84-Year-Old Teacher Still Shows Up After 50 Years

For 50 years, Aunty Ruth Simms has walked through school doors with the same purpose she felt on her first day. Now 84, the Yuin woman continues showing up as New South Wales' longest-serving Aboriginal Education Officer, a testament to her lifelong love of learning and teaching.

Born on La Perouse Reserve in Sydney's south, Aunty Ruth's earliest memories shaped her future. She watched her mother weave tea tree leaves into brooms and her father fish for the community. These experiences taught her that teaching happens everywhere, not just in classrooms.

At 19, she graduated from Sydney University with a diploma in education. The chancellor's words stuck with her: learning can have a comma or semicolon, but never a full stop. She took that message to heart.

In 1976, Aunty Ruth joined the first group of Aboriginal teacher aides in NSW, roles created to bridge schools and Aboriginal families. She started at Nowra Public School on November 19, and the Illawarra has been her classroom ever since. Her homework center earned recognition as the best in the district, and she remembers a young student standing up after a session to declare, "That was fun."

On school camps, she brought her culture to life. She taught children about medicinal plants and helped students make their own tea tree brooms, passing down knowledge her mother had shared with her decades earlier. Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students alike learned from her wisdom.

Why This Inspires

Aunty Ruth's impact shows up in unexpected places. Just last month, a man stopped her at the grocery store and insisted on paying for her items. He told her that without her help from kindergarten through sixth grade, he wouldn't be where he is today.

These moments happen regularly. Parents and former students approach her around town, crediting her dedication for their children's success. For half a century, she's shaped thousands of lives by simply showing up, day after day, believing in young people when they needed it most.

Beyond the classroom, she's served as a life member of the NSW Aboriginal Consultative Education Group and received a Member of the Order of Australia in 2012. But her real legacy walks the streets of the Illawarra, living proof that one teacher's commitment can echo through generations.

At 84, Aunty Ruth still believes learning never stops, and neither does she.