Dr Julie McGonigle
Head of St Andrew’s Cathedral School and Gawura School
I arrived on Australian soil in January 2017, on secondment from my job in the UK to work at St Andrew’s Cathedral School as visiting Deputy Head Academic Improvement.
I had an immediate soul connection to Australia. Yet, what quickly followed was the revelation of the raw scar on the face of society in regard to First Nations Peoples.
I had long worked in areas of social deprivation and social conflict throughout the world and had sadly come to expect some realities. Yet, I was shocked by what I experienced here, its depth and complexity and the shameful recency of political, economic and educational movement on recognising the issues and starting to bring solutions.
I soon had the privilege of working alongside Pastor Ray and Sharon Minniecon, two of the founders of Gawura School and have continued to do so in my role as Head of both Schools since 2022. Their gracious, compassionate and relentlessly optimistic approach to the problem is a constant inspiration to me.
Gawura School started in 2007 as a school within a school to create equal opportunities for First Nations students and to close the educational gap. Next year it will be 20 years old and has achieved far more than its intention. In 2025 all of the NAPLAN scores for Years 3 and 5 Gawura students were above the State Average for All Australian Schools, and we had three First Nations graduates from Year 12 who have gone on to study Law, Business and Construction Management at Tertiary Level.
Yet, that is not the only measure of success, one of my proudest moments last year was when Joshua Morgan, Gawura Scholarship Student and current Year 12 student was on the 7 News for the work that he does with ‘At Risk Youth’ through his volunteering with Police and Community Youth Clubs. Think about that for a moment. This First Nations student is supporting ‘At Risk Youth’ through his volunteering work that is also giving him a career pathway.
The work at Gawura School and St Andrew’s Cathedral School is affecting all students and enriching the culture of both schools beyond what we had hoped for. It is not an easy journey. It is messy, challenging and certainly not a straight line of progress, but it is essential work that directly defies racism, inequality, ignorance and fear and stands for the dignity of each human being, created in the image of God, gifted for a purpose, responsibly and collaboratively stewarding the world.
Come and stand with us.
John Ralph
Head of Gawura School
John Ralph is a proud Gumbayngirr man who lives on Gadigal land. He has been at St Andrew’s Cathedral School for 27 years, 9 of them as Head of Gawura School. Deeply relational and committed to community, he believes in the transformative power of education to transform the lives of this generation of First Nations young people.
An inspirational educational mentor for him has been Professor Chris Sarra. As Principal of Cherbourg State School, Professor Sarra was the first First Nations School Principal in Queensland and he’s also the founder of the Stronger Smarter Institute which grew out of his promotion of high expectations in learning and behaviour, based on strong, authentic relationships.
John is passionate about being part of a wonderful team that is changing the educational outcomes and creating further opportunities for First Nations students at St Andrew’s Cathedral School.
In 2020, he received an Australian Council of Educational Leaders (ACEL) NSW Leadership Award. He was also honoured to be part of an exceptional team when Gawura School was named the 2020 Australian School of the Year, at the National Education Awards.
He helps First Nations students be the best that they can be, supporting the community at Gawura School, and in the wider school. He oversees the daily operations of Gawura School, including ensuring the Gawura School bus runs effectively; developing initiatives such as cultural excursions and On Country Tours that promote and inspire students to cherish their First Nations heritage. He is currently leading the Waratah Project for the School: a Federal Government and AIS joint initiative to improve educational, student, relationship, staff and school outcomes in First Nations Education. Gawura School is also the Lead or Hub School, for four other schools whose populations have high Indigeneity, located across NSW.
John loves the genuine care shown by all St Andrew’s Cathedral School and Gawura School staff – including the parent community – towards First Nations students and appreciates how St Andrew’s Cathedral School and Gawura School are deeply relational schools, where students are encouraged to flourish. Both his children attended St Andrew’s Cathedral School from Years 7-12 and his son Josh was the 2022 St Andrew’s Cathedral School, School Captain.
He supports the Sydney Swans for AFL and the Rabbitohs in the NRL, loves infrastructure, music and travelling, especially being On Country around regional and remote Australia – his family loves a good road trip!
