Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people are welcome
Across the Diocese of Broken Bay, we service the Northern Beaches, Northern Sydney and the Central Coast – covering an area of almost 2,800 square kilometres. This geographic area crosses three Aboriginal Nations – Darkinjung, Gurringai and Darug.
Our vision is that across our land, communities and nation, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are treated with equity, dignity and respect and that they enjoy the same access and opportunities as non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
CatholicCare believes in the importance of working alongside Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people who attend the programs and access the services we offer. We are committed to reconciliation. We acknowledge the unjust past policies of the Government and the Church and the sorrow and suffering experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as a result. We support the apology made by the Catholic church for their part in the ongoing pain, suffering and trauma inflicted on the Stolen generations.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land across our Diocese.
We recognise the Aboriginal people as holding the memories, the traditions and the culture of the lands we live and work upon.
We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging and acknowledge the Aboriginal children and youth who are the future leaders of our communities and our hope for a brighter, stronger future.
We value the deep spiritual connection and the relationship that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have to this Country.
OUR RAP JOURNEY
We currently have a Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (or RAP) which is endorsed by Reconciliation Australia. This focuses on key actions in the areas of relationships, respect and opportunities specific to our business and our area of influence. You can download it below.
CatholicCare acknowledges it is the beginning of a journey. As an organisation we recognise that this is one of many steps in our commitment to turn good intentions into real actions and contribute to the challenge of reconciling Australia.
The RAP group meets bi-monthly and actively monitor the development of the plan, implement actions and report and track progress. We have already made important additions to case plans for our Aboriginal young people in care, ensured flags and inclusive signage is displayed at our sites and we have delivered cultural awareness training.
COMMISSIONING OF NGINDI
In 2020 we commissioned Ngindi – an incredible artwork representing our sites and programs by Carol Sutherland – a proud Wiradjuri woman from Western NSW. Carol is passionate about social justice and values keeping our storylines, family ties and connections with the mob.
What does this painting represent?
The brown, red, blue and green corners represent the services we offer right across the Diocese from the sea, to the country, to the forest and to the red dust. The red dust makes you feel at home. The circles within represent the meeting places/offices and residential homes within our Diocese.
The turtle and his shell represent our Family Centres, Permanency Support Program and Supported Independent Living houses where we offer food, shelter, security and safe places for those in our community.
The lizard runs very fast – he is very alert and has the awareness which will assist us to help our clients and staff reach their life goals.
The frog represents our Disability Futures services, individuals who are born as a tadpole and grow into a frog. A tadpole and a frog transition from one ability to another, growing and adapting to life changes, like the ability to breathe underwater, transitioning to breathing above water.
The goanna is situated in the red dust which represents how we want each individual to feel at home in every service that we offer. The goanna climbs high to reach and fulfill personal dreams.
The big blue circle incorporating the dove represents our main meeting place, our Head Office at Pennant Hills.
The blue dots and long lines are journey tracks from Head Office out to the various hubs and our myriad of services. The dots on the journey tracks represent barriers, self-doubt, self-worth and each individual’s journey to overcome these barriers.
The leaves represent growth, the dove is hope and the arms are welcoming and inclusive. The colours and dots in the background of the leaves are the dirt and sand representing Mother Earth, the foundation CatholicCare was built on. The black tracks in between represent our clients using multiple services or moving around different lands.
And finally, the ‘C’ in the mouth of the dove is our logo.
