Transforming Vision into Action

We are honoured to present Gowrie Victoria’s first Reconciliation Action Plan – Reflect.

Our Vision

Gowrie Victoria’s vision for reconciliation is a community where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures are respected, celebrated and embraced. As educators, we believe we have a strong responsibility to nurture an understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures in new generations of children. We strive to develop genuine, lasting relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and to embed learning about our shared history throughout our organisation and curriculum. In doing so, we dedicate ourselves to a future that reinforces the values of inclusiveness, equity and unity.


Our Reconcilitation Action Plan

The staff and community at Gowrie Victoria are deeply passionate about developing a Reconciliation Action Plan. We recognise our organisational responsibilities to work towards an equitable and united society, and we support the five dimensions of Reconciliation Australia: Race Relations, Equality and Equity, Institutional Integrity, Unity, Historical Acceptance.

We aim to take a holistic, service-wide approach to drive authentic action that supports growth in key areas. This includes developing active and supportive relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and groups in our community to help implement this change.

Our vision is to build awareness and acceptance of past wrongs and to actively recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as Traditional Custodians of these Lands we work on, and those across Australia. We want to do our part in ending negative race relations as we work towards sharing a rich national culture that embraces true and meaningful reconciliation.

Embedding Indigenous perspectives into our education programs and making meaningful change to advance reconciliation is essential to what we do as an organisation.

“Birri” means “mother” and “booroo” means “earth”

Bardi language is complex and I have found the two words separately to express “mother earth”. However, I am not sure of the exact literate way to say the two words together – it may very well be different in regards to the complexity of the Bardi language and grammar.

Ultimately this piece is a clear indication of mother earth and the expressive strokes creating an appearance of nature and its depth. This piece has the environmental values at its fullest and is special to me because of its rawness whilst painting it and its natural colours.

My people hunted on and ate food from the land. Kids would walk in these places swinging spears around as they journey through. All Aboriginal people have navigated harsh terrains and were survivors. It is vital to send a message that clearly expresses the need to prioritise our land today more than ever. It is vital to implement culture and the importance of the country that we all share and live in – to pay respects to our elders past and present and emerging and to always give thanks for what Mother Earth provides.

Created by Jamira Hunter
Bardi | Jabirr Jabirr woman from One Arm Point

Jamira Hunter, Artist


Narragunnawali supports schools and early learning services to foster knowledge and pride in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and contributions. Learn more about Narragunnawali: Reconciliation in Education.