Guide to the Records of the Black Women's Action in Education Foundation (BWAEF) [MSS 291]

Finding Aid Index Request Information

 

Overview | Administrative Information | Container List

Each Finding Aid can be keyword searched using the Ctrl F function on your keyboard.

Manuscript Name Records of the Black Women's Action in Education Foundation
Manuscript Number MSS 291
Last Updated June 2022
Extent 21 boxes + 1 oversize + 1 plan cabinet
Location Special Collections, UNSW Canberra
Abstract This collection comprises correspondence, membership records, newsletters, financial records and publications relating to the Black Women's Action in Education Foundation (BWAEF), now the Roberta Sykes Indigenous Educational Foundation.

Collection Subject Type

Other

Scope and Content

Organisational papers of the Black Women’s Action in Education Foundation (BWAEF). This includes membership forms and lists, correspondence. The collection includes financial and tax records, including invoices and sponsorship material. There are also published materials and ephemera such as pamphlets and posters.

Date Range of Content

1975-2000

Biographical Note

Founded in the 1970s as Black Women’s Action, the Black Women’s Action in Education Foundation. Initially a community information group, the group published newsletters and funded small enterprises. In 1979, the BWA raised the funds for one of the founders, Roberta Sykes [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobbi_Sykes ], to attend Harvard University. She became the first black Australian to graduate from an American university, earning her PhD in education in 1983.

After Dr Sykes returned to Australia, she led the organisation in fundraising for the Indigenous community and other students. The organisation raised funds for other students to attend Harvard University and financially assisted activist and Indigenous leader Shirley ‘Mum Shirl’ Coleen.

In 1990, Black Women’s Action was registered as a tax-deductible foundation. The name was changed to Black Women’s Action in Education Foundation (BWAEF). This reflected a focus on education initiatives; over the next fifteen years, funds raised by BWAEF supported Indigenous students’ study in Australia and overseas.

In 2003, Sykes stepped back from an active role in leadership of the BWAEF after a serious illness. Through the Trustees of the organisation, including Marcia Langton, Brian Syron, Lili Tuwai, Uncle Rob Bryant, Jackie Huggins, Jilpia, Jones the Foundation continued to support students until 2006.

In 2008, the organisation changed its name to the Roberta Sykes Indigenous Education Foundation (RSIEF).  A new Board was appointed, led by Principle Danny Gilbert, including Peter Waters, Jilpia Jones, Shireen Malamoo, Mark McMillan, Richard Potok and Nicole Watson as trustees. Dr Richard Potok also served as Executive Director.

In 2019, the RSIEF continues to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to undertake postgraduate study. Programs include executive education courses, a scholarship for women managers, an international study tour and a scholarship for Indigenous students to go to Harvard University.

References:

Roberta Sykes Indigenous Education Foundation. (no date). About the Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.robertasykesfoundation.com/about.html, 23/01/2019.

 

Administrative Information

Access and Copying Conditions

Access: Open Access

This collection contains a variety of copyright material. Copyright is held by the creator of each item. Specific conditions for this collection are listed below. If no conditions are stipulated then the standard terms of the Copyright Act apply for published and unpublished items. Digitised material from manuscript collections is provided to clients by UNSW Canberra in good faith for private study and research only, and may not be published or re-purposed without the express and written permission of the individual legal holder of that copyright. Refer also to the UNSW copyright, disclaimer and takedown policy. 

Copying: No copying is approved without approval of the Roberta Sykes Indigenous Education Foundation.

 

Preferred Citation

Records of the Black Women’s Action in Education Foundation, Special Collections, UNSW Canberra, Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, MSS 291, Box [Number], Folder [Number].

 

Provenance

The collection was donated by Roberta Sykes in six consignments from 1992 - 2000.

 

Related Material

The papers of Roberta “Bobbi” Sykes are held by the National Library of Australia, MS 10389. A Finding Aid is available online: https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-734991123/findingaid

 

Subject Keywords

Subjects

Women -- Education -- Australia -- Archives.

Women in education -- Australia.

Women, Aboriginal Australian -- Education

 

Personal Names

Roberta Sykes 1943 - 2010

Bobbi Sykes

 

Corporate Names

Black Women's Action in Education Foundation -- Archives.

