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Since 2010, Xavier High School has offered to senior students an invitation to participate in an Immersion Program which provides them with an authentic opportunity to understand the spiritual, cultural and historical components that underpin contemporary Aboriginal Communities, by walking alongside our ‘First Australians’. As a Catholic faith community, we see this experience as part of our shared responsibility to all humanity to help foster opportunities for our students to become open-minded and hearted global citizens.
Our hope is that this ‘pilgrimage experience’ will provide our students with the knowledge and skills needed to be people of action; the future leaders who will promote and encourage change and fairness for all in our world.
Breakfast at accommodation
Load Coach – Room inspections
Depart Mildura and travel to Balranald
Morning Tea at Balranald
Lunch at Deniliquin
Deniliquin Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centre
Knowledge Centre Museum Display
Cultural Knowledge Tours of Wamba Wamba country at a local forest / waterway site
4.45pm Arrive to Xavier High School
Breakfast at accommodation provided
Load Coach – Room inspections
Depart Farm Chapel and travel to Wagga
Morning Tea along the way provided
Wagga Lunch provided
Each year the cost is set to cover most of the program and still remain affordable for the current times. It is averaged for all students and rebated by the school itself.
The cost is put towards:
Lake Mungo and Condobolin
We have been to a range of destinations over the past and there have been many factors to why we need to continually build new connections with new communities to keep the program going.
The Immersion pilgrimage is a time of retreat and deep listening. We will be encouraging students to touch base at certain times of the day but will be limiting phone activity.
For emergencies please contact the staff or school first:
Heath Neville
Immersion Program Leader
0439 259 834
2010 – Bathurst Island
2011 – Yuendumu
2012 – Yuendumu & St Theresa
2013 – Yuendumu & St Theresa
2014 – Yuendumu + St Theresa and Northern NSW Immersion (Moree)
Staff Presented Program in Hawaii
2015 – Yuendumu + St Theresa + Northern NSW Immersion (Moree) and Katherine
2016 – Yuendumu + St Theresa + Northern NSW Immersion (Moree) + Barmah and Eden
2017 – Staff Presented Program in Toronto
2018 – Yuendumu + St Theresa + Northern NSW Immersion (Moree) + Barmah and Eden
2019 – Yuendumu + St Theresa + Northern NSW Immersion (Moree) + Barmah and Eden
2020/2021 – Postponed due to COVID
2022 – Northern NSW Immersion (Moree/Dubbo) + Lake Mungo
2023 – Northern NSW Immersion (Moree) + Lake Mungo and a Local (school based) Immersion
2024 – Lake Mungo and Condobolin
Yindyamarra is a word that is often translated as respect, however, it has multiple meanings including, to give honour, go slow, and take responsibility.
It was adopted by our program for that reason, we are asking our participants to learn with respect, to listen with respect and to go on this journey with respect.
Professor Stan Grant explains the Yindyamarra Pledge in far greater detail.
The Immersion program has held a logo since its inception and the original was a combination of symbols that represented our faith and connection with the land in which we were travelling. It held Wiradjuri symbols of man and women and our school name.
Today our design holds the same cross and gum lead as an ode to the original. It also includes the Wiradjuri totem symbol of the gugaa (goanna). The circles are the destinations and paths that we take to reach those communities as we sit and yarn about reconciliation and culture. It also signifies our theme for our current Immersions which is ‘Yinyamarra’. It was designed by a group of students and staff combining both or our previous designs. A proud logo that will be worn by all future participants.
