Maclean High School has received the 2019 Narragunnawali Award.
Maclean High school was nominated for the Narragunnawali Award in July of this year. In November three community and school representatives travelled to Canberra to complete a reconciliation workshop and then attend the awards night. The workshop was held at the Yarramundi Cultural Centre on the foreshores of Lake Burley Griffen and the awards ceremony was held in the Margaret Whitlam Pavilion at the National Arboretum. Maclean was competing with two other schools for the award, Tamborine Mountain State School in Queensland and Moolap Primary School Victoria.
Reconciliation Australia’s Narragunnawali program supports all schools and early learning services in Australia to foster a higher level of knowledge and pride in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and contributions.
Narragunnawali (pronounced narra-gunna-wally) is a word from the language of the Ngunnawal people – Traditional Owners of the land on which Reconciliation Australia’s Canberra office is located, meaning alive, wellbeing, coming together and peace.
Reconciliation Australia Chief Executive Officer Karen Mundine said that each year the Narragunnawali Awards judges have a tough time separating the nominees from the finalists.
“We are so inspired by the contributions that students, teachers and broader communities are making to progress reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians.”
“For Maclean High School, our judges commented on a strong and shared enthusiasm for reconciliation felt right across the school – in classrooms, on the grounds and within the local community,” Ms Mundine said. “There’s a real sense that Maclean High School is bringing others along with them on their reconciliation journey.”
The Narragunnawali: Reconciliation in Education program, in partnership with the BHP Foundation, enables Australian schools and early learning services to foster knowledge and pride in First Nations histories, cultures and contributions.
The Narragunnawali Awards are Australia’s first and only national reconciliation in education awards that aim to recognise commitment to reconciliation in schools and early learning services.
Congratulations to Maclean High School (NSW) who took home the schools category award for their strong and shared enthusiasm for reconciliation and for developing deep, ongoing relationships with local Elders and community members.
