Didgeridoo players at Xavier College Llandilo
Students and teachers in Catholic schools in Sydney’s west launched NAIDOC week by celebrating the rich and dynamic cultures of Aboriginal people.
NAIDOC Week is a time to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and achievements and is an opportunity to recognise the contributions that Indigenous Australians make to our country and our society.
Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta’s Jarara Unit has been leading NAIDOC celebrations at schools including Xavier College, Llandilo.
The hypnotic sound of the didgeridoo was front and centre in the festivities.
Performer Brendan Moore, who has played at the Sydney Opera House, gave students a demonstration of different types of didgeridoo and the varying sounds they can make.
He was joined by teacher Michael Faccin, who discovered his grandfather was an Aboriginal person when he started researching his family tree at a young age and this led to him taking up the instrument. Michael, who has been a full-time teacher at Xavier for two years, even studied it as part of his HSC performance.
Two Xavier College students also joined in and all four explain why the didgeridoo is important to them.