SORRY DAY. 26 MAY 2022
Nillumbik Reconciliation Group held a special Sorry Day event for local School Leaders at
11 am in Alistair Knox Park.
There was a very enthusiastic response from schools in Nillumbik with additional interest from primary schools in Banyule. Around 140 students attended along with principals, teachers and parents.
We are most appreciative of support from the Nillumbik Shire Council which provided funding and members of staff on the day. Especially Alex, who managed sound system and heavy lifting.
Members of NRG were there, ushering students and assisting in crowd management.
The programme began with a Welcome to Country with Uncle Ian Hunter, digeridoo from Richie Williams and clap sticks with Eltham Primary School.
Messages of understanding and support for Aboriginal people were given by students from Briar Hill, St Andrews, Montmorency and Eltham North primary schools and Catholic Ladies College. Students were led in a Sorry Day action by Adrienne Jones (NRG). Ostara, a local Indigenous student, read the poem: ‘I am a child of the Dreamtime’ by Hyllus Maris, founder of Worawa Aboriginal College Healesville. Corrie Nicholson, Indigenous mother of local school students was joined by her daughter Ollie in a reading of ‘First Time I met my Grandmother’ by Ali Cobby Eckermann, a poem with particular meaning for Corrie.
At the close of the ceremony, Uncle Ian smoked us as we went on a Reconciliation Walk across the park to the sounds of didg and clap sticks. Students from Panton Hill PS and Diamond Creek PS carried the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island flags.
Before leaving the park, students were given a laminated gum leaf with the word SORRY printed on it, prepared for them by Julie Allen (NRG).