Blogs from Balgo Hills, Kimberley, Western Australia, Australia, Oceania
Balgo - episode 3
Published: December 25th 2008Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Kimberley » Balgo Hills
June 7th 2008
Bits & Pieces Church/Mass The first couple of masses I experienced at Wirrimanu were held immediately outside the church as it was hot & the numbers were expected to be a little bigger than usual. They were nice services combining the community language of Kukatja & English. A lot of singing, too much for my liking, as it excluded me somewhat from the celebration. An interesting aspect to these masses was the number of dogs that attend! So there are a couple of exchanges between dogs that seem as though all those surrounding will suffer a horrible savaging. The next, almost as interesting a feature, is the behaviour of the kids. Up & down, in & out, kick to kick footy on the sidelines, unknown kids climbing up on you knee for a couple of minutes ... read more
Balgo - episode 2
Published: May 17th 2008Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Kimberley » Balgo Hills
May 17th 2008
Getting to know Luurnpa Catholic School When you think country school, maybe especially when you think remote outback school, you probably imagine a building with a couple of classrooms and perhaps another space for staff & meetings, etc. Well, Luurnpa Catholic School would provide a delightful surprise. It’s quite a substantial school with several air-conditioned classrooms, staffroom, computer room, cooking classroom, library, admin offices, kitchen/canteen, in-ground swimming pool, covered basketball court, climbing equipment & a grassed footy field. In close proximity to the school are the Brother’s 3 houses to the north, a line of about 10 teacher houses to the east & a few other teacher houses, a little more distant, to the south. The addition of fencing, secure doors, windows & gates, as well as intrusion alarms, sets up a school compound that protects ... read more
Balgo - episode 1
Published: May 11th 2008Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Kimberley » Balgo Hills
May 11th 2008
Getting to know Wirrimanu Balgo Hills is located in the outback Kimberley region of Western Australia. It is roughly halfway along a line connecting Broome & Alice Springs; something like 850km from Alice Springs, 900km from Broome & 1300km from Darwin. I’m here because last year, when my Melbourne school, De La Salle College, called for volunteers from amongst its staff to teach for a term, I put my hand up. The De La Salle brothers have operated the Luurnpa Catholic School, here in Balgo Hills, for over 20 years, initially, in conjunction with the St John of God Sisters. Balgo Hills is known as Wirrimanu, to the local aboriginal people. The population here is around 500 people but fluctuates with the comings & goings of the community. The region we are within is called the ... read more
