CELEBRATING FIRST NATIONS CULTURE
News from Bryan Carswell
Indigenous Liaison Officer
St Augustine's Exclusive Welcome to Country Address
We are privileged here at St Augustine’s College to have a full-time boarding student from Yarrabah. He is at our college courtesy of one of our Indigenous scholarship partners, Indigenous Youth Leadership Program, The Smith Family (IYLP).
As we all know, Cairns is established on Gimuy Walubara and Yidinji lands. The First Nations people who presently live at Yarrabah were moved there from around the Cairns and Atherton Tableland areas. Our student is descended from these original inhabitants.
Our student is Peter Neal, who has heritage and ancestral lineage to this area. He has been here since Year 7, after completing his primary schooling at Djarragun College.
Having Peter at Saints gives us the unique ability at our assemblies and other important events to give a Welcome to Country address. As far as I’m aware, this is unique to St Augustine’s. I’ve not heard of other colleges having this ability through one of their First Nation’s students, though I'm happy to be corrected on this point.
It is a privilege to have Peter here and the College has developed a close relationship with his family and the Yarrabah community.
We thank him for his willingness to share his special connection to his land, culture and traditions with the St Augustine’s family.