Catholic Diocese of Broome

On Tuesday 25 May this year, Winnie Budbarria was part of the Warmun community's celebration of twenty five years since the arrival of the Sisters of St Joseph to teach at Ngalangangpum school. In 1979 Winnie, a Catholic leader at Warmun, decided on the name Ngalangangpum, meaning 'Mother and Child', for the community's new school, saying: "I was thinking about Mary and the baby Jesus, when I put that name on the school".
Warmun is very special in the history of the Catholic Church in the Kimberley, because when the school began, it was the first time that a community had decided to provide its own educational facilities and then invited Bishop Jobst and the Sisters of St Joseph to send two sisters to provide schooling according to the community's own requirements.
Sister Clare Ahern RSJ, the first principal, now the Provincial leader of the Sisters of St Joseph in Western Australia, and Sr Theresa Morellini RSJ, who is still a great support to the Warmun community, were welcomed, with many Sisters of St Joseph who had taught there and who

returned from all over Australia to take part in the celebrations. They joined people from Broome and around the Kimberley who had come to mark the anniversary and remember the years of generous service of the Sisters.
The first classes were held in a bough shed, with pupils using chalk on pieces of plywood painted with blackboard paint, a contrast to today's modern school. Past students enjoyed sharing memories of the early days through the photo display and the popular replays of old videos, which brought shock and hilarity when they recognised themselves as pupils about twenty years ago.
Present students enjoyed a sports day, especially a footy game with boys from Christian Brothers College in Tardun, who travelled up to Warmun by bus for the day.
After a group of Warmun ladies led Bishop Christopher Saunders and Father Paul Boyers to where the thanksgiving Mass was to be celebrated, a beautiful stole was presented to the Bishop, to be used in the chapel at North Sydney, in New South Wales, where Blessed Mary MacKillop, the founder of the Sisters of St Joseph, is buried.
During Mass Warmun artist, Nancy Nodea, presented a painting of the school to be hung there as a memento of the 25th anniversary day.
Bishop Saunders acknowledged the long service of the Sisters who answered the call to the Kimberley mission and the faith and hard work of the Warmun people, who built up their school to become such a strong part of their community.
After Mass the men - young and older -painted up and, to great applause, performed a spirited corroboree. Everyone especially appreciated the concentration and skill of the small boys who took part.
Buffalo and wallaby, as well as beef, were on the menu for the barbecue which concluded a friendly day of celebration and thanksgiving.

Photo: Patrick Mung, his mother Buttercup Mung (in wheelchair), Jeanie Daylight and Sr Helen McLenaghan RSJ at the Ngalangangpum School Anniversary Celebrations.