Roberta Sykes Aboriginal Educational Foundation -- Archives.

Roberta Sykes Indigenous Educational Foundation -- Archives.

 

Container List 

Box 1

Folder 1
Correspondence regarding Brian Syron and the film 'Jindalee lady'

Folder 2
Correspondence regarding membership, grants and sponsorships

Folder 3
Correspondence regarding memberships, grants and scholarships

Folder 4
Correspondence regarding memberships and sponsorships, 1990

Folder 5
Correspondence regarding memberships and sponsorships, 1986 - 1990

Folder 6
Correspondence regarding memberships and sponsorships, 1986 - 1991

Folder 7
Correspondence regarding memberships, sponsorships, 1987 - 1991

 

Box 2

Folder 8
Correspondence regarding memberships and sponsorships, 1989 - 1990

Folder 9
Correspondence and miscellaneous material, 1990

Folder 10
Correspondence and miscellaneous material, 1984 - 1991

Folder 11
Correspondence and miscellaneous material, 1990 - 1991

Folder 12
Correspondence and miscellaneous material, 1991 - 1992

Folder 13
Correspondence and miscellaneous material, 1991 - 1992

Folder 14
Reports regarding Aboriginal Overseas Study Award holders, 1975 - 1976

 

Box 3

Folder 15
Correspondence and miscellaneous material, 1990 - 1992

Folder 16
Booklets and correspondence, 1987-1991

Folder 17
Booklets and miscellaneous material, 1991

Folder 18-19
Membership forms

 

Box 4

Folder 20
Membership forms, 1989, 1992 - 1993

Folder 21
Membership forms, 1994

Folder 22
Membership forms, 1995

Folder 23
Membership forms, 1996 - 1997

Folder 24
Membership forms, 1998

Folder 25
Membership forms, 1999

 

Box 5

Folder 26
Membership forms, 2000

Folder 27
Annual membership/subscription invoices, 1987 - 1994

Folder 28
Annual membership/subscription invoices, 1995

Folder 29
Annual membership/subscription invoices, 1996

Folder 30
Annual membership/subscription invoices, 1997

Folder 31
Annual membership/subscription invoices, 1998

Folder 32
Annual membership/subscription invoices, 1999

Folder 33
Annual membership/subscription invoices, 2000

 

Box 6

Folder 34
Catalogue cards containing membership payment and donations details, 1984 - 1994

Folder 35
Correspondence regarding membership/subscription payments and donations, 1992 - 1993

Folder 36
Correspondence regarding membership/subscription payments, 1994 - 1995

Folder 37
Correspondence regarding membership/subscription payments, 1996 - 1997

Folder 38
Correspondence regarding membership/subscription payments, 1998 - 2000

Folder 39
Life membership correspondence, 1992 - 1999

Folder 40
Membership lists 1987-1998 and office notes, 1994

Folder 41
Change of address and payment correspondence, 1991 - 2000

 

Box 7

Folder 42
General correspondence, 1984-1990

Folder 43
General correspondence, 1991

Folder 44
General correspondence, 1992

Folder 45
General correspondence, 1993

Folder 46
Luncheon and comedy debate correspondence, 1993

Folder 47
General correspondence, 1994

 

Box 8

Folder 48
General correspondence, 1995

Folder 49
General correspondence, 1996

Folder 50
General correspondence, 1997

Folder 51
General correspondence, 1998

 

Box 9

Folder 52
General correspondence, 1999

Folder 53
BWAEF special offers correspondence and receipts

Folder 54
Correspondence regarding project donations, 1986 - 1996

Folder 55
Correspondence regarding project donations, 1997 - 2000

Folder 56
Correspondence regarding Oodgeroo Noonuccal tribute, 1994 - 1997

 

Box 10

Folder 57
General correspondence from Philip McKeon, 1990 - 1994

Folder 58
General correspondence with Judith Wright, 1994 - 1999

Folder 59
General correspondence with Marjorie Baldwin-Jones later Jilpia Nappaljari Jones, 1991 - 1999

Folder 60
General correspondence with Noel Blomeley, Francis Vella and Cheryl Kickett, 1992 - 1993

