Thursday, 15 August 2024

 Kathleen MATTHEWS-WARD (Broadmeadows) (17:25): (790) My adjournment is for the Minister for Treaty and First Peoples, and the action I seek is for her to join me on a visit to Ballerrt Mooroop in Glenroy. The Ballerrt Mooroop site is precious to both our local community and the First Nations people of Victoria. The site has a rich history of education. Gary Murray, now a proud member of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria and the Murray clan, was educated there when it was Glenroy High. The wonderful Mariella Teuira, president of the Itiki Sporting Club, was one of the founding students of Koorie Open Door Education, which was opened there by Aunty Margaret Gardiner in 1995. The adjoining Will Will Rook kinder has one of the best bush kinder programs in the state, and the Glenroy Specialist School next door educates kids with disabilities from all around the region.

Sixteen years ago we were able to celebrate a shared-used agreement for the open space between the council and Koorie Open Door Education, and it was one of my proud moments on council. But unfortunately the school was closed in 2011 by the Liberal government after a long community battle. I met my good friend Mariella during that battle, who was there day after day with Dotty and so many others fighting for the school. Later, together with Gary Murray and others, we were able to negotiate through council and the Department of Education the keeping of the spirit tree and the ceremonial ground before the special school was built on the western side of the site. The spirit tree holds a special place in many hearts and is where respected teacher and elder Uncle Tom used to sit with the kids from the school when they were feeling troubled. Unfortunately Uncle Tom passed away at the site.

It was a proud moment in 2017 when the Minister for Treaty and First Peoples first came to the site to sign the education department lease, and the land was subsequently subleased to the Wurundjeri. I thank Wurundjeri elders, particularly Uncle Andrew, the late Aunty Marg and Uncle Bill, for their continuous work and advocacy on the future of the land. And I thank the council and Wurundjeri for their upgrade and upkeep of the land and for working together to complete the path that allows people like my dad, who used a wheelchair, to access and enjoy this precious space.