The first year of my unexpected indigenous experience concluded with a football premiership, two young aboriginal fellas who had spent the best part of the year in Melbourne and all involved having a much better understanding about the challenges of being an aboriginal person in Australia.
I was delighted when Shane and Nathan told me that they wanted to come back next year and tackle year 11 and hopefully year 12.
Not long after Shane and Nathan made their commitment to return to Melbourne, there were a number of enquiries from friends and family members in Tennant Creek which was Shane’s country and where Nathan attended school. The newly established Kajji Foundation was able to raise funds to supplement grants from the Federal government to support the fellas during their time in Melbourne.
As I noted in part 2 of these blogs, CBC St Kilda was very generous in making places available in their VCAL program for five students.
But the greatest generosity was again shown by the families and supporters of the St Kilda City Junior Football Club. All of the five students that joined us in years two of the program and onwards were hosted by Melbourne-based families who opened their homes to the young men from the Northern Territory. The experience of living within a typical Melbourne family (if there is such a thing) was the most important part of the experience for the aboriginal fellas. They were able to see firsthand a different way of family life. I don’t say that life in Melbourne is better or worse than life in a remote aboriginal community. But it is certainly different and I think being able to experience the difference broadened the horizons of our aboriginal students considerably.
I know that my family horizons were also broadened. And I’m forever grateful for this experience.
My family hosted Nathan’s mother and sister and then Nathan’s father in separate trips to Melbourne. Two very special moments with Nathan’s father, Jimmy, remain with me.
The first was a trip to Lake Mountain in the snow season. There had been good falls of snow. Jimmy was completely taken aback by the temperature as he stepped out of the warm car. But as he acclimatised, his mind was focused on the natural world around him. He pointed out animal tracks on the snow, certain trees growing in a way directed by the environment, and different types of bird life. I was astounded by how quickly he adapted to the country around him.
The second special moment was a trip to see Essendon play at the Docklands Stadium. Jimmy had been a Bombers supporter all his life but he had never seen them play live. We stood on the middle level at the Docklands Stadium looking back over Southern Cross Station. Jimmy marvelled at the number of people crossing the bridge to the ground. “I have never seen so many people in life”, he commented. From good seats on the front row, it felt like you were hovering over the ground. Jimmy shed a tear as the Bombers ran out onto the ground. “Best day of my life “, he said.
Go to the next instalment to read about our trip to Northern Territory.
