In 2024, Australia will mark the 30th anniversary of the national recognition of Australian South Sea Islanders. This recognition was granted on August 25th, 1994, and will be celebrated on the same date in 2024. It is an important milestone for the community and a time to reflect on their history and contributions to Australian society.
Australian South Sea Islanders United Council Independent Rockhampton & District Inc.
Australian South Sea Islander Graduation Ceremony 2024
Celebrating 10 Years
​
In 2015 when we held our first Australian South Sea Islander Graduation Ceremony and it makes, me so proud that now in 2024 we will be celebrating our tenth ceremony.
​
We have seen close to 150 – 170 year 12 students of Australian South Sea Islander descent participate in our graduation ceremonies, along with their families and friends, but most importantly their elders to present them with their sash and certificate.
​
Some of our graduates are now lawyers, welders, boiler makers, youth workers, teachers, and nurses just to name a few.
​
I have had the support of my elders to get the graduation ceremony started, especially my Uncle Joe Leo, Aunty Monica Leo and Aunty Ros Wallace who believed in me and supported this concept to celebrate our ASSI Year 12 graduates.
​
I would also that to thank Linking the Generations, Earl and Latoya Harbin who have also been supportive of the graduation ceremonies by hosting several of the ceremonies and providing artefacts from Vanuatu to decorate our venues.
​
Lastly, thank you to the Australian South Sea Islander United Council – Independent Rockhampton & District Inc. for their continued financial support and assistance from members in bringing our most recent graduation ceremonies to fruition.
​
Our 2024 will be held in early October, date to be confirmed shortly. We asked that any ASSI students who are graduating from Year 12 to please let us know so that we can ensure an invitation is sent to you.
All the best for Year 12!
​
Join us for the ASSI Graduation Ceremony for 2024, taking place on Saturday, 12 October. We kindly ask you to RSVP as indicated in the invitation below. We look forward to celebrating this special occasion with you!
Our Youth
Year 12 Australian South Sea Islanders Graduations
The Year 12 ASSI Graduation event was initiated in 2015 by ASSIUC's Secretary, Rae Willie and continues to flourish each year!
On Saturday, 22 October 2022, the Australian South Sea Islander United Council (ASSIUC) –Independent Rockhampton and Districts Inc. hosted the 8th ASSI Year 12 Graduation Ceremony. Students from North Rockhampton High School, Glenmore State High School, Emmaus College, St Brendan’s College and St Ursula’s College were represented, with nineteen students of ASSI descent graduating from Year 12. Each graduate was asked to announce their family links and if known, their island connections prior to them being presented with a certificate and sash by our President, Kerry Warkill and Vice President, Christine Evans or the students grandparent/s if they were in attendance.
The ASSI Year 12 Graduation Ceremony has been an important event on our organisation’s calendar each year and where our ASSI Year 12 graduating students look forward to attending. It is not lost on our organisation the importance of education for our young people and for them to take up opportunities afforded to them, which was not available to their grandparents and great grandparents.
2022 also saw Northern Rockhampton State High School host an inaugural ceremony acknowledging our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, but also our students of Australian South Sea Islander descent. This ceremony was driven by the Community Engagement Counsellors at North Rockhampton State High School Jodie Martin and Cassandra Von Seden and with the support of the School Principal, Kurt Goodwin. Guest speaker at this ceremony was Stephen Upkett a Year 12 graduate in 2017.
We also saw Ezekiel Willie a ASSI Year 12 graduate from Kirwan State High School, Townsville, who has links to Kanaka Town, Rockhampton also wear an ASSI sash to represent his ASSI heritage.
We have been greatly supported over the past eight years by Rockhampton Trophy Centre & Engraving who have made our graduation sashes and in recent years we have worked with Big Colour Works in East Street, to design and print our ceremony invitations and certificates.
With the changes to the National Curriculum in recent years and students finishing earlier than the second week of November, we have decided to change the event date for the 2023 Year 12 ASSI Ceremony to Saturday, 16 September 2022. We have started gathering our list of ASSI Year 12 graduates for 2023, but please send through an email to assiucrockhampton@gmail.com or send a message via our ASSIUC Inc. Facebook page to advise if your child is graduating this year. Our 2023 Year 12 Graduation ceremony will also include students who are graduating from high schools in Gladstone. Our 2022 Graduates have started on new endeavours, and we wish them well. All the best to our current 2023 ASSI students for their final year of their secondary education.