Myall Creek Massacre Memorial
By Anvi Gupta and Audrey Potter, Year 10
Seven students, including ourselves, accompanied by Ms Notley, Mrs Whitby and Mr Rossetto, travelled to the Myall Creek Massacre Memorial on 11 June. As we travelled the long distance to Gamilaraay country over multiple days, we immersed ourselves in various activities to grow a greater understanding of Aboriginal culture and history. This included visiting the FIRST exhibition at Newcastle Museum, meeting with Elders on country, learning about significant sites, and attending the memorial.
One of our first experiences was meeting with Justin, a Worimi man, who talked to us about the importance of the Worimi Conservation Lands and the history of his people on these lands. Justin emphasised the importance of being silent and listen-ing, which are easy to remember as they are made of the same letters (his words). We were enraptured by Justin’s ability to connect us all to the land and culture through his simple classroom, which he made by drawing a circle in the sand dunes we stood on. The four pillars of his culture are land, people, language and lore, and story. Justin reminded us that no matter what, story can never be taken away, a message that stuck with us throughout the trip as we threw ourselves into learning more about culture and history.
On Saturday, we travelled to Tamworth and spent time learning about the significance of ancient rock art at Boundary Rock with Kamilaroi Elder Len Waters. His stories and personal history deepened our connection to the journey we were undertaking. Upon arrival at Bingara, we joined hundreds of others at The Roxy for the Myall Creek Concert. At this event, we had the opportunity to see different perspectives as we heard from Kyla-Belle, a passionate Indigenous singer who is the same age as us, and heard from a band involving Radford Collegians. It was amazing to connect with the community by listening to music and immerse ourselves in the experience by singing and dancing along with songs. We were able to connect with many schools before the memorial service at this concert, and it was a highlight of the trip for all of us.
On 11 June, the day of the Memorial, we travelled to the Myall Creek site for the commemoration. We met in the morning and talked with different schools and a range of people before walking to the site. We were immersed in cultural dances at the site and heard from various guest speakers, such as theologist Richard Trudgen. A highlight was the opportunity to contribute to the day as we read plaques, which identified the events of Myall Creek, with other students from schools across Australia. We listened to stories from the descendants of the victims, and it was heartwarming to see them embrace the descendants of the perpetrators as a sign of reconciliation. We felt privileged to watch the community come together in commemoration and forgiveness and will continue to remember this life-changing experience.
Finally, we thank the teachers, Ms Notley, Mrs Whitby and Mr Rossetto, for including us on this fantastic trip and planning so hard to make it possible. This trip truly wouldn’t have been possible or nearly as incredible without any of these teachers. So, from all seven students, we extend the greatest thank you and appreciation for everything the teachers did.