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Media release
TAFE NSW Eora | 18 August 2025
Yvonne inspires students with her journey from the footy field to the Vatican
“It’s surreal. No matter what people say about you, it’s what you go and do that matters.”
Yvonne O’Neill, TAFE NSW Cultural Arts Teacher
She’s represented Australia in rugby league, taught in prisons, and has artwork hanging in the Vatican. Now proud Yuwaalaraay, Noongahburrah, and Murrawarri woman Yvonne O’Neill is sharing her journey with students as a TAFE NSW cultural arts teacher.
Originally from Goodooga, Yvonne played rugby league from childhood and debuted with the North Sydney Bears at age 16. She went on to represent Australia, New South Wales, Queensland, and the Indigenous All Stars, finishing her career in 2011. It was this sporting career that helped her build rapport with inmates when later working in Aboriginal education in corrections centres.
Yvonne’s passion for sharing culture through art has taken her from prisons to classrooms, including roles in schools and universities. In 2010, her artistic talent reached the world stage when she was asked to create a piece for the canonisation of Australia’s first saint, Mary Mackillop.
“The artwork now hangs in the Vatican Museum and is called Pilgrimage,” Yvonne said. “It’s about the journey Australians from the eight states and territories of Australia took to Rome for the canonisation, and it’s also been printed in books. I think back on it now and it’s mind-blowing I’ve got work on display in the Vatican. It’s surreal. It brings my mind back to what I do every day because no matter what people say about you, it’s what you go and do that matters.”
Yvonne’s experience as an artist and her desire to share her knowledge and skills has seen her become a cultural arts teacher at TAFE NSW Eora in Darlington, a role she began in August 2023. Her accreditation was fast-tracked by participating in the Paid to Learn program, which turns industry professionals into teachers.
TAFE NSW Eora Head Teacher of Creative and Cultural Arts, Elizabeth (Murrah) Keys, said Yvonne brought a unique blend of cultural knowledge, life experience, and creativity to the classroom. “Yvonne is an incredibly inspiring teacher who connects deeply with her students. Her real-world experience, from sport to education to the arts, enriches every lesson she delivers. She embodies what the Paid to Learn program is all about: bringing industry talent into teaching to change lives,” Murrah said.
The innovative Paid to Learn program recruits experts from high-demand industries, pays them to complete their vocational education teaching qualifications, and offers them teaching roles once they graduate. It’s reshaping the TAFE NSW workforce, with 18.75% of the most recent cohort identifying as Aboriginal - more than double that of the first two intakes. A total of 11% of graduates from the program this year identified as Aboriginal.
“I’ve always been a teacher, but I needed the right qualification to teach in the vocational education sector. Participating in Paid to Learn to achieve the qualification was a great experience,” Yvonne said.
“I was nervous at first, but my teacher supported me and helped me succeed. The more people who can do this program and pass on their knowledge, the better. You can teach your own style. I really try and teach the way I was taught - by talking with family and building connection. I love sharing stories and helping others to go even further than I have. That’s what gives me motivation.”
Media contact: Rob Virtue, TAFE NSW Communications Specialist, 02 7920 5000.
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