Reconciliation Week

On Friday May 26, Greensborough College sent a delegation of our Koorie students and school student leaders to the Banyule Councils Smoking Ceremony & Flag Raising at Heidelberg Town Hall. At this event, the students witnessed the Smoking Ceremony (which is a Welcome to Country, as well as a cleansing of the spirits as you walk through the smoke) and heard from a variety of people regarding the meaning of Sorry Day.

We also listened to Alison, who described her story of being a young child when the 1967 Referendum was passed that enabled Aboriginal people to be included in the Australian census and which allowed the Commonwealth Government to make laws for them. Alison then described the trauma of being one of the "Stolen Generation" and the impact that this has had on her life as well as those around her. This was a moving account and gave our students a better understanding of what this action did to many people.

Jim Ringin

Assistant Principal