{"id":52096,"date":"2013-11-29T23:57:26","date_gmt":"2013-11-29T13:57:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=52096"},"modified":"2020-12-11T10:18:01","modified_gmt":"2020-12-11T00:18:01","slug":"were-ready-for-anything","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2013\/11\/29\/were-ready-for-anything\/","title":{"rendered":"We’re Ready For Anything!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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All smiles now … Year 12 is over and off to the real world! The happy group of 2013 graduates at Murgon Town Hall on Thursday night<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

November 29, 2013<\/strong><\/p>\n

Look out world … there’s 30 young indigenous men and women from the South Burnett all set to carve out a bright future thanks to their hard work and study.<\/p>\n

The 30 former Year 12 students – from Nanango, Murgon and Kingaroy State High Schools, St Mary’s Catholic College and several boarding schools – gathered together in Murgon on Thursday to celebrate their graduation and reflect on their future careers.<\/p>\n

They joined with community elders, proud parents, friends and teachers to enjoy dinner and live entertainment.<\/p>\n

Murgon Town Hall was packed for the occasion.<\/p>\n

The celebration was sponsored by the Aboriginal Community Interest Consultative Committee (ACICC) which distributes Wakka Wakka royalties back into the local community.<\/p>\n

Local band Muddy Flats provided the music and the junior Wakka Wakka dancers put on am enthusiastic performance, moving out from the dancing area amongst the tables of diners.<\/p>\n

A highlight of the evening was the cutting of the special graduation cake.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

by Marcus Priaulx<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cherbourg mayor Ken Bone was amongst the family members bursting with pride at the celebration.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Two of his granddaughters graduated and he had a nephew about to start at university.<\/p>\n

But what truly grabbed Mayor Bone was the number of Indigenous residents now employed in Murgon and other South Burnett towns.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re in the corporate sector, the banks, the fruit shop, IGA \u2026\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was young it was pretty hard to get those sorts of positions around here.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of our mob tonight received certificates, and that\u2019s good, and I say \u2018if there are people in the corporate sector here tonight, please employ more of our mob\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s deadly to see what\u2019s happening around here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mayor Bone said for too many years Indigenous people had been trained and trained and trained, only to get no employment at the end of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really hope the corporate sector takes hold of this mob here tonight,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel very proud.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was young we had to go looking for work and we still have to do that after tonight.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to see our young people move on because their future starts tonight.<\/p>\n

\u201cThings are changing for the positive and changing fast.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re grateful for what\u2019s happening in the South Burnett with employers giving our kids a chance.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur kids now need to embrace and run with that. They need to appreciate what\u2019s being done for them and go ahead to have great jobs and a great life.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur children are our future leaders.\u201d<\/p>\n