Kellyville Public’s Garden of Cultural Awareness

PUPILS at Kellyville Public School will have an authentic Aboriginal garden after going straight to the source to determine the best artwork and native plants for the space.

Consultation with Darug elders — traditional custodians of the land at Kellyville — has helped shape the project.

The Department of Education’s Western Sydney Aboriginal education consultant, Maureen “Mindali” Wenzel, has lent her language skills to the project, and so has Darug language custodian Aunty Edna Watson.

Ms Wenzel delivered a bush tucker talk to acquaint children with traditional bush foods and medicines before the garden was built.

“As Aboriginal people we’ve maintained the environment for thousands of years,” she said.
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“It’s not only about showing other people the Aboriginal culture and plants and medicines. It’s about helping all of us walk together and work together to preserve that beautiful environment.

“We have more than 200 species in Australia that are now extinct.

“We don’t want to have these children talking to their grandchildren about all the plants and the animals that used to be here.”

Co-ordinator Erika Johnson said pupils would construct and plant the garden themselves in week six of the term, with an official opening in July: “It’s just wonderful, it’s all the children’s work,” she said.