Amy Levai, sister of Lowitja O'Donoghue, was the first Aboriginal teacher to be trained and permitted to teach in South Australia, after completing her Early Childhood Certificate for Kingergarten in 1950. Amy was the Kindergarten Director at Mt Margaret Mission in Western Australia for three years. During the 1950s, after many years of rejections Amy was accepted into the Adelaide Teachers College, in South Australia. She subsequently, taught in many schools around South Australia. Amy retired from teaching in 1993.
In 1989, she was awarded NAIDOC Aboriginal of The Year award, and in 1998 was awarded the Aboriginal Elder of The Year in South Australia. Amy also received the award from the Eastern Metropolitan Regional Forum of the Council of Aboriginal Elders South Australia for Outstanding Service in 2010. Her highest award was bestowed on her when the Minister for Education and Child Development in South Australia announced that the South Australia Department of Education and Child Development would award 10 annual scholarships to carry out Amy's name as the Amy Levai Aboriginal Teaching Scholarships in 2012.
