Published: 2nd November 2022
As you may be aware it has been a horrific week for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community after the loss of 15-year-old Cassius Turvey. We are deeply saddened and shocked by Cassius’ death and express our deepest condolences to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander friends, students, staff, and members of the broader community, who are grieving.
At Murdoch, we are proud of our long-standing commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We have taken meaningful steps towards reconciliation and within our new strategy are committing to truth telling. In May this year, we made a commitment to honour the National Reconciliation Week theme of ‘Be Brave, Make Change.’ And in July, we spoke about the importance of the NAIDOC theme-to get up, stand up, stand up and show up.
We acknowledge there is more we can all do, both individually and collectively, to step up, be brave, call out injustice and have the courage to challenge racism in our everyday contexts.
There are many ways you can get involved, including:
As a mark of respect, the flags on campus at Bush Court will be lowered from 12:30pm.
During this difficult time, it is important we check in and care for one another. So, please connect with your peers to ensure they are feeling supported.
An event such as this one may bring up some difficult feelings for you or people that you love. Please check in with yourself and ensure you are taking care of yourself. If you notice yourself feeling particularly impacted and you would benefit from support, we encourage you to lean on your friends and family and to contact professional supports such as:
- Moorditj Yarning is an Aboriginal community support services offered by Relationships Australia. For people who feel like having some space to talk about grief and loss, Moorditj Yarning offers a place and opportunity to discuss things comfortably. Contact them on 1300 364 277 or through online form on their webpage.
- 13YARN is the first national crisis support line for mob. Designed, led and delivered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, 13YARN (on 13 92 76) will offer a confidential, one-on-one yarning opportunity for mob with a Lifeline Australia trained Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Crisis supporter 24 hours, 7 days a week.
