Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander News

The Dulla Mural

PRIDE has been running at O’Connor for the past 6 years. It has been a program focused on cultural education and personal development for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students. This year the decision was made to change the name of the program. After consulting with key people in our local Aboriginal  community including Uncle Dave Widders and discussing a number of options with students the decision was made to change the name of the program to DULLA. Dulla is a local Anaiwan word meaning tree. 

This word and the image of a tree was selected as there are many comparisons that can be drawn between our students and a tree, be it the need to establish strong roots - cultural identity and connection; a tall strong trunk to stand proudly and engage and contribute at school and in our community; a network of branches to reach out and connect and collaborate with staff and peers at school as well as others beyond; and finally to grow and develop so as to be able to provide oxygen or perhaps produce flowers or fruit, or in other words, to give back to our school and the wider community.

Following this analogy, our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students arrive at O’Connor as fragile saplings, and it is our great hope that through the DULLA program these students will flourish and grow to eventually leave us as tall strong trees, deeply rooted in their culture, ready to give back and make a positive difference in our community. 

As a part of our 2025 NAIDOC celebrations (more info to come about this in our next newsletter) Uncle Dave Widders and Year 10 student Lachie Wanschers have been working hard to paint a mural that includes a visual representation of a dulla and our program. This mural, located in the quad on the eastern end of the Ursula Building will serve as an ongoing celebration of our First Nations students and their cultures for all in our community.

Mr James Russell

Leader of Learning - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education

Some photos of NAIDOC week celebrations included below, more to follow in our final Newsletter.