High school student wins statewide NAIDOC award
Murray Bridge teenager Joseph Ribbons has received the Dr Alice Alitya Rigney Prize for 2026.
A Murray Bridge teenager has been recognised for his dedication to education during NAIDOC Week.
Murray Bridge High School year 11 student Joseph Ribbons was named the recipient of the Dr Alice Alitya Rigney Prize on Monday night.
Deputy Premier Kyam Maher described the Ngarrindjeri teenager as consistently embracing opportunities to support his personal, cultural and educational growth.
He was an active participant in both the SA Aboriginal Secondary Training Academy, which connects the school’s curriculum to culture, community and future pathways; and the Clontarf Academy, which fosters learning and growth in young Indigenous men.
His attendance record was outstanding, his academic achievements were strong and he played an active role at his school, in local sport, cultural activities and community programs.
He received the award at the same ceremony where Ngarrindjeri elder Steve Sumner was given a Premier’s NAIDOC Award.
The education award was named for Alitya Rigney AO: the first Indigenous staffer at the state Department for Education, first Indigenous woman to become principal of a primary school anywhere in Australia, and a key figure in the revival of the Kaurna language of the Adelaide plains.
