Tea Gardens Public debuts new Reconciliation Garden Myall Coast Myall Coast - popup ad Myall Coast News by News Of The Area - Modern Media - July 26, 2024 The Garden recreates the landscape from the beach to the mountains, with the blue river in between. A BEAUTIFUL new Reconciliation Garden made its informal debut at the NAIDOC 2024 celebrations at Tea Gardens Public School (TGPS) on Tuesday 16 July, the result of a twelve-month journey of collaboration. “The school worked with local Elders to make this Reconciliation Garden happen,” TGPS Principal Mark Clemson told NOTA. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au “At times when the community comes in, like NAIDOC this week, we want the school to be a welcoming place.” The new garden is quite eye-catching, and its design is a thoughtfully landscaped representation of the incredible local environment of our area. The eastern end features sand-coloured concrete, echoing the sands of Bennetts Beach, while the western end focuses upon a carefully designed wooden feature that represents the mountains of Barrington Tops. In between, the gracefully meandering blue pathway is a reflection of the Myall River and Estuary, as it runs through the garden as it does through the local townships. To the south is a sandstone block circle, the ‘meeting place’ that allows contemplation of the garden, and many other things besides, while the general colour selections represent sunrise and sunset on this place we call home. “This Reconciliation Garden has been a collaboration of knowledge from everybody,” Elder Dr Liz McEntyre told NOTA. “Principal Clemson received funding through the School Upgrade Fund, and we all discussed the design on the spot, to make it a place of contemplation and reconciliation, as the school is a hub of the town. “It is a vast improvement on what the area was, an old shed, bins and ferns, and Lisa Worth sourced all the plants, spending Easter long weekend digging and planting for us all.” The Federal School Infrastructure website states, “[The] Schools Upgrade Fund will support schools through grants for large-scale projects, such as building or upgrading art, music, technical studies, and sports facilities; and enhancing playgrounds and outdoor learning areas. “Schools with high numbers of low-socioeconomic, First Nations, and students with disability were prioritised to receive a grant.” By Thomas O’KEEFE The Barrington Tops are tastefully symbolised by rocks and a wooden installation. Colourful plants surround the sandstone meeting place within the Reconciliation Garden.
