SSL and Appreciation of the Birrrurung Marr

Hello guardians and students of MGC. Our names are Daisy, Eti, Eva, and Immy and we are current year 10 students who participated in the School for Student Leadership last year in term four. 40 kids from schools all across Victoria participate in the two-month School for Student Leadership (SSL) program, which is held on one of the four campuses for nine weeks. We engaged in outdoor pursuits like mountain biking, white water rafting, hiking, and camping. Other subjects are centred on the school's values, which include learning strategies, empathy, identity, resilience, health and well-being, environments, and respectful relationships.

We all developed as leaders while working at SSL, and we've been using our newfound skills now that we're back home. A community learning project was something the school encouraged of us. The project's goal was to develop something beneficial for your school or community that students would implement once they got home. MGC being situated on the Birrurung Marr didn't make it difficult for us to think about our proposal. The river's indigenous name is the Birrurung Marr, not the Yarra as invaders gave it. We made the decision to paint a mural for the community and students to enjoy in order to raise awareness and appreciation of its genuine identity. When we returned to school, it was challenging to get the project going, but our principal and teachers were incredibly helpful and supportive. We made contact with Simone Thompson, a Wurundjeri and Yorta-Yorta woman who has painted numerous beautiful murals all over various Melbourne schools. We commissioned Simone to paint a mural featuring the river our school stands on as well as native animals of Victoria, around the rowing shed doors. Now that the mural is complete, we are quite pleased with the outcome.  

To increase awareness, we will fundraise for a plaque that will educate students and onlookers about the river's history and incorporate the mural into the year seven Murnong Day so that all the following students are educated on the subject. Take a stroll down the trail to take in the scenery and the river's true name, The Birrarung Marr.

• Daisy Daniels, Eti Beltrami, Eva Goudie, Immy Martin