Tauondi Community College, opens in 1973 at Port Adelaide aiming at wholistic Aboriginal adult education courses

Tauondi Community College, in Lipson Street, Port Adelaide, was originally called the Aboriginal Community College.

Tauondi College was an independent 100% Aboriginal-controlled and -managed adult education college started in Port Adelaide, South Australia, in 1973. 

Starting as Aboriginal Community College, it became Tauondi (Kaurna for “to penetrate or break through”) in 1992 and, two years later, was  a nationally accredited training provider offering Aboriginal entry level training certificates and diplomas and non-accredite adult education in tourism, business, information technology, public services education and training, hospitality and applied and visual arts.

The college aimed to provide education for the whole person, affirming Aboriginal cultures (including teaching the Kaurna language) and identities in ways that respected Aboriginal law and custom and the diversity of students’ experiences and ambitions.

Tauondi had a course for elder Aboriginal people who kept their links with the college by visiting to demonstrate crafts, read stories and to share their culture and history. A graduation ceremony in March was  a highlight of the academic year.

Tauondi College library resource centre had about 9,500 catalogued items, with a large Aboriginal collection. A colourful caravan outside the Tauondi in Lipson Street was often on the move taking its training courses, to remote areas of South Australia. It also taughtthe basics in literacy and numeracy to get students into the system.

A former Tauondi student Doug Milera, originally from Point Pearce mission, became college chief executive in 2012. He acknowledged the work of predecessors such as Colin Weetra (2007-11) in pushing Tauondi to new high-performing standards.