The 2015 Red Centre Immersion Service Learning Tour was led by College Chaplain, Mr Michael Bennett, and myself during the June holidays. This was the third Service Learning expedition hosted by Newington to visit an Aboriginal Community, but the first trip to the desert country of Central Australia.

The tour lasted seven days and the boys camped out each night under clear but chilly desert skies. The bus driver and guide was an Aboriginal man called John Liddle (Great Uncle of one boy in Year 8), so the boys were fortunate enough to spend three nights at his remote family property where they learnt about traditional bush tucker, desert survival, navigation and animal tracking from both John and his older brother “JS”. During our time there, not only were we able to ‘chow down’ on a few raw witchetty grubs, but the hosts invited Aboriginal Elders from Mutitjulu near Uluru to come and share their knowledge of Aboriginal art, history and Dreamtime stories with our boys. Their stories were all spellbindingly told to the boys around a campfire in traditional native language with the aid of a skilled translator. A rare privilege and experience for non-Indigenous Australians.

The feedback from the boys about this experience has been excitingly positive. Most have come away with new ideas about who the Aboriginal people are, and nearly all boys said that they would treat the negative stereotyping of Indigenous peoples and issues with a more critical eye as a result of the experience. “I know more about Indigenous issues and how and why they arise. The knowledge which I have gained has made it less likely for me to stereotype indigenous people,” said Nicholas Sharp (11/JN).

Thanks to our local hosts, our boys were also able to walk away from the trip with a richer idea about country they live in. Fletcher Howell (11/JN) said, “I have learnt that there is much in the bush which would be overlooked by the naked, city-dwelling eye. There is much knowledge and wisdom, in areas not qualitatively valued by European society, and which are of great value and which hold great weight and significance such as surviving in a harsh environment, knowing where to find food, how to navigate, and what bush-medicines can be used. This knowledge should be held in high regard, preserved and passed on.”

William Ryan (11/MO) said, “Whilst I knew some things about the history of Australia’s Indigenous people, I never realised just how vast and rich the history and culture of Aboriginal people is. The stories behind physical features, the food, knowledge of the land, and structure of Aboriginal society were all things which I was not aware of before the trip. Knowing these things now allows me to properly appreciate the true magnitude and depth of Indigenous Australia.”

Another tour highlight included an unscheduled Australian Rules match in which our boys ‘mixed it’ with a group of about a dozen young local boys from the Hermannsburg community. Samuel Yu (11/LE), said this was one of the many highlights on the trip, as he got an opportunity to chat to some of the local boys and share stories.

On top of making new friends and learning about our country was the sheer beauty of the landscape. From the awe-inspiring sunrise observed from the remote Chamber’s Pillar in the Simpson Desert, to the breathtaking backdrop where we camped each night – by the riverbed of the ancient Fink River – and the natural majesty of King’s Canyon, the landscape told a story of it’s own. 

The tour was a real eye opener and a powerful learning experience that will be offered to Year 11 boys again in 2016 and we hope, for years to come.

Mr Mick Madden
Head of Service Learning