Colleen Hayward

A Fremantle member since 2004, professor Colleen Hayward AM is a senior Noongar woman with extensive family links throughout WA’s South-West. For more than 30 years, Prof Hayward has provided significant input to policies and programs on a wide range of issues reflecting the needs of minority groups at community, state and national levels. She has a wealth of previous board experience and an extensive background in a range of areas including health, education, leadership and governance.

Since 2009, she has been the head of Kurongkurl Katitjin, ECU’s Centre for Indigenous Education and Research, and concurrently holds the position of pro-vice-chancellor (Equity and Indigenous) across the university.

Prof Hayward has a Diploma of Teaching, a Bachelor of Education, a Bachelor of Applied Science in Aboriginal Community Management and Development, and a Post Graduate Certificate in Cross Sector Partnerships from Cambridge University.

Prof Hayward was awarded the 2008 National NAIDOC Aboriginal Person of the Year Award, the 2006 Premier of Western Australia’s prestigious Multicultural Ambassador’s Award, and inducted into the WA Department of Education’s Hall of Fame for Achievement in Aboriginal Education in 2009. In 2012, she was inducted into the Western Australian Women’s Hall of Fame and recognised as a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia. She was made a Western Australian Ambassador for Children and Young People in 2012 and was named as one of WA’s 100 most influential West Australians in 2015 and 2016.