Jarara inspires student connection with culture

From immersive learning experiences to powerful acts of truth-telling and celebration, the Jarara Cultural Centre continued to provide students across Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) with meaningful opportunities to engage with culture, identity and community throughout Term 2.

Ahead of 2025 NAIDOC Week (6-13 July 2025), Jarara lead Julie Waddell, a proud woman of Kamilaroi descent, reflected on the school term which included a week of reflection, learning and cultural connection to mark National Reconciliation Week 2025 (27 May-3 June).

“National Reconciliation Week 2025 was rich with truth-telling, cultural exchange, and shared commitment to reconciliation,” said Julie. "And this year's NAIDOC Week theme, 'The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy', highlights the important role our youth play in shaping a more just and equitable future."

Reconciliation Week began with the Jarara team participating in the NSW Department of Planning and Environment's Reconciliation Week event held at the Murama Healing Space.

Following that, 26 students from John Paul II Catholic College Schofields & Nirimba, Xavier College Llandilo, St Agnes Catholic High School Rooty Hill, St Clare's Catholic High School Hassall Grove, Penola Catholic College Emu Plains, and Gilroy Catholic College Castle Hill got to experience the powerful Bangarra Dance Theatre production, Illume.

“The Illume performance invited us to step out of the shadows and into the phenomenon of light, the life force that has long sustained Indigenous cultural existence,” said Julie. “Through a vibrant fusion of music, visual arts, and dance, Illume was a deeply moving exploration of light’s spiritual and cultural significance.”

Earlier in the day, students heard from highly respected Darug Elder, Aunty Edna Watson who recounted her experiences growing up Aboriginal in the Hornsby Shire, facing racism and discrimination, and reconnecting with her Dharug roots later in life.

Aunty Edna was recently honoured with an Order of Australia (OAM) for her remarkable contributions to the Indigenous community of NSW.

“Hearing from Aunty Edna was a profoundly deep listening experience,” said Julie.

Her's is a powerful story of courage and resilience over 20 years of cultural leadership, advocacy, and service with Hornsby Shire Council.

On Friday 30 May, 54 students attended the 2025 Indigenous Veterans Commemoration Service in Hyde Park, an event the Jarara Cultural Centre has taken large groups of students to for the past eight years.

“My heart was full to see the respect and yindyamarra (deep respect) shown by students,” said Julie. “It was inspiring and a testament to the importance of this event in shaping future generations."

Along with secondary students from Penola Catholic College Emu Plains, St Agnes Catholic High School Rooty Hill, Catherine McAuley Westmead, Emmaus Catholic College Kemps Creek, St Andrews College Marayong, Xavier College Llandilo, St Luke’s Catholic College Marsden Park and CathWest Innovation College Mt Druitt, this year saw the inclusion of students from St Mary’s Primary Rydalmere.

Reconciliation Week concluded with a group attending the Commemoration of the Richmond Hill Massacre at the memorial garden at St John of God Hospital, North Richmond. Established in 2002, the garden serves as a solemn space to honour Aboriginal lives lost during the colonial violence of the Battle of Richmond Hill and remains a powerful site of remembrance and reflection.

With the support of CAPTIVATE (CSPD’s Creative and Performing Arts team) and Jannawi Dance Clan teachers, Indigenous students from Emmaus Catholic College Kemps Creek, Patrician Brothers’ College Blacktown, Xavier College Llandilo, St Clare’s Catholic High School Hassall Grove, St Agnes Catholic High School Rooty Hill and St John Paul II Catholic College Schofields & Nirimba, have been learning traditional dance in preparation for NAIDOC Week.

These students will showcase their skills during school NAIDOC celebrations in Terms 2 and 3 with some going on to perform at the Burramatta NAIDOC event on July 12.

CSPD’s Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week activities are part of a broader, sustained commitment to justice, inclusion, and equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. From classroom engagement to system-wide initiatives like the ‘Innovate’ Reconciliation Action Plan now under development and the release of its first annual Closing the Gap report, CSPD continues to build a culture of respect, awareness, and accountability.

As CEO Jack de Groot affirmed, the work of reconciliation is ongoing, and CSPD’s 6,500 staff remain dedicated to ensuring every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student has the opportunity to thrive.

“Our Catholic tradition puts people in need first and there is still so much more to do to Close the Gap for First Nations people in Australia, including in our Catholic schools,” Jack said.

Through education grounded in Catholic values and a deep commitment to social justice, CSPD is walking alongside First Nations communities to help close the gap - one step, one school, and one student at a time.

Learn more about CSPD’s commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education through the work of Jarara