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At The Hutchins School we have begun our journey towards the adoption of a Reconciliation Action Plan. Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs) enable organisations, including schools and other educational institutions, to sustainably and strategically take meaningful action to advance reconciliation.
Based around the core pillars of relationships, respect and opportunities, RAPs seek to provide tangible and substantive benefits for Australian First Nations peoples, increasing equity and supporting First Nations voice and self-determination. At Hutchins, supporting and guiding our work is a Working Group, made up of members of the School community, including present and former students, staff, the Principal, as well as staff from the University of Tasmania.
The actions of the Working Group so far have resulted in a revised Acknowledgment of Country and a Vision for Reconciliation for the School. This work seeks to increase awareness amongst staff, students and the wider community of the importance of culturally appropriate quality education. Importantly, we seek to make Hutchins more reflective of First Nations culture, history and worldviews, as well as making the School more inviting and responsive to First Nations students, parents and community members.
Acknowledgement of Country
We humbly and respectfully acknowledge the Muwinina People of the South East Nation as the Original Custodians of the unceded Kreewer Lands on which this school stands; Lands taken violently and without consent. We sadly acknowledge that none of the Muwinina People are believed to have survived colonisation.
We acknowledge that these Lands have been nurtured and protected by countless generations of First Nations Peoples. The Hutchins School recognises and is deeply grateful for their continuing Custodianship of the land.
We acknowledge Tasmanian Aboriginal Peoples and their Elders, past, present and emerging, as well as First Nations Peoples from other Lands who may be here.
As a school, we commit to walking together with Tasmanian Aboriginal Peoples to pursue healing through Voice, Treaty and Truth-Telling.
Our Vision for Reconciliation
The Hutchins School is committed to active reconciliation between First Nations peoples and non-Indigenous people.
As an institution of open inquiry and learning, we commit to walk with and work together with members of the Tasmanian Aboriginal Community. We commit to listen and learn the truth of the past and to contribute to a shared and common future with equity and equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
As an integral part of our vision, The Hutchins School explicitly affirms and commits to be an active advocate for Voice, Treaty and Truth-Telling.
Our vision is to journey, learn and dream together; to broaden our knowledge and respect for the world’s oldest living culture; to provide opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, voices, world views, identity, knowledge and culture to be more visible, heard, respected and honoured throughout our school. We recognise that we have much to learn from the knowledge, practices and perspectives of Tasmanian Aboriginal Peoples.
Our vision for reconciliation is one that embraces us all, both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous and embodies the values of kindness, humility, courage and respect.
The Hutchins School will actively challenge itself in meeting this Vision for Reconciliation. As a whole-of-school responsibility, this vision will be reflected in our leadership and decision-making, and we will be held accountable for this vision’s practical realisation.
About the artwork, Coming Together
(Above)Coming Together, Bianca Templar, 2022 Acrylic on canvas, 920mm (h) x 610mm (w)
This artwork was commissioned by The Hutchins School in 2022 and I (the artist) was given full freedom in its design. In my design planning, I reflected on the School’s history, its location and most importantly, the journey the School was on when writing its Reconciliation Action Plan. The Hutchins School’s firm commitment to active reconciliation heavily influenced the style and colours chosen.
The border is a mixture of green and blue which represent the river and kunanyi – which The Hutchins School is situated between. Although the meaning of the petroglyphs has been lost due to colonisation, the petroglyphs around the border represent the mountain itself, as well as the wildlife on the mountain and river.
The three main petroglyphs in the middle of the piece represent The Hutchins School and its campuses, while the feet painted in the School’s colours represent the School’s journey towards reconciliation.
To learn more about the opportunities we provide for boys to become their best, contact our Enrolments Assistant, submit an online Enquiry form or phone 03 6221 4236. We encourage you to book a tour with our Registrar as this is the best way to see our School in action. Read more…
