Hmalan Hunter-Xenie: Darwin scientist awarded scholarship to study policy at Oxford University

A childhood spent on her grandfather’s country near the Cobourg Peninsula was the seed that grew into a tree thirsty for knowledge. Now, the opportunity of a lifetime awaits this Darwin woman.

Charlie Perkins Scholarship recipient Hmalan Hunter-Xenie. Picture: ANU

A Darwin scientist who is forging a successful career locally has been selected as one of five Indigenous students nationwide to undertake further studies at the world’s most prestigious university, Oxford.

Hmalan Hunter-Xenie, a Power and Water Corporation environmental scientist of Tiwi/Iwaidja and Kaytej/Warlpiri descent, said her childhood upbringing spent on her grandfather’s country near the Cobourg Peninsula inspired all that would follow in her career.

“My grandparents were both born in the NT, out bush, so I’ve got a really strong connection to country,” she said.

“Growing up out bush at my grandfather’s outstation, being surrounded by nature made my love of country grow.

“It always goes back to that,” she said.

Ms Hunter-Xenie said opening up new ways for traditional knowledge to be used in land management, helping Aboriginal communities economically develop from that knowledge, and fostering Indigenous-led decision making in policy were all values towards which she had geared her blossoming career.

Charlie Perkins Scholarship recipient Hmalan Hunter-Xenie. Picture: ANU

After being awarded the Charlie Perkins Scholarship by the Aurora Education Foundation earlier this month, Ms Hunter-Xenie, who has a Bachelor of Science with Honours from the Australian National University, will now undertake a Master of Public Policy at Oxford.

It is a course she believes will better allow her to apply her values for the good of the Territory once she returns home.

“In the public policy space, we need more people with well-rounded knowledge of not only science, but also a government background,” Ms Hunter-Xenie said.

She is also proud to be able to represent the Territory on such a prominent global stage.

“I had a one-on-one with one the professor who runs the course, and he said whenever he has had Australians in the course, they’ve been either from Sydney or Canberra or Melbourne, I would be the first person from Darwin he’d got since doing the course,” Ms Hunter-Xenie said.

“There’s probably not a lot of opportunities for Darwin or NT people to be in these sorts of places, so it’s wonderful I can go there, then come and give back to the Territory.”

The accolade is just the latest to be bestowed on Ms Hunter-Xenie, who earlier this year was awarded the Scholar of the Year and Caring for Country at the 2024 NAIDOC Darwin Awards.

Ms Hunter-Xenie said she normally abhors the spotlight and being announced to such a prestigious scholarship at the world’s most venerable university had been a strange and thrilling experience.

“People are stopping my family at the shops in Darwin,” Ms Hunter-Xenie said.