Mandy
Home State
South Australia
University
Flinders University
Qualifications
Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Psychology)
First Class Honours Sociology
Background
After school I dabbled in the performing arts for a few years before heeding the call of academia. I am passionate about social justice issues, and whilst studying I volunteered in refugee settlement services and at Amnesty International. I also worked as a research assistant in the Sociology Department at Flinders Uni. My Honours thesis was about the voices of asylum seekers from Afghanistan, and about the relationships between their stories and the way that issues affecting asylum seekers were being represented in the public sphere.
Prior to my Honours year I came to Canberra to do a Summer Research Scholarship at the ANU, and at that time the appeal of this strange little city become apparent to me. So, on completion of my studies I made the move, aspiring to 'make a difference' by joining the Public Service.
I was attracted to this Department because the broad portfolio encompasses so many important issues and different areas of interest to me. One of the advantages of doing the graduate program was the opportunity to work in three completely different areas before deciding where in the Department I belong.
Placements
First Placement
Business Management Section, Heritage Division
My first placement was in a human resources team, in a section that provides support to the Heritage Division. This gave me insight into the corporate 'behind the scenes' work of the Department and provided a good opportunity to get to know the people and projects in the Heritage Division.
Second Placement
Indigenous Visual Arts Section, Arts Development and Training Branch, Arts Division
This placement brought together my interests in the arts, cross-cultural work and social justice issues, as well as exposing me to policy development and implementation. I worked on the Indigenous Australian Art Commercial Code of Conduct, which is a policy response to reports of unfair treatment of Indigenous artists. The Code aims to promote fair trade and ethical practice in the Indigenous visual arts industry.
Third Placement
Indigenous Languages and Intangible Culture Section, Literature and Indigenous Culture Branch, Culture Division
In my third placement I undertook an analysis of the activities supported by grants from DEWHA's Maintenance of Indigenous Languages and Records Program, in light of the Australian Government's National Indigenous Languages Policy. The Policy was announced by Ministers Garrett and Macklin in August this year. It was great to undertake both policy and program work in this rotation, and to gain insight into the interface between the two. The subject matter dealt with in this section, being the preservation of Australia's Indigenous languages, traditional knowledge, and intangible cultural heritage, is of great interest to me. Further, the Australian Government's election commitment to consider ratification of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage has the potential to create much interesting work for the section in the future.
I am happy to have secured a permanent job in this section for my final placement.
'the best thing about working for us ... is the environment'