Alumni Stories
GRADS 2025: Noelyn Perriman
When Dr Noelyn Perriman first entered the workforce, it was as a nurse in a children’s hospital, but a year long stint on the neonatal ward sent her back for more study to better understand the women and babies she was caring for.
That decision to study midwifery in 1988 opened the door to a lifelong passion for working with women and their families, as well as furthering her own education.
“Once I started midwifery I never looked back, it was like I was always meant to be a midwife,” Noelyn says.
“Whenever I travel overseas and we are required to list our occupation, I don’t write ‘academic’, I just write midwife – because to me, once you are a midwife, it defines you.”
Now, Noelyn is the Discipline Lead for Midwifery at the University of Canberra, having taken on the role at the start of September in a dream-come-true moment after years of leadership in clinical settings.
“You don’t always realise where things are going to take you, but I always dreamed that I would work at this university. It is where I always wanted to be, mainly because I love the students. They are our future! There’s going to be lots to learn, but I’m working with a team that’s ready to share and provide support, so I’m really lucky,” she says.
“I always worked hard to have a welcoming space for students when I was in a clinical role. Now, in an academic role, I have that ability to have a really positive impact on them. I want to share the knowledge I have, learn from them and nurture their skills and wisdom.”
Noelyn even joined some of her midwifery students in the most recent round of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø graduations, walking across the stage to accept her PhD testamur – and putting on the royal blue and yellow gown, a moment eight years in the making.
“Graduation to me is the icing on the cake. The PhD itself is the cake – but the icing is getting to stand up there with all your colleagues who have also undertaken an enormous amount of work to get to where they are – it’s a real privilege,” she says.
Her husband and eldest daughter came along to cheer her on and celebrate the culmination of her hard work– but there was one guest’s attendance in particular that meant the world to Noelyn.
“I didn’t realise how important it was to me to have my Mum here, until she said, ‘Of course I’m coming!’”
Noelyn’s PhD focused on midwives, and the impact that continuity of care has on improving and assessing the experience for women and their families.
Continuity of care is when a midwife works with a mother from her very first visit until two weeks after her baby is born – allowing for a relationship and trust to build between practitioner and patient.
“Continuity empowers women because they don’t have to retell their story. Their midwife knows their journey from the very beginning, so as questions come up throughout their pregnancy, they feel comfortable talking to their midwife,” Noelyn explains.
“I often say to students: ‘You are so lucky to become a part of what is one of the most pivotal moments in a person’s life.’ We are so privileged to be there.”
At ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, midwifery students follow six women through their pregnancies in their first year of an undergraduate degree; this is then increased to a caseload of 16 women during their second and third years of study.
This first taste of continuity of care helps shape them into the midwives they will ultimately become.
“You can see them growing in confidence, because the women will often share more with someone that they know, so we have found that the student continuity is really beneficial. You can just see the students grow, so by the time they reach their final year, they are work-ready,” Noelyn says.
Preparing students for what comes after their last exam and that exciting walk across the graduation stage is a top priority for Noelyn, as she settles into her new role in the Faculty of Health.
“What I’d like to see is that the midwives graduating from ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø are going into health settings, and we are told what amazing graduates they are and that we have supported and guided them in readiness to enter the workforce,” she says.
But she’s also determined to be as big an advocate as she can for students from diverse backgrounds, encouraging and embracing different cultural practices and holistic care.
“I want to support birthing on Country, to explore how we can help our Indigenous students to grow in that space, and to make that difference which means that communities will have access to an Indigenous midwife on their own Country,” she says.
Boosting enrolment numbers, as well as the big task of embedding a new curriculum, are two of the other goals at the top of her list – Noelyn is passionate to support all who wish to study at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, no matter the journey it takes to get to the Bruce campus.
“If you don’t initially get into midwifery, then there are other roads you can take – you can start with a Bachelor of Health Science and move across – because life isn’t always a smooth, straight path. Sometimes it takes you on some twists and turns,” she says.
“But if you want a job that will nurture you for the rest of your life, then midwifery is the space for you.”
Words by Georgie Burgess, photos by Tyler Cherry.
This September, we celebrate the graduating class of 2025.
Our graduates are from many different places, at various stages of life, with diverse skills and perspectives. In their time at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, each one has contributed to the fabric of the University community. While their journey here may be complete for now, their actions will leave an indelible imprint on generations to come.
We congratulate the graduating class of 2025; we can’t wait to see where you will go next.