Immersions St Joseph’s College continues to develop a strong connection with the First People of Australia through the different Indigenous immersions and exchanges the students can participate in annually. Fifteen Year 11 students and three staff members travelled up to the Tiwi Islands during Activities week. They spent time with the students at Xavier College in Bathurst Island and participated in Community Service activities in Darwin. - Rachel Roche, Director of Identity Fourteen Year 10 students went to Daly River (Nauiyu Nambiyu) with one of the highlights being: The simple things in life. Sitting around on Miriam’s porch hearing her stories, listening to the Dreamtime stories Agnes shared, kicking the footy with the local boys and the pleasure to do nothing. No pressure to be anywhere and having all the time to get there. – Finn Dripps The Timor Leste Immersion occurred for the second year with Mr Stracey recalling the experience below: The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. - Saint Augustine Australia’s closest neighbour, Timor Leste, is a country that few Australians know about. For six of our Year 11 students Ethan Gray, Ben Paulden, Tyler Bryan, Ned De Grandi, Harry Yates and Nathan Mifsud - that gap has closed considerably. They had the good fortune to travel to Viqueque, 180 kilometres south east of the capital, Dili, to live and work with locals during their school holiday period. Accompanied by Mr Stracey and former Joey’s alumni, James Palmer, the boys had the unique privilege of working in schools and the local orphanage. Challenged with the task of teaching English to Portuguese and Tetum speakers, these young men did a remarkable job of developing fun and engaging activities
Timor Imm
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for their classroom. Equally impressive was the way in which the boys learned Tetum so that they could communicate better with their new friends. The boys also had the extraordinary chance to live and work in a local orphanage, where they played countless games of cards, soccer and basketball, and helped the children with their homework. Their immersion into life in Timor Leste included eating with locals, attending Mass, playing soccer and basketball with local kids and hearing the stories of the people they met. The opportunity to learn about the Timorese resistance movement under Indonesian occupation included hikes into the mountains to visit rebel sites. Additionally, they had the privilege of learning more about Australia’s response during World War Two to the Japanese occupation which is a neglected part of our shared history. They learned much about the troubled times under Portuguese colonialism and were shocked to discover the dark times under Indonesian occupation, where it is estimated that 1 in 5 people died between 1975 and 1979. Visits to the Resistance Museum, the notorious Chega Prison and the Santa Cruz cemetery - site of the 1991 massacre were sobering reminders that the struggle for independence was hard won. But for all the challenges, perhaps the most striking thing was the optimism of the Timorese people. Their generosity, positivity and willingness to improve their lives was nothing short of inspiring.We have all been touched by the experience and we are keen to ensure that these newfound relationships continue into the future. Timor Leste is a beautiful country with beautiful people and we all have an obligation to ensure our neighbour can thrive. - Mark Stracey
Tiwi Islands Immersion
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Daly River Immersion
