NAIDOC Assembly

NAIDOC Assembly - Heal Country

We were so honoured to have Dr Richard Walley and his son Alton (ex-Burrendah student) open our NAIDOC Assembly last Friday. Dr Walley is a prominent Noongar Elder who is one of Australia’s leading Aboriginal performers. He is a writer and cultural adviser, who is often called upon by a wide range of government and non-government organisations for his sage advice.   The fact that Dr Walley and his son Alton made time for our assembly despite their busy schedules makes us very grateful.

 Dr Walley played a very slick-looking didgeridoo masterfully while Alton taught us some animal movements to get us warmed up on a cold morning.  Alton is also an artist, performer, and author of a number of children’s books. It is always a treat to have Alton come to our school.

The highlight of the Walley’s visit was the presentation of a large painting, by Dr Walley, created for our school. There were many gasps from the children when the painting was revealed. We all love it!

This year’s NAIDOC theme was Heal Country. We used the book, ‘Finding the Heart” by Thomas Mayor to frame our assembly message. The book was written for children to relate the historical events that led to the writing of the milestone document, Uluru Statement from the Heart. 

We had students from Year 1 to Year 6 involved in the assembly. In the assembly, we all had to search for the heart of Australia. At the end we learned that the heart of Australia can only be found if we hear the truth about our history, listen to our First Nations people, appreciate their culture, learn our local language and look after our land. Our NAIDOC assembly ended with a beautiful rendition of I am Australian in English and Noongar. The solo start by Elora Galib was absolutely beautiful.

We would like to invite you to listen to the Uluru Statement from the Heart in your own language by visiting SBS Language | The Uluru Statement from the Heart in Your Language

“The Uluru statement is an invitation to all Australians to walk with First Nations people to build a better future”