Message From the Principal
Nagangbi njirgang miigaybulalwala yuwinjbulalwala gudjagawulawala ngayagang buwindja nguumbun malada njin yuwinjbulalwala, njin miigaybulalwala, nga ni ngura ni nguragulli, nhay ngura, Eloura, Wodi Wodi, Dharawal gamangura
Hello to you all, women, men, and children, I remember with love the old men, old women, from my country, this country, Eloura, Wodi Wodi, and Dharawal speaking Country.
Last weekend I was enjoying a bit of downtime, floating through a lovely bookshop and I came across a whole section that focused on Aboriginal life, history and culture. The above acknowledgement of Country was taken from a children’s activity book of Dharawal words and phrases complied and edited by Dr Jodi Edwards with the support of Elder Aunty Barb Sims and other elders. It was fantastic to see a local bookshop promoting Aboriginal history and heritage, as well as current issues and explorations.
As we look upon the green hills, the beaches and water around us we see the love poured out upon this Land by those who have cared for this Land since time beyond measure. In his wisdom and love, our God gave this estate to the people of the Dharawal Nation. We want to celebrate the traditional custodians of this land and their deep connection to country, to honour those who have gone before and those who are yet to come.
As a College we continue to look for specific ways to recognise the richness of Aboriginal life and also the need for reconciliation as a result of the terrible impact the arrival of the British people and culture has had. This year some of our staff have been developing our Reconciliation Action Plan. In developing the plans for our Learning Centre that will sit at the Heart of the College we are looking at ways that building can form connections to the Country and traditional owners.
We cannot do this alone. We need our families, our students, especially those with First Nations heritage, and our local community to take part. As we share our story as a College we want to tell the story of our faith and hope in the loving Creator God, the giver of all life. We also want to tell the story of this land that we educate our children on and its traditional custodians, and to learn to live together on these ancestral lands. We pray that God will unite us all and reconcile us through his Son, and as a College may we take the lead from the Dharawal people, whose stories are entwined with the stewarding of this place. May we learn from them and walk with them.
