Student Immersions at OLMC Parramatta
We love to provide students with the opportunity to be involved in an immersion during their time at OLMC. This is because an immersion “experience” takes you beyond simply visiting a location or completing a task. You go on an immersion to immerse yourself in a different culture and understand a different perspective of life.
Central Australia 2023
The Central Australia immersion visited the homelands of Tali Walpa (Sandy Bore) and Apmwerre (Black Tank) in northwest of Alice Springs, as well as exploring the extraordinary natural wonders of Central Australia. The nine-day experience saw the staff and students completely immersed in the local history, artmaking, language, and natural environment of their new surrounds.
Being completely immersed in the world’s oldest continuous living culture and being welcomed into the local communities is a privilege afforded to a small group of fortunate people. Local people with their local stories and oral history tell firsthand tales of the dreaming.
The group heard from Evelyn who shared stories from the perspective of the Mutijulu Anangu people who live on the land around Uluru. Evelyn demonstrated a call to Kuniya, a serpent spirit in a Dreaming story, and when this call is made, the legend says that the breeze would start to blow, and the water would trickle from the dry waterfall of the large red rock. ‘To our astonishment, following Evelyn’s call, this really happened!’
Being in the middle of Central Australia gives a true appreciation for the isolation and remoteness of our vast country. It also makes it clear why so many of the Homelands and communities have their own uniquely spoken language and practices unique to them alone.
- ‘We entered our new homeland in Sandy Bore where we met Syd who welcomed us. Our souls were cleansed by the Welcome to Country smoking ceremony.’
- ‘We unsuccessfully dug for witchetty grubs, made clapping stick, ate malu wipu (kangaroo tail) and made damper.’
- ‘We climbed the 500 steps to the top of Kings Canyon for a 6km hike, with breathtaking views of the gorge and down into the Garden of Eden waterhole.’
- ‘We stopped at an Art Gallery to view an annual exhibition of local Indigenous artworks.’
- ‘We met Veronica and Pamela, the Traditional Owners of Apmwerre and received our Kinship and Skin Names.’
There is no other way to possibly experience something like this without it being an immersive experience. Girls are immersed in the location, culture, stories, and environment. It got under their skin and will remain part of their life forever to take their experiences into whatever sphere of life they choose to move into.
Our attention will shift from the sand and dust of Central Australia to a unique facility nestled in a tranquil, tropical setting in Far North Queensland for the 2024 immersion.
Cairns 2024
Seville Mercy Conference Centre embraces the principles of sustainability and ecological conversion and through engagement with the natural world, students will be immersed in the beauty of nature, Aboriginal spirituality, and will be called to action.
A group of 30 staff and students will embark on this immersion in September this year. Formation has already begun, and the group are keen to learn and see firsthand some of the amazing sites Far North Queensland has to offer which will include a Mossman Gorge Dreamtime Walk, Reef trip to Fitzroy Island, Cairns Cathedral, and a service activity where they will make a difference to a local community.
The Cairns immersion experience will look and feel very different to the Central Australia one, but both will be life changing to the girls who participate, and we cannot wait to hear of the stories shared and memories made upon their return!