Love of laughter leads to PhD for Pearl

A lifelong pursuit of knowledge and love of humour and the Aboriginal identity have cumulated in a PhD for University of Queensland graduand Pearl Duncan. The Bribie Island resident first began her tertiary education at the Sydney Teacher's College at the age of 17. Many decades and several degrees later, Ms Duncan will graduate from UQ on 16 December with a PhD in Aboriginal Cultural Studies. The degree is just one more in a long list of honours for Ms Duncan. Ms Duncan was a university lecturer for 11 years, as well as being a visiting lecturer at the University of British Columbia, Canada and the University of Nebraska. In addition to a long and respected career in teaching - she believes she was the first Aboriginal school teacher in Australia - Ms Duncan has received a Queensland Greats Award and a Centenary of Federation Medal and has a teaching scholarship named after her. The senior citizen continued her pursuit of knowledge after retirement, taking on a range of projects, including a PhD on Aboriginal humour.