When Regina Rogers talks about her path into higher education, she doesn’t begin with lecture halls or textbooks, but with Country and the generations of knowledge‑holders who shaped her sense of purpose.
A proud Warndarrang woman from Ngukurr in the Northern Territory, Regina’s story reflects what is possible when university education is designed with, and for, community. At 53, she has become a powerful example of how learning on Country can transform not only individual lives, but entire communities.
Regina’s journey began in 2018, when Elders from Ngukurr, including her parents, respected educators Dr K Rogers and Dr Helen Rogers, and cultural leader Dr C.W. Daniels, came together with a shared vision: to create a Bush University on Country so Aboriginal students could access higher education without having to live away from home.
Regina is a proud Warndarrang woman from Ngukurr in the Northern Territory.
“I was very interested,” Regina remembers. “I wanted to follow my parents’ footsteps, but there were no opportunities for me in Ngukurr.”
That vision led to the creation of Wuyagiba Bush Uni, developed by the Daniels and Rogers families alongside Associate Professor Emilie Ens, Aunty Pinckham and Walanga Muru staff from Macquarie University. Supported by the Australian Government’s Regional University Study Hub grant, Wuyagiba Bush Uni was built from the ground up - on soft sand, in the heat, with tents, determination and collective ambition.
In October 2023, Mel Wurramarrba-Andrews, became the first Bush Uni–supported student to graduate, closing a 36‑year bachelor-level higher education gap in Ngukurr. Regina graduates now, in April 2026 with a stream of graduates expected from 2027.
A partnership grounded in Country
Wuyagiba Bush Uni is community‑owned and operated by the Wuyagiba Bush Hub Aboriginal Corporation, with Macquarie University playing a key partnering role. Each year, four Macquarie‑accredited units are delivered through a 20‑week intensive program shaped by seasonal access, cultural rhythms and learning on Country.
Two units, both focused on culture, are developed and taught by Elders, include Caring for Country, bush medicine, kinship, fire management and Indigenous science. Their accreditation recognises cultural knowledge as rigorous, sophisticated and equal in standing to Western academic frameworks.
Since its inception in 2018, the program has seen over 200 enrolments, with 115 completions. Forty students have gone on to enrol at Macquarie University in a range of degrees, such as Bachelors of Arts, Business Education and Environmental Management.
Regina joined the inaugural trial program in 2018, completing Wuyagiba’s pre‑university course before travelling to Macquarie University’s Walanga Muru for interviews. She was accepted into the Bachelor of Arts (Indigenous Studies).
“I saw people older than me studying in Sydney, and it encouraged me to keep going until I reached my destination,” she says.
Balancing study with cultural responsibilities was at times overwhelming. During her degree, Regina experienced profound personal loss but found new connections in New South Wales.
Regina studying her final units at the Wuyagiba Bush Uni.
“We’re still connected, even when it’s our first time on that land,” Regina says. “The land speaks through spirit. When we shared our knowledge and histories, we saw how similar it was to our own homelands. We felt the same connections.”
Despite the hard work of study, family obligations and community responsibilities remained central throughout her studies.
“I always put my culture and my people first. I learnt how to balance this at university, and now I have learnt how to walk strong in both worlds - two‑ways, blekbala (Aboriginal) and munanga (non‑Aboriginal).”
Insight ignites impact
For Regina, achieving her graduation milestone marked the beginning of how she would give back.
In 2023, with one unit remaining, Regina paused her studies to care for her father, Dr K Rogers, who passed away in 2024. Following Sorry Business, she returned to complete her degree later that year.
During this period, she began working with the Northern Territory Police, supporting Aboriginal inmates in Darwin and Alice Springs correctional facilities.
“We are helping our people in prison to understand both ways and translate from language to English. I give feedback to the prisoners and encourage them to study. Study is a big change and big challenge,” Regina said.
Her commitment to education reflects lessons passed down through her family.
A collage commemorating Regina's tertiary education journey.
“My dad always told me never to give up,” she says. “He said it doesn’t matter who you are today or how old you are - put your feet down and commit yourself... Education is the key. That's how Dad taught me and his brothers. And my mum. To be educated both ways (in culture and university).”
Between finishing her units and graduation, Regina returned home to work with Elders on cultural programs focused on resilience and identity, including work with Aboriginal people in correctional facilities. She also completed her internship at Wuyagiba Bush Uni, supporting the delivery of cultural curriculum to new cohorts.
“With a degree, blekbala can be a both‑ways support person and a role model,” she says. “People see you and think, ‘If you can do it, I can do it too.’”
Now, Regina has a new role with the Northern Territory Police as an Aboriginal Liaison Officer. In this position, she supports Indigenous people navigating the space between Country, culture and city life, including interactions with police and pathways back to community and homelands. Regina believes strongly in supporting prisoners by keeping them connected to community and Country.
“We've got a lot of places [on Country] that we can send our prisoners.... Where they can go to funerals, and they have jobs in their community. And when they finish their community job, they go back to the prison. You make them feel comfortable and they know that their elders are there for them, you know, and we helped them.”
Regina and her family at graduation at Macquarie University's Wallumattagal Campus.
Looking ahead, Regina is also exploring a Master of Research focused on cultural exchange between students in New South Wales and the Northern Territory, building on learning experiences at Macquarie University’s Wallumattagal Campus, where Bush Uni students shared knowledge on Country during visits to national parks.
Regina’s graduation coincides with the recent announcement of Macquarie University's Indigenous Strategy 2026–2030 (Walking Together), which reinforces the importance of partnerships with Elders and community in shaping two‑way education initiatives like Wuyagiba Bush Uni.
More than a personal milestone, Regina’s achievement reflects the collective strength of community‑led education. For Wuyagiba, she represents the next generation of cultural educators. For her family, she carries forward a remarkable legacy. And for future Bush Uni students, her story stands as proof that at any age, it is never too late to follow the footsteps of those who walked before you.