Drouin’s community & connection
In fostering the connection between the Kurnai people, the traditional owners of the land upon which St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School Drouin Campus students learn, Kurnai elders Aunty Cheryl Drayton and Aunty Linda Mullett attended the campus for a smoking ceremony and dedication of the Foundation Year mural.
Standing together, students and staff participated in the smoking ceremony, showing their respect for the land and its peoples, while building a deeper understanding of and connection to local Indigenous culture and community.
Following the ceremony, Aunty Cheryl joined educators and students for the official unveiling of the Foundation Year mural, which hangs at the entry to the Early Learning Centre, welcoming families and the community to the Drouin Campus.
The mural was a community collaboration led by Pre-Prep Educator Ms Kylie Simioni and depicts the Early Learning Centre Acknowledgement of Country. It features green representing the land, blue representing the water and native plants in the middle, including blue irises, black wattle and ficifolia, the flowering gums of Drouin.
This project was completed last year with many hands contributing to this piece of St Paul’s Drouin Campus history, strengthening connections across the school and wider community. Foundation students, families, staff, school executives and board members, and local Indigenous Elders all contributed to the mural by placing tiles into the mosaic.