Secondary School Aboriginal Girls Fashion Parade at Maitland

Abstract

The Maitland Area School on central Yorke Peninsula, about one hundred miles from Adelaide, caters for students aged from five to sixteen or seventeen years. Of the five hundred and seventy students who attend, approximately eighty are part-Aboriginal children from the Point Pearce community some twelve miles away. About half of these are secondary students.

Two years ago a secondary student from Point Pearce spent a year at a Maori college in New Zealand and then returned to Maitland to complete his fourth year P.E.B. Certificate. He is now undertaking his matriculation studies in Adelaide. Because of the obvious success of this project, the scheme is being continued this year. Although some very generous support has been given by various airline companies and other organizations, the Point Pearce Aboriginal community has a major responsibility in raising funds to cover the cost of the student’s board and other geheral living requirements.

Earlier this year, in April, as a result of an idea of one of the school staff members, it was decided to arrange a public fashion parade by the secondary Aboriginal girls as a fund-raising activity for the New Zealand project. The girls and their parents liked the idea and planning commenced.