General David Hurley dropped by on Friday after hearing about the MGoals program initiated at the school this year, and wanted to learn more about it. 

He was given a tour of the school grounds, with highlights the bush tucker gardens and new campsite, and visited classrooms interacting with pupils.

“I just think it’s a privilege to have the governor visit, and he is showing a real interest in the area, school and public education,” school principal Lisa Freedman said. 

“It’s just fantastic for the students knowing someone important to them is showing an interest in them.” 

On first name basis since meeting the governor, Yuin man Graham Moore talked about the Indigenous connection with the Tathra region with Mr Hurley as well as his own experiences growing up as an Indigenous man. 

“I can still remember holding my mums hand outside a shop and waiting for all the white people inside to come out so we could go in,” Mr Moore said. 

He also taught Mr Hurley some words in the local language Dawa, and useful tricks for the bush such as how when wattles flower it is an indicator that mullet are coming up to spawn. 

Mr Hurley visited teacher Natalie McKay’s Year 4/5 class, where his wife Linda asked if the children could sing a song.

“The Llama Song” was the chosen musical number, and had accompanying hand movements.

The class then requested Ms Freedman’s rendition of “Rock Around the Clock”, and after Mr Hurley himself joined in singing all pupils stood up and danced. 

When visiting one of the new Japanese classes led by Mayumi Murphy pupils sang another song, this time in Japanese. 

Mr Hurley asked the children if Japanese was a good language to learn, which they all chorused “yes”. 

After morning tea the Governor was taken on the Tathra Public Aboriginal Education Community Walk down to the headland, with its informative signs on such locations as the Indigenous burial site opposite the newsagents. 

Mr Moore said there was a “richness” of Indigenous history in the local area, and other schools in the region had heard about Tathra Publics Indigenous programs and wanted to become involved. 

“Ripples are heading out and hitting other schools,” he said.