About the School
The Unaipon School, located within the David Unaipon College of Indigenous Education and Research was established in January 1996 as a result of the amalgamation of the Aboriginal Studies and Teacher Education Centre (est 1968) and the School of Aboriginal and Islander Administration. The School of Aboriginal and Islander Administration was preceded by The Aboriginal Task Force (est 1973).
The establishment of the Aboriginal Task Force (ATF) program, at the South Australian Institute (SAIT) in 1973, was the beginning of the creation of Aboriginal tertiary education in Australia. The ATF continued to develop over the years until it became the School of Aboriginal and Islander Administration. It was the first program to become a School offering accredited courses specifically designed for and by Aborigines.
Later renamed the Unaipon School, the School is named in honour of David Unaipon, the Aboriginal inventor and author and his father James Unaipon, the first Aboriginal teacher in South Australia.