Kintore Campus (Walungurru)
Boarding school for Indigenous students twelve years and older from remote communities
In April 2005 Yirara College opened a new campus at Walungurru (otherwise known as Kintore), an Aboriginal community approximately 500 km west of Alice Springs.
It is difficult to imagine a more remote community in Australia, but this is the land which the Luritja speaking people call nganampa nguru wiru - 'their beautiful land.'
The Finke River Mission, under the auspices of the Lutheran Church of Australia, has had a presence in the Walungurru community for over 30 years. In spite of this presence and the Mission managing Yirara College, attendance of students at Yirara was sporadic and short-term. Homesickness, cultural and social activities in the community and the distance between Yirara College and Kintore were unsettling obstacles for students trying to adjust to boarding school life in Alice Springs.
After many years of grappling with these problems, a Yirara teacher was placed in the community, initially just teaching Yirara College students for the second half of a term. Students would travel to Alice Springs for 6 weeks and return home for the last weeks of the term. This was made possible by the NT Education Department which provided a teaching space and teacher accommodation in the local primary school.
From this beginning and due to the long connection with the Finke River Mission, the community was keen to negotiate the establishment of a secondary campus run by Yirara College.
A permanent site was negotiated with the community. The council handed the old health clinic to the College. This building was renovated into a four roomed school building, providing classroom space for up to 30 students. A house for the teacher was also made available by the local council.
Yirara College continues to provide staff and mantains the secondary school in Kintore.
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In our first YiraraTV for term two we go out bush, travel the world for Harmony Day and enjoy Zumba. YiraraTV, So Good !!
