The Year 10 cohort came together for an assembly on Tuesday 9 February. The first Year 10 assembly of the year has traditionally included a formal introduction to our Barak Campus, which is for our senior students in Years 10, 11 and 12.
Year 10 Level Leader Mr Greg Hysted invited Ian Hunter, a descendent of William Barak, to speak at the assembly as he wanted the newest students to the Barak Campus to have a better understanding of who William Barak was and the times in which he lived.
Ian Hunter visited the College and spoke to the Year 10 students about his great great uncle William Barak, after whom our campus is named, and also his great great grandmother Annie Boorat. The talk was a good introduction to cultural awareness for the Year 10s. Mr Hunter is pictured with Mr Hysted and Year 10 Level Learning Advisor Miss Cass Poynter.
Here is a student reflection from Elena Atanasovski (Year 10 White):
The reconciliation talk was a wonderful experience and a great opportunity to gain more knowledge about the Aborigines of earlier years. This informative talk, presented by Ian Hunter, gave me more of an insight into the rich history of Australia.
Ian is a fantastic speaker and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to him — his expression and energy made the presentation quite intriguing. Ian told fascinating stories regarding his ancestors and the impact they have had on the country we live in today. There are many indigenous names and titles to navigate around this school, so learning about an influential figure such as William Barak was very insightful.
Throughout the presentation, images of Ian’s relatives were showcased — each with their own significant characteristics and pastimes. It was incredible to see and understand the amount of history that has been passed down from generation to generation in his family. Not only did his presentation teach me and the rest of the Year 10s about William Barak and his family, but it also taught us the importance of keeping family history alive. I am very thankful that Ian took the time to speak to our year level. The reconciliation talk is certainly an experience I will not soon forget.
Meanwhile, I recently visited Worawa Aboriginal College in Healesville (pictured in the gallery) as part of my work with the Box Hill Hawks Football Club. Worawa provides a holistic education and boarding experience for young Aboriginal women in the secondary years of schooling. Students come from Aboriginal communities across Australia. Worawa has a strong sports program with girls engaged in College teams of football, basketball and netball. The College has a number of formal partnerships with sporting associations. The Box Hill Hawks Academy, as part of their ‘spread their wings’ community program, made a generous donation of sports gear to the College.
