Scotch College

Tiwi relationship enters twelfth year

Words: Tim Shearer

While it is recognised that Scotch College and Melbourne Grammar played the first recorded game of Australian Rules football in August of 1858, both schools are mindful that Australian Rules football is the people’s game – a game of the people, for the people.

Both schools also acknowledge that the exact origins of the game can never be precisely attributed. There seems to be evidence to suggest that various forms of the game were being played around 1858. For example, Dr Jim Poulter, an Old Scotch Collegian, believes that Tom Wills was influenced by the Aboriginal game of Marn Grook which was being played in regions of Victoria at the time. ‘Although historians may say there is no proof that Marn Grook was a parent to our new national football code,’ Jim says, ‘in contextual terms at least, it was a midwife’.

The Tiwi Islands are located north of Darwin and have a total population of approximately 2,500 people. The islands have the highest suicide rate in Australia. Life expectancy on the islands is 17 years less than the Australian average. The islanders experience chronic levels of respiratory, ear and kidney disease. Until 2008 there has been only one secondary school on the islands with a number of primary schools.

Recognising that football is the cultural link between the communities, Scotch College sends its Year 10 and 11 development squad to Darwin and the Tiwi Islands on a biennial basis. Since 1995 over 200 Scotch students have visited the islands. This tour provides wonderful opportunities for all who participate – the islanders welcome the opportunity to play the game they love against a touring team of Scotch students, the Scotch students experience the unique culture of the islands and the islanders, and also gain an appreciation for the difficult living and educational standards experienced in this region. Both communities benefit in terms of the camaraderie and mutual respect that develops from the human experience. For the past seven years Scotch has provided educational and social opportunities for members of the Tiwi Islands here in Melbourne.

Since 2000 over15 students from the Tiwi Islands have benefited from obtaining a Scotch College education. Students from the Tiwi Islands share life with other boys in the Boarding Houses. They share classes in the classroom and they team together on the sports fields. Some of those who attend or who have attended Scotch include:

• Mark Puantjinni
• Nathan Djerrkura
• Cyril ‘Junior’ Rioli
• Stewart Rioli
• Shannon Rioli
• Liam Jones
• Jack Long
• Thomas Holland
• Malcolm Dotoi

The boys have to work hard to make the transition to life in the city. The challenges they face are enormous and at times confronting. The Scotch staff and students have committed to assisting the boys adjust to life at Scotch and life in Melbourne. Dr. Robert Smith, who pioneered the program, passionately believes in it. ‘The cross-cultural exchange has been of enormous benefit to both the Scotch boys and the Tiwi islanders. It creates a unique opportunity for interaction between disparate communities. This can only assist in better understanding for both groups. Scotch was founded around the Christian ideals of compassion for others. This program builds on that premise and I am sure that the School’s founders would be proud of this program if they were with us today.’

The boys who have spent time at Scotch also appreciate the commitment made to them by the Scotch staff and students and the broader Scotch Family. Dr Smith is also indebted to the School for the support that it has provided to this developing program. GS