This term, Year 1K have been learning about Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander art. We read a beautiful picture story book titled “Welcome to Country”, written by Aunty Joy Murphy and illustrated by Lisa Kennedy.

The story introduced students to the traditional welcome ceremonies which took place. Indigenous communities across Australia have boundaries that are defined by mountain ranges and waterways. Traditionally, to cross these boundaries or enter a community country you needed permission from the neighbouring community. When this permission was granted, the ceremony now called Welcome to Country took place. Each community had its own way of welcoming to country, and they still do today.

We looked carefully at the beautiful illustrations and discussed the possum skin cloaks worn by the characters. Students learned that historically in the cooler climates of south-eastern Australia, Indigenous people wore possum skin cloaks to stay warm. They were given a possum skin pelt at birth and as they grew, more pelts were added, and the cloak grew with them. The inside of the possum skin cloak was painted with maps and stories which were used for teaching. We explored indigenous symbols and learnt about what each symbol represented. Students used these symbols to tell their own stories through the artwork they created.

Clare Koumantaros - Teacher