Yarning and Learning on Ancient Country

A group of Year Seven students recently had an enriching experience on a field trip to Bandicoot Reserve near Waroona, WA, hosted by the Waroona Bindjareb Rangers and Elder Rev. R. Jetta. The reserve, known for its extremely rare flora, including the Kingia Australis, is part of a Songline and has remained largely unchanged for 10,000 years. One of the plants in the reserve is estimated to be 3,500 years old.

During the visit, students were taught the Bindjareb Noongar Six Season Song and gained valuable cultural knowledge. The learning on Country teaching method proved to be highly effective, with all students listening attentively to Elder Jetta and following instructions from the other traditional owners present.

The students’ classroom teachers have reported a growing interest among the students in singing the song and learning more about Bindjareb Noongar culture. This teaching method, developed by Aboriginal people over tens of thousands of years, has proven to be very successful even in today’s educational contexts.

June 2025, Karen Oborn