ListeningHeart T2 2008 - St Mary's College, Broome

Cultural Exchange to Melbourne.
Some of the Kimberley
Art auctioned in
Melbourne.
Brandon Mc Carthy and
Ben Phillips , entertain
the guests prior to the
Art Auction.
St Mary’s College Cultural Exchange to Melbourne
26 th April – 24 th May, 2008.
As they prepared for their journey to Melbourne, the students
selected to go on this year’s exchange wanted to gain
an insight into life in the city. Living with a host family, and
being a part of the everyday life of that family, to attend a
large academic school, and to have the opportunity to be
involved in the many experiences that would come their
way. The students were also all looking forward to having
the opportunity to share their culture with their host families
and with students in the schools they were visiting. They
wanted to learn about the culture and lives of the families
and students they lived and went to school with.
Reflecting on their four weeks in Victoria, the students were
positive about their experiences. They are grateful to the
host families and schools who provided the opportunity for
them to be part of a different way of life away from their
family life in Broome and their schooling at St Mary’s College.
Art Auction, 9 th May, 2008.
The Cultural exchange program between St Mary’s
and Genazzano and Xavier Colleges is in its 20 th
year.
Recognising the difficulty of fundraising a significant
amount of money annually in a small rural
community, and to ensure the future of the exchange,
Genazzano FCJ
College hosted an Indigenous Art Auction. The
broad collection of paintings from across the Kimberley,
included traditional ochre paintings from
desert artists, Wandjina spirit paintings of the artists
from the Derby area, to contemporary indigenous
paintings from Broome, were generously donated by the
artists.
The eight 2008 St Mary’s College Cultural Exchange
student and two staff members were in Melbourne and
attended the event. St Mary’s College Cultural Exchange
Co-ordinator Ms Vicki McKenna and Joe Ross,
Chairperson of the Indigenous Youth Leadership Program,
both spoke about the importance of establishing
and maintaining relationships between indigenous and
non-indigenous people, and the importance of the positive
outcomes for participants and families and the
schools involved in the
Exchange Program.
About 300 people attended the auction, and enthusiastic
bidding for the 44 pieces of art work resulted in all the
work being sold, and enough money raised, to establish
the St Mary’s Cultural Exchange Fund.
Jennifer Cambridge
All the St Mary’s Exchange students felt that their host
families valued family life, and providing an education for
their children, so that they will be able to follow their chosen
career. They also realized that to achieve their goals the
students had to focus on their studies, working hard at
school and their homework.
The students enjoyed, among many excursions and experiences,
going to AFL matches, a trip to country Victoria,
catching up with Mr Simon, a past teacher from St Mary’s at
Bendigo Catholic College, and their visit to Sovereign Hill
in Ballarat. The food tasting tour at Queen Victoria Markets
and the visit to VICTECH where they listened to, and met
three inspirational indigenous sportsmen – Michael Long,
Dean Rioli and Anthony Mundine, were memorable experiences.
As the students prepare for their host brothers and sisters to
come to Broome on the return Exchanges, they are looking
forward to sharing their culture and lives with the Melbourne
students.
Vicki McKenna, Rika Hamaguchi, Sara Knights and
Brandon McCarthy with paintings to be
auctioned.
St Mary’s Exchange students with Dean Rioli,
Anthony Mundine and Michael Long.