West Australian student Lilly Brown becomes first indigenous Australian to graduate from Cambridge University Lilly Brown has become the first indigenous graduate of Cambridge University. Picture: John Ferguson Source: PerthNow A YOUNG West Australian has become one of the country's first indigenous people to graduate from Britain's prestigious Cambridge University. Lilly Brown, 27, said her academic achievements were spurred on by the "mind-blowing" racism she confronted as a teenager growing up in the Perth Hills in particular, a high school textbook that reduced the history of her race and culture to a single page. "I see education as really being a vehicle where we can think about change," she said. Education is so important . . . I am intrigued as to that process that can trigger more indigenous participation. The levels of indigenous education, the disparity is ridiculous. I really want to close that gap. Ms Brown graduated last month after completing a Masters of Philosophy in Politics from Trinity College, Cambridge. She will return to Australia to take a greater leadership role in national indigenous affairs. "I think if you are going to step into this side of things it does come with responsibility," she said. Whether you get a scholarship or whatever, you've obviously identified an issue you are passionate about and I think with that comes responsibility, you know it exists and you want to contribute to sorting it out. Ms Brown completed a degree in history anthropology at the University of WA, honours at Melbourne University in indigenous studies focusing on activism, racial literacy and anti-racism within higher education and a secondment to McGill University in Montreal, Canada, to work with the Mohawk people. In between, she had an audience with Prince Charles and a discussion with former prime minister Julia Gillard, took a research position in Melbourne and formed a mentoring program. She identifies herself with the Gumbangerrii people of the NSW mid-north coast, and was one of the first in her extended family to tackle higher education.