In honour of NAIDOC Week 2020 Catholic Education came together as a community to create a ceremonial Cross. To symbolise the connection between our 56 Catholic schools, the Cross has been decorated with hand painted message sticks. Each school contributed a painted message stick featuring symbols and colours unique to their location in the Archdiocese.

Director, Ross Fox, also painted a message stick on behalf of the Catholic Education Office.

“Traditionally message sticks were passed between different clans and language groups as a way of communicating and sharing information and messages,” said Katrina Cambridge, Aboriginal School and Community Officer at the Catholic Education Office.

“When a message stick is handed to you by another person, you become the messenger. They were often used to invite neighbouring groups to corroborees and initiation ceremonies and as a right of entry to Country and invitation to religious rituals,” she said.

The Cross was designed by Kerry O’Callaghan, Aboriginal Education Specialist at the Catholic Education Office. It was generously crafted by Tony Robinson, Applied Technology teacher at St Francis Xavier College, Florey, and is made of beautiful Camphor Laurel wood. Tony Solari, Trade Training Centre Officer, and Neil Dykes, Industrial Technology Assistant at St Mary MacKillop College, Tuggeranong, shaped the message sticks for the schools to decorate. It will be featured in future NAIDOC celebrations.

Archbishop Christopher Prowse blessed the Cross at the Catholic Education Office.