Introduction by Margot Shave

Mulu Maguydan

A collection of stories from the Elders of our First Nations students

The stories of our Elders echo in our hearts and minds long after being shared. Their triumphs, their hurts, their insights are meant to ground us and remind us that our loved ones have come before us. In a way, these stories take up residence in ourselves as we are fuelled by their memories and reminded that we owe a small amount of our success to their sacrifice.

The stories of First Nations people in Australia represent a link to the oldest civilisation on the planet. Many of these stories have sadly been lost over time. It is through stories—traditional stories, stories of survival, stories of loss, stories of community, stories of family—that we deepen our understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture in an act of Reconciliation. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students at St Margaret’s have gathered a collection of Elder stories here to share with the wider school community. These are stories from grandparents and great-grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and parents, and they have all been shared in good faith for the publication of this magazine. We invite you in to spend time with our Elders. Mulu Maguydan is an initiative born of a 2021 St Margaret’s Innovation Grant. The project has been coordinated by Margot Shave and Noel Peinke.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware the following material contains images and names of deceased persons.