Developing an understanding and awareness of Country

At Alphington Grammar School, the continuum of education and awareness of the history and culture of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is enhanced by direct contact with members of the Kulin nation

“Here is the land, here is the sky,
here are my friends and here am I.
We thank the Wurundjeri people for
the land on which we learn and play.
Hands up! Hands down! We are on Wurundjeri ground.”

This is the song heard in the Alphington Grammar School Early Learning Centre each day as part of our whole-school approach to Acknowledgement of Country, and is a feature of our Reconciliation Action Plan. While our youngest students learn their action rhyme, and start to develop their understanding and awareness of country and what it means to be a custodian, our oldest students travel to the top end as part of the Gateways Program for an immersive cultural experience. The continuum of education and awareness of the history and culture of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is enhanced by direct contact with members of the Kulin nation, and we were recently visited by renowned artist Stan Yarramunua, known as Uncle Yarra.

Uncle Yarra is a proud Wathaurong man who grew up in Swan Hill. After a rough start, he turned his life around through his art and has become an internationally renowned painter, art dealer and gallery owner specialising in Aboriginal art. Known also for his music and acting, Stan gives back to his own community, and the wider community as well.

We were fortunate to welcome Uncle Yarra to our school, where he conducted a painting workshop with our Year 3 and 4 students, who worked on two large canvases together and learned the art of dot painting. He also played the digeridoo, or ‘yidaki’, and used it to mimic the sound of native birds and animals.

All Primary students will contribute to the two paintings and Uncle Yarra will return to school to bless the artworks on the land on which they will be displayed.