As a teacher, the biggest culture shock when she arrived on the island was language.
Emily Graham had previously worked with the Wakka Wakka community in Eidsvold, where she witnessed the way the school and community helped revive, revitalise and teach the local language.
But arriving on Darnley Island in the eastern stretches of the Torres Strait was different.
For the kids there, English was not their first language - it was their second or third or fourth.
"I realised how much cognitive thinking these kids actually had to do," Emily says.
"To translate what is being said from English to their own language, then back to English - that is incredible.
"Not enough recognition is given to that."
Floral Friday on St Paul's, Moa Island
The Torres Strait encompasses more than 16 inhabited islands across roughly 150km of water at the tip of Australia, almost stretching to reach mainland Papua New Guinea.
The islands have a long history of distinct, rich cultural traditions and identities, with primary languages spoken across the archipelago prior to colonisation being Kalaw Lagaw Ya and Meriam Mir.
Then within that, each island group has it's own dialect.
While Torres Strait Islander communities have experienced similar pressures to mainland Aboriginal groups in trying to preserve their traditional languages, they have maintained higher rates of overall usage, with consultancy company Remplan suggesting about 70 percent of locals speak Yumplatok, a form of Creole, at home; and another 9 percent speaking Kalau Lagau Ya.
This was the context Emily walked into while teaching primary school students on Darnley Island - a remote volcanic landmass just shy of the Papua New Guinean coastline.
"I don't think the current system is geared towards recognising these students' intelligence," Emily says.
"It shouldn't be measured on their proficiency in English."
Emily noticed a gap in research on this topic so decided to complete a Master of Education, focussing on ways to teach English and literacy skills to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Closing the Gap data shows most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are concentrated in the middle bands for literacy, which reflect national patterns. However, fewer end up reaching higher proficiency levels.
"We're focusing on all these literacy skills and how we can bridge the gap but we're actually missing the key ingredient, which is that these kids are bilingual or multilingual," Emily says.
As part of her Master's, she started an Instagram account , giving a sneak peek into what life was like teaching in one of Australia's most unique locations.
The account gained traction, amassing followers - people eager and supportive to learn more about life and teaching on the remote enclave.
"The local people are so proud of who they are," Emily says about using the account to amplify Torres Strait Islander experiences.
"But they're also so appreciative of having their voice shared."
Emily's own path to teaching started with language.
Unsure about what she wanted to do after she finished high school, she did what a lot of people do - went travelling.
A trip to Thailand was a turning point, where she understood the value of being multilingual, especially if one of those included English - the most prevalent international language.
"I still didn't really know what I wanted to do," Emily says. "But that trip shifted things for me."
When she returned to Australia, an opportunity came up to work as a teacher aide with friends in Eidsvold, where the local school community were reviving the Wakka Wakka language, socialising it with school children in the classroom.
"It was such a huge eye-opener for me about just how important language is for identity," Emily says.
"It gave the kids a sense of purpose, which is so important."
Prior to British colonisation, more than 250 languages and about 750-800 dialects were spoken by local groups across Australia.
However, successive assimilation government policies silenced, suppressed and tried to eradicate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language, culture and identity, resulting in devastating, multi-generational socio-economic impacts, including in health and wellbeing, education and economic security.
"It goes beyond language," Emily says. "It's a whole mind shift."
Fast forward to Emily finishing her own undergraduate education degree - her final placement landing her on Darnley Island.
This was her first exposure to a classroom where students were truly multilingual.
"I felt underprepared," Emily says.
"I never expected to walk into a classroom where English was not the primary language."
Bachelor of Primary Education program coordinator Dr Kimberley Wilson says placement opportunities often brought about unique opportunities such as this.
"These are vital for student teachers to get experience beyond the university classroom - in an environment where they're supported by qualified teachers and support staff," Dr Wilson says.
"Regional and remote placements, in particular, are incredibly valuable - they expose students to so many unique and varied situations that would not be possible to cover off in textbooks.
"Those placements tend to be the ones that shape teachers the most - both professionally and personally."
Emily fell in love with the experience, taking on a Permission to Teach (PTT) role after her work placement ended, allowing her to continue working there before transitioning into a full-time teaching position once her qualification came through.
She spent the next few years immersing herself in communities, working as a teacher on Boigu, Mabuiag, Warraber, Yam, Moa and Thursday Island.
The experiences left a lasting impression on her - one she's now brought back to the Sunshine Coast.
Now working as a digital technology teacher at Mountain Creek High School, Emily's passion for the role was recently recognised when she was named Primary Teacher of the Year at the 2026 Australian Education Awards.
A massive achievement, the award recognised Emily work delivering consistently high standards of teaching, innovation in supporting student learning, a commitment to professional development and collaboration and meaningful engagement with parents and the wider school community.
Emily at Eidsvold State School during a Rhythm to Recovery session
There are a lot of powerful quotes from prominent First Nations people about the need for more non-Indigenous Australians to advocate for better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
Prominent journalist, author and Wiradjuri man, Stan Grant, said in a 2015 speech:
"My people have done all the heavy lifting. We have survived. We have kept our culture alive. It is now up to the rest of Australia to do the work.
"This is not an Indigenous problem; it is an Australian problem."
Emily has taken that call to heart. Now working as a teacher at Mountain Creek State School, she is embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in her teaching, with the support of the school's leadership team.
"Seeing the natural curiosity of my students, wanting to learn about different cultures and perspectives, really reinforces the important role teachers can play in changing systemic problems," Emily says.
"You don't need to do much to get educated. Just listen."