Folder 61
General correspondence with Loretta Kelly and Nicole Williams, 1993 - 1994

Folder 62
General correspondence with Gordon Hookey, 1993 - 1994

Folder 63
General correspondence with Larissa Behrendt, 1993 - 1999

 

Box 11

Folder 64
General correspondence with Marlene Cummins, Alison Quin and Yasmin Johnson, 1994 - 1996

Folder 65
General correspondence with MaryAnn Bin-Salik, Darran Magill, Neil Willmett and regarding Brian Syron and Mabo Koiki, 1986 - 1995

Folder 66
General correspondence, 1992 - 1997

Folder 67
General correspondence, 1992 - 2000

Folder 68
Funding applications, 1996 - 1997

Folder 69
Financial and tax records, 1984 - 1989

Folder 70
Financial and tax records, 1989 - 1991

 

Box 12

Folder 71
Financial and tax records, 1991

Folder 72
Financial and tax records, 1992

Folder 73
Financial and tax records, 1993 - 1994

Folder 74
Financial and tax records, 1994 - 1995

Folder 75
Financial and tax records, 1995

 

Box 13

Folder 76
Financial and tax records, 1994-1996

Folder 77
Financial and tax records regarding the employment of Kathleen Cheong, 1996 - 1997

Folder 78
Financial and tax records - cash book, 17 November 1987 - 30 September 1992

Folder 79
Financial and tax records - twelve cash receipt books, 27 June 1988 - 14 September 1993

 

Box 14

Folder 80
Financial and tax records - ten cash receipt books, 28 July 1990 - 26 October 1993

Folder 81
Financial and tax records - deposit and cheque books, 18 February 1986 - 7 March 1986

 

Box 15

Folder 82
Financial and tax records - cash receipt summaries, 2 November 1993 - June 1996

Folder 83
Newspapers, flyers, posters and program, 1983 - 1998

 

Box 16

Folder 84
Published works, journals, newsletters, articles, flyers and brochures, 1976 - 1989

Folder 85
Published works, journals, newsletters, articles, flyers and brochures, 1990

Folder 86
Published works, journals, newsletters, articles, flyers and brochures, 1991

Folder 87
Published works, journals, newsletters, articles, flyers and brochures, 1992

Folder 88
Published works, journals, newsletters, articles, flyers and brochures, 1992

 

Box 17

Folder 89
Published works, journals, newsletters, articles, flyers and brochures, 1992

Folder 90
Published works, journals, newsletters, articles, flyers and brochures, 1993

Folder 91
Published works, journals, newsletters, articles, flyers and brochures, 1993

 

Box 18

Folder 92
Published works, journals, newsletters, articles, flyers and brochures, 1993

Folder 93
Published works, journals, newsletters, articles, flyers and brochures, 1993

Folder 94
Published works, journals, newsletters, articles, flyers and brochures, 1993

Folder 95
Published works, journals, newsletters, articles, flyers and brochures, 1994

 

Box 19

Folder 96
Published works, journals, newsletters, articles, flyers and brochures, 1994

Folder 97
Published works, journals, newsletters, articles, flyers and brochures, 1994

Folder 98
Published works, journals, newsletters, articles, flyers and brochures, 1995

Folder 99
Published works, journals, newsletters, articles, flyers and brochures, 1995

 

Box 20

Folder 100
Published works, journals, newsletters, articles, flyers and brochures, 1995

Folder 101
Published works, journals, newsletters, articles, flyers and brochures, 1996

Folder 102
Published works, journals, newsletters, articles, flyers and brochures, 1996

 

Box 21

Folder 103
Published works, journals, newsletters, articles, flyers and brochures, 1997

Folder 104
Published works, journals, newsletters, articles, flyers and brochures, 1997

 

Box 22

Folder 105
Published works, journals, newsletters, articles, flyers and brochures, 1998

Folder 106
Published works, journals, newsletters, articles, flyers and brochures, 1999

Folder 107
Published works, journals, newsletters, articles, flyers and brochures, 2000

Folder 108
BWAEF newsletters, August 1984 - April/May 1999

 

Oversize Posters

Folder 1
Seven posters advertising programs and events