Commemorating Myall Creek

A small group of staff and students represented Somerset College and played an active part in the Myall Creek Commemoration Service, Sunday June 9. The service pays respect to the victims of a senseless massacre, one of many in the region - which occurred on June 10, 1838 when 28 unarmed Wirrayaraay women, children and elderly men were murdered by a mob of stockmen.

Our students were asked to give readings at various ‘stations’ as pilgrims walked along the rainbow-serpent shaped path towards the monument. It was here that speeches, dedications, traditional dance and a moving pledge was read by representatives of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students.

Highlights included discussions with a prominent academic leader in Geoff Langford (ANU); Leo Kelly-Correa reading the pledge on behalf of non-indigenous students; witnessing descendants of the perpetrators and descendants of the survivors embrace in an authentic act of reconciliation and lastly, walking back to Myall Station in solidarity with other attendees in perfect sunshine was empowering for us all.

To top off a significant weekend, Somerset College’s Matilda Guthrie was awarded a Highly Commended for her poem in the annual, Thoughts & Dreams Myall Creek Art, Writing and Song Competition. You can read her beautiful poem below.

Lastly, I would like to acknowledge the students, who were humble and engaged in their interactions with many at the gathering and through their readings of the history at ‘stations’ along the journey to the monument.

Thoughts and Dreams - By Matilda Guthrie

We are the land, we are the dreamtime
We are the ancient ones who shaped this place
We are Uluru, the towering red monolith, glowing like fire in the dawn and dusk
We are the Great Barrier Reef, the living rainbow that stretches for miles under the azure sea
We are the Twelve Apostles, the limestone pillars that rise from the waves like ancient sentinels
We are the Daintree Rainforest, the oldest living forest teeming with life and secrets in its depths
We are the Bay of Fires, the fiery coastline, burning with orange lichen and white sand

Uluru stands proud and tall,
Rugged skin adorned with tales, ancient and small.
Within its crevices, whispers of spirits reside,
Guiding winds, shaping dreams, as time collides.

The Great Barrier Reef, a living kaleidoscope,
Coral gardens bloom, where seahorses elope.
Beneath cerulean waves, a symphony unfolds,
A vibrant chorus of fish, secrets yet untold.

The Twelve Apostles, limestone pillars of might,
Weathered by eons, they guard day and night.
Their silent vigilance echoes through the breeze,
A testament to resilience, standing tall with ease.

Daintree Rainforest, ancient and wise,
A lush, green sanctuary where time defies demise.
Canopy whispers echo through fern-laden halls,
Guarding rare creatures, their survival enthrals.

And behold The Bay of Fires, ablaze with hues
A well-known place where the seagulls like to cruise.
White sands meet fiery rocks, a harmonious blend,
Preserving nature's palette, for generations to tend.

We are the land, scarred by heedless hands,
Where progress marches forth, leaving its brands.
Concrete veins sprawl, choking ancient roots,
As bulldozers hum, erasing sacred routes.

Yet hear our plea, O custodians of tomorrow,
Builders of hope, architects of borrowed time.
Plant seeds of reverence, nurture their grace,
Australia's heart pulses for your every embrace.