Acknowledgement of country
An acknowledgement of country is a way of showing awareness of and respect for the traditional Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander owners of the land on which a meeting or event is being held, and of recognising the continuing connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to their country.
We would like to acknowledge that this school is located on the traditional lands of the Juru people, and pay respects to the elders both past and present.
The Aboriginal flag was designed by Harold Thomas, a Luritja man from Central Australia. It was created as a symbol of unity and national identity for Aboriginal people during the land rights movement of the early 1970s.
The symbolic meaning of the flag colours (as stated by Mr Harold Thomas) are:
Black: Represents the Aboriginal people of Australia
Red: Represents the red earth, the red ochre and a spiritual relation to the land
Yellow: Represents the Sun, the giver of life and protector
We would like to acknowledge the contribution the Torres Strait Island people, and pay respects to the elders both past and present.
The Torres Strait Islander Flag was created as a symbol of unity and identity for Torres Strait Islander peoples, designed by the late Bernard Namok from Thursday Island.
Each part of the flag is designed to represent something about Torres Strait Island culture.
Green: Represents the land
Blue: Represents the sea
White: Represents peace
Black: Represents the Indigenous peoples
The dhari (headdress) represents Torres Strait Island people and the five pointed star represents the 5 major Island groups. The star also represents navigation, as a symbol of the seafaring culture of the Torres Strait.