Aboriginal staffer keeping culture alive in Hawkesbury school

From watching Bangarra Dance Theatre perform at the Opera House to learning to play the didgeridoo and going on family excursions, the teenagers - all students at Hawkesbury High School - enjoyed being immersed in their culture.

Year 11 student Brooke Tierney from Wilberforce went with a group of 12 female Aboriginal students and three teachers from Hawkesbury High to see Bangarra’s Dark Emu performance on Thursday night.

“The atmosphere was amazing, I loved it,” she said. “I think it’s a great thing that the school does this - I went to a different school before and they didn’t do anything for NAIDOC Week.”

She said she enjoyed getting together with the other Aboriginal students: “We learn more about our culture and each other, I think that’s important. It’s amazing learning about other people’s backgrounds.”

Year 7 student Kyan Shaw who lives in Ebenezer played the didge for the very first time at school last Tuesday.

“I liked the sound of it - it was fun to play it,” he said.

Around 20 Aboriginal male students from Hawkesbury High took part in a didgeridoo-making workshop on the day, then tested-out their skills playing their new instruments.

“I burnt a pattern on mine, a kangaroo,” said Kyan. “A lot of the boys had fun and everyone was playing together and wanting to get better.”

The trip to the Opera House and the didgeridoo workshop were organised by the school’s Aboriginal education officer, Dewayne Trewlynn.

For the didges, an Aboriginal contact of Dewayne’s from up north brought hollowed-out logs for the boys to carve and sand back, and then they decorated them. Afterwards, Dewayne taught the boys to play.

Dewayne, 19 years old, lives in Mount Druitt and is studying at uni, and has been working at the school with the Aboriginal students for only two terms but he’s already made a lasting impression on some of the boys particularly.

“Dewayne, he’s amazing,” said Year 12 student Jarrod Xerri from Freemans Reach. “We all got around in a circle and played [the didgeridoos] together and he helped us work on our circular breathing. He can play really cool noises, like goanna, kookaburra, dingo.”

Jarrod said he’d “one hundred per cent” keep playing the didge he made in the future. “My uncle plays as well so he’ll be able to teach me as well, and because I’ve got a didgeridoo now I’ll be able to play with him,” he said.

“I made it myself so I’ll keep it for life - it’ll be something nice to keep hold of. “

On Friday, Jarrod and his family were going to Jamison Park NAIDOC Festival in Penrith, and he was looking forward to seeing Dewayne and his relatives there as well.

“When [Dewayne] came to the school this year, it brought [the Aboriginal students] closer it seemed like,” Jarrod said.

For Dewayne, his goal is to raise cultural awareness among the Aboriginal students and encourage them to take pride in their culture.

“I think the hardest thing working in a high school is trying to boost that participation with the students,” Dewayne said.

With the boys, he’ll meet up with them every couple of weeks next term and continue teaching them to play their didges.

“We’ve already been offered by the drama department to perform at one of their performance nights next term,” he said.

“[The morning of the didgeridoo workshop] none of them knew how to play, and then [the  next day] in assembly we had 12 boys up on stage with me performing - they picked it up pretty quick!”

He said some of the boys were already better at playing than he was: “I don’t know if it’s natural talent or great teaching!” he joked.

“I’m pretty happy with how quickly they learnt. They did really well - I’m very proud of them - they did good.”

Every Friday Hawkesbury High has a teacher-versus-student football match, so on the Friday of NAIDOC Week, Dewayne organised a match with him and the Aboriginal students (girls and boys) versus all the teachers. The teachers won but it was a close match, and the students wore Aboriginal jerseys.