ms Tania Maddison and Aboriginal Education Officer at Narrandera High School Mr Braden Lyons.

This article appeared in the Narrandera Argus, 8 August 2024.