The Moorditj Mob is Wesley College’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Program. In the Noongar language, Moorditj means ‘great’, ‘strong’ or ‘excellent’ and fits well with what the College strives to achieve. The program is an important part of the College’s culture and fosters great pride within the Wesley community.
Due to the success of the program, Wesley receives support from a number of philanthropic bodies and government agencies and is now able to offer approximately 30-40 needs-based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scholarships. Students are expected to celebrate their culture and to share it with others. One of the most well-known and public aspects of the program is the Moorditj Mob Dancers and didgeridoo players. The Moorditj Mob has been known to perform up to 60 dances annually both at the College and at outside community events.
In 2014 the Moorditj Mob was invited to represent Australia’s Indigenous people at the International Indigenous People’s Conference in Education in Hawaii, and was the only group to be asked to perform at both the opening and closing ceremonies.
The Moorditj Mob program provides Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who would not normally have the opportunity with a top-quality education, integrated with a deliberate and explicit focus on their own culture and developing pride in their history. It is not an easy challenge, however, as families make enormous sacrifices to support the College and the community in succeeding to close the gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and non-Indigenous peoples.
