Melissa turns lens towards Aboriginal women's leadership
Award-winning photographer and videographer Melissa Lawton is combining culture, creativity and research as she prepares to pursue a PhD focused on Aboriginal women's leadership after completing CQUniversity's Graduate Certificate in Research (GCR) with Distinction.
A proud Ghungulu, Garingbal and Bidjara woman, Melissa wears many hats. Alongside her role as Team Leader in CQUniversity's Student Services SPOT Team, she is an international award-winning visual storyteller who continues to document the stories of people and communities through photography and film.
For Melissa, storytelling has always been at the heart of her work.
"I have a love for reading, creative practices and the telling and sharing of the incredible journeys and stories of people in our community," she said.
"Family, community, maintaining a small circle of strong friends, and the holding and sharing of my culture with others, are the fuel that keeps me strong in mind, body and spirit."
While visual storytelling has been a lifelong passion, Melissa said research presented an opportunity to explore stories in a new way and bring Indigenous matriarchal perspectives into academia.
After attempting university study twice earlier in life, she made the decision to begin her research journey in 2025.
"Study is never an easy choice to undertake; there are many considerations and responsibilities to manage both personally and for my communities," she said.
"However, I always knew that I wanted to undertake a PhD someday to explore and share a different story. Our matriarchal story, through Indigenous ways of knowing and being in the world of western academia."
Initially, Melissa intended to focus her research on Indigenous medicinal plants. However, as she progressed through the course, her interests evolved.
"That's the beauty of the Graduate Certificate in Research. As you delve deeper, your understanding changes, as does your focus," she said.
"It became very clear to me as I began to build the framework for the research pathway that I needed to switch my focus to the unique leadership of the incredibly strong Aboriginal matriarchal women we have in our communities."
Melissa said she was inspired by the women she had watched become the leaders in her communities throughout her life.
"They envisioned the agencies and services needed in the communities for our people. They were always led by their culture, their people and communities," she said.
"I was lucky to have been given a front seat to see them as leaders and I witnessed their impact firsthand."
Her future doctoral research will explore Indigenous leadership through a lens often overlooked in traditional leadership studies.
"Leadership for Indigenous People is not done by one person; it is done by a community," she said.
"That's the difference in how Indigenous People lead compared to Western leadership models. That is what I will be exploring in my research."
Melissa said one challenge she encountered during her studies was navigating the differences between Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing, and the academic systems. She credited her success to the guidance of supervisors Dr Andrew Couzens and Dr Melinda Mann, as well as support from fellow First Nations women researchers.
"They listened and they didn't judge. They understood my frustrations and they provided valuable learning insights," she said.
"After I received my first distinction mark, my confidence soared and I never looked back."
Melissa said the course helped develop her critical analysis skills while providing a solid foundation for future research.
"The biggest part of research is the reading, and the Graduate Certificate really helped to reframe my thoughts in a more critical and analytical way," she said.
"The course is designed to help you create your framework for your PhD studies, and I know I would have struggled in my PhD had I not undertaken it."
Now preparing for PhD studies in 2027, Melissa is already immersed in research, reading and critically reviewing journal articles each night as she refines her research focus.
At the same time, she continues to pursue ambitious creative projects, including developing and filming her first short feature film under the mentorship of a nationally recognised production videographer.
The project follows what has already been a busy year that included major exhibitions in Shanghai and at the Rockhampton Museum of Art, with a third exhibition already in planning.
Having completed the Graduate Certificate in Research, Melissa said she feels ready for the next chapter.
"I am feeling confident and ready to begin the journey of my PhD because of completing the Graduate Certificate in Research with Distinction," she said.
Melissa believes increasing First Nations participation in research is critical.
"First Nations researchers bring a culturally responsive lens," she said.
"This lens is very much needed now more than ever in both academia and in research worlds."
As she continues to tell stories through photography, film and now research, Melissa hopes to create space for the voices of Aboriginal women to be heard and recognised.
"This research isn't mine," she said.
"It belongs to the women in my Aboriginal community. My leaders, my Elders, my matriarchs, my Sista Girls. I just carry it alongside them, and they inform me of the journey I need to take, and what can and cannot be shared."
Discover how CQUniversity's Graduate Certificate in Research can help you begin your own research journey.
