Remembering the Empty Coolamons was held at Brisbane Catholic Education’s Mt Carmel Centre, on the 23rd of May 2025, the Friday before National Sorry Day, being Monday 26th. Some 300 school children of all ages, Community and staff participated in creating this ritual process.
Special thanks to Chelsea Javis of Catholic Education who facilitated this work. Further thanks to Samantha Bladon and Sabine Pieperiet who managed the participants and the making of the coolamons. A special thanks to Luis Bran for his fabulous documentation and photography of this particular ritual process.
A more thorough exploration of other performances of this ritual process work, can be found under the tab Remembering the Empty Coolamons.
In this context the snake respresents the universal symbol of healing.
The colours Red, Black, White and Yellow are the colours of ceremony. They also represent for four races of mankind.
Accepting a child’s offering of their decorated coolamon.
Dusting the space with ochre.
One of the little coolamons. All were decorated by the students with thoughtful and exquisite care.
Adding a coolamon to the sacred space.