More than a team: UQ’s Goorie Goannas celebrate 20 years

The past 5 years have been the most successful on record for The University of Queensland’s Goorie Goannas with national titles, back-to-back gold medals and consistent podium finishes cementing them as a powerhouse in the UniSport Indigenous Nationals competition.

But medals alone don’t tell the full story.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of a successful program built by students, for students, and carried forward by those who have found their confidence and community through sport.

The Goorie Goannas are UQ’s premier Indigenous sporting team, representing the University and the Goorie Berrimpa student collective at the annual UniSport Indigenous Nationals – a week-long, multisport competition bringing together Indigenous university students from across Australia for sport, culture and connection.

The Goannas compete in touch football, basketball, netball and volleyball, but the competition itself is only part of the experience. 

Building a legacy

It all started in 2006 with Karina Maxwell, a proud Ngugi woman from the Quandamooka Nation, who was studying social work at UQ and Goorie Berrimpa President at the time. 

While she didn’t set out to build a sporting legacy, Karina did try to build a community.

“UQ’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (ATSIS) Unit approached me and said there was a National Indigenous Games, but we didn’t have a team,” Karina said. 

“That’s when I got organising.

“I didn’t actually play any of the sports, but it was about supporting everybody else to do that.

“I’m very much the social butterfly and see myself as a social director.”

With few resources and a small cohort of students at the time, building a team was not easy.  

“We had no funding that first year in particular,” she said.

But Karina, Goorie Goanna #1, said hard work and persistence gradually turned an idea that once seemed beyond reach into a strong, connected and growing community of students.

“Watching the program continue to grow over 2 decades is like a dream come true,” she said.

“I feel like a proud Aunty seeing the growth of the team and the beautiful and inspirational students and staff who have made it what it is today. 

“As my Uncle Bob [Anderson] would say, ‘the future is in good hands’.”
 

Finding success 

As the Goorie Goannas grew, so too did the experiences of the students who came through the program.

Proud Meriam man Lachlan Bon joined the team in 2016 and said the focus was more on connection, rather than results. 

“It was mostly about having fun, networking and building those connections, not only within our UQ community but across the country,” he said.

“As the years went by and we started getting some sponsorship, it definitely helped us get a bit more of that competitive edge.” 

The Goannas’ first gold medal came in 2019 for volleyball, but it wasn’t until 2021 that they secured an overall podium finish by claiming third place.

They went even further the following year finishing second and winning a gold medal in netball.

The breakthrough came in 2023 when the Goannas were crowned overall champions of the Indigenous Nationals for the first time. 

“The medals and stuff, that’s great, but it’s about those connections,” Lachlan said.

“The team and the ATSIS unit led to me meeting my wife and a lot of my long-term friends.

“Those relationships that you build will last a lifetime, I’ve seen that first-hand.”

20 years in the making: the anniversary jersey 

The Goorie Goannas legacy continues to evolve through a new generation of student leaders.

Goorie Berrimpa Officer and proud Bundjalung and Gumbaynggirr man Lachie Munns said the Goannas were not just a team, but a turning point in university life.

“It’s been the most incredible experience,” Lachie said.

“It’s what helped me go from knowing that I was an Aboriginal man to feeling that I was an Aboriginal man.” 

To celebrate the team’s 20th anniversary, the Goannas will wear a personalised uniform featuring artwork designed by first-year student Violet Hudson.

“Violet is a deadly young artist,” Lachie said.

“The artwork has the river at St Lucia which reflects our journey together as Indigenous students.

“Not only do we have who we are, we have who we have been, our ties to our past.

“For the first time ever, we’ve got our numbers which reflect what number we are in the team’s history – I’m number 127.

“That’s something that will continue on, reminding all of our players, particularly our younger ones, that they stand on the shoulders of giants.” 

The 30th Indigenous Nationals will be held 29 June – 3 July 2026 at the University of Newcastle.