Somerset lifetimes 2019 Semester 1

disadvantaged community in the whole of Australia, “That’s a bad statistic when just an hour and a half away we have Noosa, one of the most affluent regions in the country.” Seeing the benefits his own children had living near the beach triggered an idea for Jack, “Would the Cherbourg children (many of whom have connections to Noosa through the local Kabi Kabi people) want to come to the beach for an experience with the Noosa Heads surf club – the same opportunity which all the local and some Brisbane school kids partake in here?” he asks. Now in its second year, the programme has afforded children the opportunity to feel sand at their feet and salt water on their skin, “The children who came out had an absolute ball, some had never seen the ocean. They get on the boards in the surf and in the river, as well as walking down Hastings Street with their head held high – reconnecting with place and hearing the stories from local elders about the stories of the coloured sands of Double Island, Wantima/Noosa Heads (rising up) and the significance of the numerous mountains and landmarks within the area.” But for Jack, it’s beyond just a one off experience, it’s a step towards learning, providing opportunities for reconciliation action and respecting one of the oldest living cultures in the world, “It’s breaking down barriers for all to reconnect with country – places which everyone thinks are special. Prior to Europeans arriving, the local Kabi Kabi

people had been living with and managing this unique and special place for tens of thousands of years. Yet were forcibly removed from Country a century ago.” He continues, “A lot of the cultural history has been knocked away, but those ancient stories and meanings are still there in the landscape. Embracing our unique histories of land doesn’t have to stop development, it’s about working with traditional owners – The more you’re connected to the land, the more likely you are to take care of it.” “The reconciliation journey is enriching and I encourage everyone to be proactive in the journey – even if it is something as small as asking what ‘Mudgeeraba’ means? We have nothing to lose, but everything to gain and looking to our neighbour’s across the ditch we know it can be done.” Ya’la daliya ( Talk Soon in Gubbi Gubbi language) Jack Lewis Class of 2001

A Rewarding Journey

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