Tirriwirri teachers visit
24 December 2021
Tirriwirri teachers at the scarred tree
On 17th December we are very pleased to welcome the teachers from Tirriwirri School in Queanbeyan, accompanied by the NSW schools Aboriginal Liaison Officer. The visit was at the request of Dr Matilda House who also accompanied the group. After a short tour of the Centre, focusing on our displays of Aboriginal material, Matilda led the group to visit the scarred tree on Hall's Creek.
The group was greeted by a cup of tea and a welcome from Ken Heffernan, curator of our Aboriginal displays and the Gillespie Collection, and Honorary Curator Alastair Crombie.
'Tirriwirri' is a Ngambri Ngunnawal word given by the Ngambri Ngunnawal elders meaning Iron Bark tree. This tree is of exceptional and regional significance for scientific, social, historical and aesthetic reasons. The tree is of historical importance as it is associated with indigenous Australians who used its bark for the creation of canoes, shelters, shields and containers, such as coolamons. The name Tirriwirri gives the school strong health and well-being.