Lake Mungo Immersion Experience

On Monday 9th April to Friday 13th April, Ms Enya Hannigan and I accompanied six students to the incredible Lake Mungo for an Indigenous Immersion.

Lake Mungo in NSW is truly one of the world’s very special places. Aboriginal people walked Lake Mungo and we were able to encounter the footsteps of their ancestors since the Dreamtime.

Scientists have discovered artefacts of this ancient culture dating back over 50,000 years across the expanses of the last ice age. This makes Mungo one of the oldest places outside of Africa to have been occupied by modern humans since ancient times.

On our trip we were able to explore the remarkable story of how a culture was able to stay strong and care for Country in the face of extreme climate change, change that dried up the lakes that were the lifeblood of the region.

We stopped at a number of places on the way and we had a Message Stick presentation and a traditional welcoming fire ceremony. One of the first things that was said by a student when we arrived was “I can’t believe how quiet this place is.” We all stopped, took a deep breath and just took in our surroundings and enjoyed the peace and quiet. We had the privilege to go on a guided tour to what is called The Walls of China. You can only enter this part of the lake if you have an Indigenous tour guide because it is sacred land. The rest of day allowed for exploration of Lake Mungo, creative writing, art and journaling activities. In the evening we were taught about the stars and our guide shared his personal experience experience of The Stolen Generation.

Before our long trip back home to Melbourne we spent a few hours at The Pioneer Settlement where a young indigenous guide taught us all about his culture. He showed us tools used, played the digeridoo, taught us how canoes were made, showed us trees and huts, animal furs and much more. We were able to gain an understanding of the life and times of the Indigenous people from this presentation.

Mary De Bono Year 9 Leader