Peter Warne
Chair of The Foundation
Peter Warne is a long-standing supporter of Gawura School and has played a significant role in supporting the School’s philanthropic and fundraising initiatives. He is Chairman of the St Andrew’s Cathedral School Foundation and a dedicated supporter of St Andrew’s Cathedral and Gawura Schools. A parent of an Old Andrean, Peter has been a member of our community for almost 25 years. He joined the Foundation Board in 2006 and was appointed Chairman in 2007, helping strengthen opportunities for students and the wider school community.
Peter is an experienced company director and business leader with more than 40 years’ experience across financial markets, investment banking and corporate leadership. He is Independent Non-Executive Chairman of Virgin Australia and Board Chair of ASX-listed companies IPH Limited, Argo Investments Limited and Argo Global Listed Infrastructure Limited. He is also a member of the UniSuper Board and Chair of its Investment Committee and serves as a non-executive director of Allens and the Financial Markets Standards Board (UK).
Earlier in his career, Peter spent 18 years with Bankers Trust Australia, including 11 years as Head of the Financial Markets Group, before helping lead the merger of Bankers Trust Australia’s investment banking operations with Macquarie Group.
Peter’s previous experience includes chair roles at Macquarie Group, ALE Property Group, OFX and T Corp as well as director roles at ASX Limited and the Securities Exchange Guarantee Corporation. Peter was also a board member of NSW Net Zero Emissions and Clean Economy Board from its inception in 2022 until its disbandment in 2024.
Peter holds a Bachelor of Arts in Actuarial Studies from Macquarie University and is a qualified actuary.
Marita Cranwell
Donor Relations Manager
Education has always been the foundation of Marita’s life. Her parents made significant sacrifices to provide her with access to opportunities through education, a value she has carried forward with her own three boys by prioritising their learning journeys in the same way. Marita is acutely aware that not every family has this same access, and her belief – that education should be an opportunity for all, not a privilege for some – is what drives her work at Gawura School.
In her role, Marita focuses on strengthening community connection, leading impactful strategic fundraising initiatives, and building meaningful relationships that directly support First Nations students to thrive. She is deeply passionate about equity, with a particular respect for and commitment to First Nations culture and feels genuinely privileged to work in a space where she can learn from and contribute to community in a powerful, life changing way.
Marita’s background spans the not-for-profit and impact sectors, with expertise in donor engagement, campaign management and strategic communications, she is motivated by creating tangible change rather than just conversation. Her key achievements include delivering successful fundraising campaigns, forging long-term two-way beneficial relationships while elevating the profile of Gawura School within the broader community, and securing support for initiatives that directly benefit students’ educational outcomes. At the heart of Marita’s work is a simple belief: when we invest in education, we invest in a stronger, more equitable future for all.
Lyn Jarvis
Director of Community Engagement
Lyn Jarvis has been connected to St Andrew’s Cathedral School for more than 20 years, including 15 years as Director of Community Engagement. Her relationship with the School began in 2005 when her son was a student in Junior School, and she has remained part of the community ever since. In 2006, as an active member of the Association of Parents & Friends, Lyn was part of the early conversations when the vision for Gawura School was first raised, and she has accompanied the School on that journey from those beginnings.
Both of Lyn’s children have strong connections to St Andrew’s Cathedral School. Her son Kelton graduated in 2012, alongside some of the earliest First Nations Year 12 graduates of the Gawura Scholarship program. Her daughter Bindi completed Year 10 work experience at Gawura School and is now a teacher at St Andrew’s Cathedral School, where she has worked for several years in the Homework Club and introduced Aboriginal Studies as an HSC subject.
Lyn values the privilege of working alongside First Nations students, families, Elders and colleagues, and the friendships formed over many years. She is proud to have supported school wide moments that affirm visibility and belonging, including the First Nations mural created by Gawura Scholarship graduates, and the inclusion of First Nations procession and dance within whole school traditions. Guided by a deep belief in the power of education to change lives, Lyn looks forward to celebrating 20 years of Gawura School in 2027.