Cultural Tours 2025
The cultural tours for Maclean High School’s Year 7 students and new staff were held on the 26th and 27th of March allowing them to spend some time with the Elders who showed them some unique features of Yaegl Country.
Both groups that went out on Wednesday and Thursday all experienced typically seasonal climatic conditions, including humidity and cloud cover. We were very lucky that the weather held over the two days.
The students were put into two groups and shown areas around Lake Arragan and areas around the Red Cliff Headland that pertained to women’s and men’s Business respectively.
Students were then taken to the eastern end of Brooms Head Beach to look at the lagoon and how it was used as a fish trap. They then went to the top of the Headland to look at the geology which was a great source for stone axes and implements. Aunty Glenda McPhail, Uncle Dale Mercy, and Uncle Shane McLeay spoke to the staff and students about plants, animals, and their experience in the area as children. Students were given information about the plants and their uses, animals were named in language, and detail was given as to how the Yaegl people utilised the environment and landscape in the areas.
Morning Tea was spent on the headland looking south towards Sandon and Brooms Head back beach. The students were divided into groups to partake in different activities. Aunty Glenda and Uncle Shane talked to the students in situ regarding country, history, stories, and tools. Maclean High Staff led sessions on line drawing of the coastal landscape, geographical skills, and plant identification.
The tours are a very important part of the school calendar and are the beginning of thematic teaching that will occur in Year 7 from now and in Term 2, which is all part of the River of Learning program and the celebration day planned for Term 2.
This year the Year 12 Aboriginal Studies class accompanied the Year 7 students, assisting with the activities, which enabled them to do some field work and to listen to the information that was being given by the Elders on Country. This experience will be invaluable for the students as a major part of the Year 12 course focuses on Aboriginality and the Land.
A huge thank you to Aunty Glenda McPhail, Uncle Dale Mercy, Shane McLeay, Sam Kapeen, Deborah Breckenridge, Anjanette Warburton, and Kerri McLeay for their ongoing support and organisation of these tours, and all the Year 7 students who displayed exemplary behavior over the two days.
