Previous research into attrition rates of Indigenous Australian Higher Degree by Research (HDR) candidates has focused on institutional barriers, highlighting cultural disparities. This case study of three academically able candidates who withdrew before completion from an institution designed to meet the needs of Indigenous students describes their path into the award and non-academic factors over the span of their education that impacted on their performance, then draws upon studies of resilience to propose that the psycho-social environments in which they had to operate were complex and burdensome. It proposes that institutions that enroll Indigenous Australian HDR candidates cannot ignore these environments and more appropriate support strategies should be employed.