Al-lo-wah jumna yenu way a pemel ya Daruga
(Together we walk on the land of the Darug).

We acknowledge that Mount St Benedict College sits on the land of the Darug Aboriginal people.

The Darug people are the traditional custodians of the land on which our College stands. It has been recorded that the Darug nation had occupied over 1800 km2 of land. The Darug people first came in contact with European settlers in 1788 when Parramatta was being established. They were slowly being pushed off their own land and had to fight for their land rights, but in 1816 the land was overrun by the European settlers. As they lost complete control of their land the Darug people were disconnected from their land and, through this part, of their culture was lost.

We must respect the land and value the heritage of the Darug people. By doing so we are respecting the Darug people and their culture. It is important to recognise and acknowledge the Darug people as they hold vital links to the heritage of the land. The connection they have with the land is precious and needs to be respected and maintained for future generations.

Emily and Monique, Class of 2015