The 'Baldja Maarakool' Space
Objectives
- To lift the profile of Indigenous culture in the school community - this is the first Indigenous installation at the school.
- To create a greater sense of belonging for our Indigenous students.
- To greater connect the school community to the local Indigenous culture and community.
- To foster Indigenous education opportunities within the whole school community.
The 'Baldja Maarakool' Mural
Create a 'Baldja Maarakool Mural' ('firmly united with the hands') representing all of the Indigenous students in the school, using Indigenous painting techniques.
The mural will be devised with the assistance of Indigenous artists, and work three-dimensionally around and through the openings of the wall.
It may include:
- A representation of Western Australia and the location of the various tribal groups.
- A depiction of the journey from childhood through adolescence to adulthood that mirrors the journeyfrom primary school, through Middle School and Senior School.
We hope to incorporate the following:
'Jinjeejerdup', pronounced jin-gee-jer-dup, is the Nyoongar name for the Mount Lawley area, meaning 'place of the honey eater'.
Travelling north from the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan River) around the site of today's city of Perth, was a series of wetlands and lakes that were all interlinked.
These wetlands were an extremely bountiful source of many wetland food types.
However, a little further to the east as you followed what today we call Alexander Drive, the vegetation changed and gave way to some wonderful Banksia heath lands with a myriad of flowering plants, including the Moodjar (Australian Christmas Tree, Nuytsia floribunda).
With so many different flowering plants at all times of the year, this was a wonderful place for many animals, including many honey eating birds, which gives Mount Lawley its traditional name.
(Please note that the information as it is written above was compiled by Kurongkurl Katitjin, Centre for Indigenous Australian Education and Research, Edith Cowan University)
'Helping Hands' - Reconciliation
Using Indigenous painting techniques, the school's Indigenous students will add their hand print to the wall.
As time progresses, this will be a practical demonstration of how they belong to a far greater group than just the number of Indigenous students currently at the school.
The Indigenous students may also invite other members of the school community who have inspired and influenced them to also paint their hands on the wall.
These hands will be in a different colour, and represent the significant interactions the Indigenous students have had with the broader school community.
The 'Baldja Maarakool' Garden
The area in front of the wall to be developed into a native bushland garden, with edible natives etc, such that it can be used for Indigenous education activities.
The edible plants can be used by all students in Home Economics classes and also by the catering staff in the school cafeteria.
The garden may also include Indigenous artefacts such as a Mia.
Alumni
Past Indigenous students of the school will be invited to add their hands to the wall.
Support
If you are keen to support the project, either financially or in some other practical way, we would love to hear from you. Please email the school.
"This project will be good to highlight Indigenous culture amongst the 56 other nationalities at Mount Lawley and to link us with the school community. It will be nice to leave a lasting mark at school"
- Jade Year 12 student (2012), Follow The Dream Program
"Indigenous culture has great significance in Australian society and deserves to feature prominently in the school environment. It is great for our students to see Australian Indigenous culture being acknowledged in a significant way at school"
- Andrew Paul, School Chaplain
