Our school logo, the long-neck turtle is a symbol of the rich fauna we are blessed with in the place. With a hard outer shell, long-neck turtles show resilience and adaptability throughout their lives. In their younger lives, they stay close to home in the fresh water where they can feel safe and cared for. But late in life, they have been known to travel vast distances to find better and more interesting lives. Long-neck turtles are an indicator of a very healthy environment.
Contemporary Indigenous people of the Northern Territory believe in the notion of freshwater and saltwater coming together for improved communication and fellowship with non-Indigenous Australians. Where saltwater and freshwater meet the results is a unique and thriving ecosystem where new ways of living together emerge. The concept can be further enhanced to consider the meeting of land and water – where Indigenous knowledge is represented by “knowledge from land” and Western knowledge by “Knowledge from water”. Rosebery school knows we are unique and value the culture, background and knowledge of all our families.
The life that emerges when freshwater and saltwater meet is diverse and robust, including – long-neck turtles, dolphins, crocodiles, sharks, barramundi, water dragons and many birds of prey. These animals are represented in our house names, which Rosebery students can call their own throughout their learning journey here.
Name | Indigenous Language | English | Colour |
Menida | Kriol | Crocodile | Green |
Marnba | Burarra | Dolphin | Blue |
Balli | Murrinh-Patha | Mudcrab | Red |
Wamba | Kunwinkju & Iwaidja | Shark | Yellow |