This component introduces the purpose and structure of the Cultural Competence course, setting the foundation for your learning journey. It explains how cultural awareness and cultural competence work together to build the knowledge, behaviours, and strategies needed for respectful and effective engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. You will be introduced to the three learning domains (KNOWING, DOING, and BEING) and how they support both personal growth and organisational change. This section also encourages you to reflect on your current knowledge and prepare to engage meaningfully with the cultural perspectives, histories, and practices explored throughout the course.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are Australia’s First Peoples, belonging to one of the longest continuous living cultures in the world, dating back over 60,000 years. Their communities are made up of diverse tribes, clans, and families, each with distinct languages, cultures, and experiences.

This component provides an introduction to who Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are, where they live today, and the languages they speak. It explores the meaning of identity within different communities, recognising that identity is deeply personal and shaped by language, land, and cultural connections.

By the end of this component, you will have a greater understanding of cultural diversity, appropriate terminology, and how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples define their identity in unique and varied ways. Country is at the heart of this identity- it represents belonging, connection, and responsibility to land and community.

This component explores Aboriginal culture, philosophy, and worldview, with a focus on Spirituality and the Dreaming, the connection to land and water, and the differences between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal perspectives. Torres Strait Islander culture specifically is covered later in the course.

You will learn about kinship systems and their role in shaping responsibilities and obligations within families and communities. The component also introduces key cultural elements, including art, song, dance, bush tucker, Aboriginal Lore, and the significance of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags.

Practical aspects covered include how to perform an Acknowledgement of Country, who can conduct a Welcome to Country, and the significance of these traditions.

By the end of this component, you will have a deeper appreciation of how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity is shaped by connection to land, culture, and community, guiding relationships, values, and ways of life.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have lived in Australia for at least 60,000 years. Despite this deep connection to the land, European colonisation was justified under the concept of terra nullius, meaning land belonging to no one. This component examines the worldviews that shaped European attitudes, the racial theories that influenced policies, and the harsh treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples during and after first contact.

The component explores the dispossession of land, massacres, and the Frontier Wars, which continued into the early 20th century. While confronting, this history is essential in understanding the ongoing impacts of colonisation.

By the end of this component, you will be able to identify specific examples of dispossession, extermination, and Aboriginal resistance, and begin to understand the lasting effects of this period on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

CONTENT WARNING
Some material in the following section may be confronting. You are encouraged to reflect on your feelings - this could include making notes, speaking with colleagues also completing the course, or seeking support from your manager, family, or community.

Discomfort is a natural part of cultural learning. Leaning into this truth-telling process is an important step in deepening your cultural competence.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this course may include images, voices, and names of people who have passed. We acknowledge the cultural sensitivities of this and pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging.

This component examines the early legislative policies that shaped government control over Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from colonisation through to World War II. It explores the Aborigines Protection Act and the protection and segregation era, which laid the foundations for assimilation and absorption policies that followed.

The forced removal of Aboriginal peoples from their traditional lands into reserves and missions, as well as the use of exemption certificates, are detailed. The component also covers the assimilation era after 1930, including the forcible removal of Aboriginal children, now recognised as the Stolen Generations.

Through personal stories, you will gain insight into the lasting trauma and ongoing impacts of these policies on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities today.

CONTENT WARNING
Some material in the following section may be confronting. You are encouraged to reflect on your feelings - this could include making notes, speaking with colleagues also completing the course, or seeking support from your manager, family, or community.

Discomfort is a natural part of cultural learning. Leaning into this truth-telling process is an important step in deepening your cultural competence.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this course may include images, voices, and names of people who have passed. We acknowledge the cultural sensitivities of this and pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging.

Throughout history, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples actively resisted government restrictions and discrimination through collective action across Australia. This component examines key resistance movements between 1938 and 1975, including:

• The Day of Mourning and Protest (1938), which marked a turning point in the fight for equality.
• The Aboriginal Stockmen’s Strikes and Gurindji Land Rights Strike, challenging unfair labour conditions and land dispossession.
• The Freedom Ride (1965), which exposed segregation and discrimination in rural Australia.
• The 1967 Referendum, a landmark moment in the push for Aboriginal rights and recognition.

Building on your knowledge of past government policies, this component explores these defining moments in detail, highlighting the resilience and activism that shaped Indigenous rights in Australia.

This component provides an overview of key policies and legislation affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples between 1973 and 2008. It explores the concepts of Self-Determination, Self-Management, and Reconciliation, examining their significance in past and present government policies.

Key events covered include the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, Land Rights and Native Title, the Northern Territory Emergency Response, and the National Apology. Through shared stories and video, you will gain insight into the responses to these events and their lasting impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

By the end of this component, you will be able to identify ongoing restrictions and policies stemming from this period and understand how the effects of colonisation continue to shape the lived experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

This component focuses specifically on Torres Strait Islander peoples. By the end of the component, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge of key aspects of Torres Strait Islander history, the relationship between Australia, the Torres Strait and Papua New Guinea, key demographics of Torres Strait Islander peoples, and an understanding of their culture and belief systems. You will also understand how they were affected by the events of colonisation and subsequent policies targeting Torres Strait Islander peoples, and how these policies were resisted over time.

This component covers the key developments in Aboriginal Affairs post the Apology and looks at significant events under the respective Governments. 

As you progress through this component you will have an understanding of the Closing the Gap framework and the specific commitments made by the Australian Federal and State Governments in relation to the National Indigenous Reform Agreement to close the gap in Indigenous disadvantage. 

It examines what has changed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today and gives an overview of the current situation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

This component explores what cultural competence is, why it matters, and how it applies across a range of people, roles and systems.

It examines how racism, privilege and unconscious bias create barriers to inclusion, and invites reflection on the perspectives of different stakeholder groups - including those accessing services, delivering them, and navigating systems from within. The concept of cultural load is introduced, highlighting the pressures faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees in culturally unsafe or unresponsive environments.

The component also considers how cultural competence can be embedded at a structural level through inclusive policies, culturally safe practices and sustained organisational commitment.

By the end of this section, you will understand how cultural competence contributes to respectful engagement, fairer service delivery and safer, more inclusive workplaces.

This section is dedicated to what cultural competence looks like in action. It explores how everyday behaviours, respectful communication and cultural protocols support safer and more effective engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.

You will consider how to engage with community appropriately, adapt your communication style, and recognise the influence of cultural context and time. The component also examines the impact of personal conduct, unconscious behaviours and common misconceptions, encouraging critical reflection and practical application.

Finally, you will explore what cultural safety in the workplace means, and how individuals and organisations can help create environments where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples feel respected, included and understood.

By the end of this component, you will have a clearer understanding of how to apply cultural competence in your day-to-day practice, within both community settings and workplace environments.

The final stage of this course is your opportunity to put learning into action by creating a personalised plan. Your Action Plan will guide your ongoing growth in cultural capability, support culturally respectful engagement, and help strengthen relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in both personal and professional contexts.

Cultural capability is not a fixed skill, it is an ongoing journey of learning, reflection, and practical action. This plan will help you apply the knowledge gained throughout the course, identify achievable next steps, and build more culturally responsive behaviours, decisions, and practices in your everyday life and workplace.