“Woolah” Overseas

Abstract

“Woolah” means “Hurray – Well done” in the language of the Aboriginal people of the south-west of Western Australia and is the title of the magazine published by the Aboriginal students at the Kewdale Senior High School and of the program that focuses on the magazine’s production.

The aptness of this title has been demonstrated by the students in their latest endeavour, a study tour to Bali, planned and financed by the group. It all started this way :-

In third term 1980, at the conclusion of their Social Studies program and study of various cultures around the world, student discussion centred on how much they would like to travel and see the world for themselves. Their thinking was wishful, centring on the fact that such trips were far out of their reach, in fact impossible to attain.

These were “fightin’ words” to the teachers and after much discussion we all made a commitment to travel to South-East Asia in 1981. This commitment had three thrusts –