Home

On the trail with Aussie history

By Sash Herceg

MELBOURNE - A group of Australian students are on the adventure of a lifetime -- walking the famous 96 kms Kokoda Trail through the rugged Owen Stanley Range in Papua New Guinea.

The 16 students from Debney Park Secondary College in Flemington and St. Bernard's in Essendon, have diverse backgrounds including Croatia, Sudan, Somalia and Vietnam.  Their trip was made possible through a Victoria Police program to break barriers between police and young people.

The Kokoda Trail or Track became a landmark in Australia's World War II history when Australian troops fought off a superior Japanese force in 1942 to cross to safety.

The student's nine-day trip is the culmination of three months of preparation , which included a lengthy physical training programme all over Melbourne.  They had to show strong commitment to be selected for the trip, planning of which started in 2006 under an initiative of the police in Flemington.

Victoria Police members, a paramedic, two teachers, and some sponsors are accompanying the students.

Walking the Kokoda Track is something they "want to do in order to engage with our  new country's history,"  the students said, and they hope to gain more than memories.

I am a former refugee who arrived with my parents in Australia in 1996 from Croatia.  I expect this to be an amazing experience with a fantastic group of young people.  It will help me and other migrant and refugee students understand another important aspect of Australian history.

I am sure it will actually help us appreciate the ANZAC spirit, which I must say I have personally struggled to embrace and understand.

Although my grandfather fought in World War II, it seems like a different war to me.

I believe the Kokoda Program can make us feel even more Australian as we walk in the footsteps of the soldiers who helped make this country what it is today.

Having been through the integration process with my parents, I also think initiatives like this will help change our parents' views too. It is important to show parents that the broader community is actively assisting their children to integrate.

After all, the vast majority of migrant and refugee parents uproot their whole life not for themselves, but for the future of their children.

When we return, the students will participate in a three-day leadership workshop to further develop the skills they learned through their experiences.  I hope that, In contrast to some current comments about migrants and refugees, this is a positive story and a dramatic way to learn more about a new country.