If you’ve ever driven between Sydney and Melbourne along the Hume Highway, you’ve likely passed through Wodonga. Sitting on the border of Victoria and New South Wales, Wodonga takes its name from an Aboriginal word meaning “bulrushes” and is the country town where Elanor Tait-Russell spent her early years.
Elanor later moved with her family to Wolumla, a small town near Merimbula on the Victorian coastline. “I think there were only around 40 children at the school,” she recalls. It was at this small primary school that Elanor first encountered Yalari. “My favourite teacher gave me some information about Yalari, and I don’t remember having a huge reaction honestly. Because why would I ever be able to do something like that? It seemed way too far out of the realm of possibility to give a whole lot of thought to,” she says. “But my mum found the note and that was that, time to start my application. I was quietly excited, deeply anxious, but also fairly certain nothing would come of it all at the same time. I also felt a lot of validation in myself and pride in my culture as I wrote my application and my dad helped me learn more about our family history.”
After submitting her application, Elanor was interviewed in her hometown and was soon offered a Yalari scholarship to attend Canberra Girls Grammar School (CGGS).
Adjusting to life at a new school away from home was not without its challenges. “I was struggling a lot being away from my brother and my parents so I called every night, and eventually we went down to every second night, and then just when I needed to. My amazing friends were what got me through and I would have been so lost without them.”
In Year 9, Elanor returned home for mental health reasons. “But I don’t see any part of my time as a failure. I gained life skills, social skills, and study skills. I have a high level of written, technological, and financial literacy now in my adulthood which I feel is hugely attributed to my time spent with Yalari at CGGS.”
Elanor at Yalari’s 20th Anniversary Sydney Gala Dinner.
Elanor’s piece ‘Who Am I?’
Back in Wodonga, Elanor remained committed to her education. “I was so lucky to continue to find wonderful school-based opportunities and almost immediately started working to save up as well. The skills and experience I gained through Yalari and boarding school set me up for so much success and I am so grateful.”
After graduating high school, Elanor pursued university studies. “I immediately went to university following high school, and also a primary carer for my younger brother during this time. At one stage I was juggling living alone, studying full time, working three jobs at once, and assisting my brother to complete online school in a pandemic. I can’t say it was easy but it paid off and I have now obtained a double degree, my Bachelor of Education in both Early Childhood and Primary Teaching.”
Her passion for education and care grew during her time working as a Special Education teacher. Elanor now teaches at the same school her brother once attended. “Seeing my students succeed is what brings me the most happiness and I especially love working with my diverse learners and embedding Indigenous perspectives and cultures into the classroom.”
In addition to her teaching career, Elanor runs a small business, Elle Draws Sometimes, where she shares her culture through art. “I’ve loved art since I could hold a pencil, but the last 2-3 years especially I have really dived into experimenting with patterns, designs and symbols that are traditionally associated with Aboriginal art.” This passion for art was reignited during her time at CGGS. “We had a little room on the bottom floor with some art supplies in it that hardly anyone ever used, and I spent a lot of time in there trying a little bit of everything. Safe to say I was pretty horrific at sewing, but I was able to keep practicing my drawing and painting and rekindled my joy in the art department.”
In 2024, Elanor attended a Yalari alumni retreat held at RACV’s Royal Pines Resort. The weekend provided an opportunity to reconnect with fellow alumni and herself. “One of my most sold designs was the one I created immediately following the retreat. I had already ‘launched’ my small business but was really struggling to feel confident and worthy. The outpouring of love and joy I was shown was so inspiring, and what I have come to associate most with Yalari.”
Reflecting on her journey and the role Yalari has played, Elanor says, “Yalari, to me, is a look to the future. The present of what is happening is pretty darn amazing, but the future is even brighter. Generational change, empowerment, equitable opportunity, and inclusivity are the most exciting concepts that are ongoing and will only be strengthened with time because of Yalari. It is resilience and giving 100% in everything, because how dare I not use every single skill I’ve learned and gift I have been given. It is a family, it is support and joy and love.”
