Malmsbury Primary School had a VIP visiting today when Uncle Ron Murray, a Koori elder and internationally renowned didgeridoo player, came to the school. Uncle Ron brought lots of Aboriginal artefacts with him, including four lovely didgeridoos that he had made himself. He told us how these instruments are made (did you know they are buried in the ground for almost 6 months?) as well as teaching us about some other traditional Aboriginal tools.

The whole school was entertained by Uncle Ron’s incredible playing and his great story telling. He used the didgeridoo to tell a story about a brolga and another one about a great dancer. The different sounds in the didgeridoo playing represent different animals and actions. Uncle Ron also showed us how the didgeridoo can be used for healing. A couple of kids and our teacher, Siobhan, helped him demonstrate – they all said it felt like vibrations all over their body. Everyone thought it was quite amazing.

Uncle Ron told us a story about the Karak, the red-tailed black cockatoo, which is his totem. We learned how this bird got it’s red tail and how the black duck became the red-beaked black swan. Our class really enjoyed the story-telling, but some of us also liked pretending they were Koori babies snugly wrapped in a kangaroo skin blanket. It was a fantastic visit.

Uncle Ron visits Malmsbury Primary School on PhotoPeach