Faith and Mission
Connecting to Country: The Balnarring Indigenous Immersion Experience
On 23 and 24 July, a group of Year 10 students and staff from St Bede’s College and Kilbreda College embarked on a two-day Indigenous Immersion Experience on Bunurong Country.
Beginning at Willum Warrain Aboriginal Gathering Place in Hastings, our participants engaged in a Welcome on Country and cultural yarning with the local First Nations community. Across the two days, the itinerary immersed the group in outdoor learning, featuring cultural walks around Balnarring and a guided coastal trek through the Mornington Peninsula National Park at Bushrangers Bay. During these excursions, students explored the Bunurong cultural landscape, learning directly about native plants used for food, medicine, and vital resources.
The overnight stay at the Saltbush retreat provided space for evening journal reflections and the viewing of the First Nations film, Mabo, which fostered meaningful group discussions. This short but highly impactful journey allowed participants to forge a deeper connection to the land and develop a profound respect for Indigenous traditions, as highlighted in the reflections from staff and students below.
Oliver
“I felt a deeper connection to the land when our tour guide was talking about the native plants and how he predicted there will be lots of fires in summer....how they can know whether, and if, natural disasters are coming from just looking at a plant. The Indigenous people were and are so smart in understanding the land.”
Xander
“I liked the smoking ceremony, and I learned about Aboriginal culture, the white invasion and how it affected them. From this, I will eat more plants and teach people about what I learned, such as how Aboriginal people are connected with the land and only take what they need”.
Dom
“The most significant part was getting to learn about the land, culture, and trees, and learn how they used these significant plants as everyday tasks such as food, medicine and smoking ceremonies.”
Luca
“A significant moment of this camp for me was about meeting all the new people from Kilbreda and creating stronger bonds with the boys in my cabin. When I return to school, I will be more aware of the plants around me and what they could mean to the Indigenous people”.
Adam
“The smoking ceremony was very interesting and probably the most important part.”
Will
“We went to Willum Warrain, an Indigenous gathering place, and did an acknowledgement of country and learned a lot about the local culture, plants and smoking ceremonies. We also were able to try on a possum skin cloak”.
Harry
“The smoking ceremony was interesting and so was all the different plants native to Australia that you can eat”.
Declan
“This was a good experience where I gained a lot of knowledge, met some new friends and I have more respect for Indigenous communities and elders.”
Kylie Paterson-Zigouras
“It was a beautiful experience for the students and teachers of St Bede’s and Kilbreda, to be on country with elders and learn from them. The significance of a smoking ceremony, and the plants that are used, was explained and embraced by the students. They enjoyed the sensory interaction of trying on a possum skin cloak, touching tools/ weapons/ clapping sticks and eating native plants. We absorbed so much information on our guided walks and heard Dreaming stories of how the land was shaped”.
Lis Burn
“It was meaningful and enriching to spend time on Country with Elders and learn directly from their knowledge and traditions. Students gained a deeper understanding of the significance of the Smoking Ceremony and the native plants used in this important cultural practice. Throughout the guided walks, students absorbed a wealth of knowledge about the local environment and listened to Dreaming stories that explained the cultural and spiritual significance of the landscape and how it came to be”.
A Heartfelt Thank You: Vinnies Winter Appeal Success
Our 2026 Vinnies Winter Appeal was an overwhelming success, thanks to the incredible spirit of generosity shown across our entire College community.
Through your kindness, we collected an extraordinary volume of donations—filling an entire garage with non-perishable food and essential toiletry items! These vital provisions have now been handed over to the local St Vincent de Paul Conferences of Bentleigh East, Mordialloc, and Chelsea.
As winter temperatures continue to drop, these donations will directly assist local families and individuals doing it tough in our surrounding areas, bringing them practical relief, warmth, and hope when they need it most.
Taking opportunities to give selflessly, lovingly, and generously lies at the very heart of our Lasallian identity and our shared commitment to Faith, Service, and Community.
Sincere thanks to all our students, families, and staff for your thoughtful contributions, and to our Youth Ministers and student leaders for their hard work in driving this appeal. Your collective effort has made a very real difference in the lives of many this winter.
Inspired by Faith at the RE Symposium
Last week, a delegation of our St Bede’s colleagues joined nearly 1,000 Catholic educators at the inaugural Archdiocese Religious Education Symposium, Inspired by Faith: Journeying to Excellence, held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The two-day event explored the future of Religious Education, featuring world-class keynote speakers and over 50 collaborative workshops focused on faith formation, human flourishing, and a preview of the new MACS RE Curriculum. A standout theme was captured by keynote speaker Brother David Hall fms, who reminded educators: "Education is not just about the teaching of a 'what', it’s about the growing of a 'who.'"
Our staff returned renewed, connected, and inspired with rich insights and fresh ideas to bring back to our College community, continuing our commitment to forming young people grounded in faith and prepared to enrich the world.
Mark Micallef
Deputy Principal - Faith and Mission