Celebrating Indigenous Round at IGSSA

Over the last few weeks, IGSSA has hosted its Indigenous Rounds, a special event honouring the rich cultural heritage of Australia’s First Nations People. To mark the occasion, hockey goalies wore Indigenous smocks, netball games featured specially designed balls, and an Acknowledgement of Country was held before each match and our cross country training session with CBC students.
Here’s an excerpt from the Acknowledgment:
“Today, we gather on the land of the Beeliar and Bibbulmum people on Noongar country. We play sport on land that has been looked after by First Nations people for thousands of years. Land that was the scene to sports and games from way back, long before sports like netball or hockey were even thought of. We wish to acknowledge the wonderful contributions that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island People have made to our sport, our communities, and the country that we call home. As we gather here to play each other today, we pay our respects to Elders past and present and thank them for the opportunity to experience this place.”
The ceremony highlighted the deep history of these lands, which have been cared for by First Nations People for thousands of years


The unique artwork for the Indigenous Round was a standout feature and was designed by IGSSA students. It depicted meeting places in each IGSSA school colour, symbolising the unity and identity shared on game days. These meeting places were arranged to reflect their real-life locations around the Derbal Yerrigan (Swan River) and other waterways, emphasising the connection between all participants.
Journey lines between the meeting places represented the time spent with teammates, and a coloured background on some of the design depicted the sunset light often enjoyed during games. The inclusion of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags served as a powerful reminder of the heritage and celebrations integral to the Indigenous Round.
This event was a beautiful blend of sport and culture, celebrating the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to our communities and our country.

- Collaboration, Featured
Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.

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