6 Nov 2025
Staff from La Salle College recently made the journey up to Mogumber Farm on 14 October for a Staff Immersion Experience.
They heard firsthand the stories of the Elders who spent their childhoods in the New Norcia and Mogumber Farm mission as children of the Stolen Generation.
Uncle Maitland was 14 when he was taken to Mogumber Farm. On the Immersion, he led the group through the buildings he once lived in. Sharing his stories along the way, the tour was an insight into what life was like at the mission. From sharing funny anecdotes to emotional stories, Uncle Maitland was vulnerable as he retold his story.
In the mission’s church, Uncle Maitland sung two gospel songs as he played the guitar.
Reflecting on his time as a choir boy in the church choir. His voice filled the room and was a beautiful ambiance to the stories he had shared.
The staff then drove to New Norcia where they stopped for a shared lunch and a yarn over a delicious chocolate cake.
The group then headed into the New Norcia Museum which was originally the building where Aunty Ange stayed in at the mission.
Walking through the now museum was an emotional experience as Aunty Ange shared parts of her story. After visiting the museum, the group walked through the town.
There they listened to Aunty Ange and Uncle Maitland as they shared more of the history and the firsthand stories the group didn’t get to learn about in the Museum.
Seeing how hard it was for Aunty Ange to relive those memories was an emotional experience for all in the group.
Ending the day the group followed Aunty Ange and Uncle Maitland out to look for Quandong berries. The bus was full of excitement as staff looked out the windows in the hope of spotting a ripe Quandong Tree
After a bit of looking, beautiful red berries were spotted and the group pulled over to learn how to pick the right berries, guided by Uncle Maitland and Aunty Ange.
The group managed to pick enough berries for Uncle Maitland and Aunty Ange to turn into Quandong Jam, as well as enough for the staff to make a batch.
Later in the week students from the College’s St Joseph Centre prepared and cooked the berries preserving them into a jam as well as some tasty scones.
The staff and students enjoyed trying the jam on the fresh scones and reflecting and sharing stories about the day at morning tea. They were such a hit that the scones and Quandong Jame were even added to the Cafe De La Salle menu as a special item for the week.
Staff found the Immersion to be a valuable experience that allowed them to gain a better understanding of the history and stories behind the buildings and country they walked through.
Bethany said:
“It was a really good experience bringing out some of the teachers to hear the Elder’s stories, it was a bit emotional because of some of our history.”
“Sharing something that I did when I was young with the teachers and sharing culture out in the bush, a different classroom, was really good. The excitement of seeing Quandongs on the side of the road and eating them was good to share.”
Shellie added:
“Today has been a really interesting day, kind of emotional. Visiting history that we don’t always visit, learning and understanding how it still affects people today.
“Getting out here in nature has been a really good day.”
Chelsey said:
“It was great to hear all the stories from Uncle Maitland and Auntie Ange and thank you to Beth for putting this all together and getting us out here on a great day.”
Eleanor concluded:
“The moments of silence share together often spoke louder than the stories we were reading on museum walls, it was an impactful experience. Finding some ripe Quandongs was a real highlight to wrap up the day.”
