Debutantes remake history

By Kath Gannaway
TWELVE Aboriginal students recreated history as belles of the first Worawa Debutante Ball in August.
As the young women stepped up as debutantes, partnered by students from the school’s partner colleges, Scotch, Luther and Xavier, they also commemorated the first Aboriginal debutante ball 62 years ago.
That ball was held at the Collingwood Town Hall on 26 August 1949, with 26 girls and their partners being presented to Sir George and Lady Knox.
Worawa director Lois Peeler said with the exception of a few, the young women were from the Yorta Yorta families who were either living, or had lived on the riverbank of the Goulburn River around Shepparton and Mooroopna.
Frances Briggs, Geraldine Briggs, Lillian Nicholls, Nancy Green, Melva Day and Elsie Cooper, and Clem Briggs and Alf Turner, along with flowergirls Beverley Briggs and Lois Briggs (Peeler) are the surviving members of that group and all were honoured guests at the Worawa Debutante Ball.
Ms Peeler said the ball was part of the college’s Pathways to Womanhood program aimed at supporting their students in understanding the transition to womanhood, help build self-esteem and prepare them to take their place as leaders in their own communities and the broader community.
The students come from remote and regional communities and many parents travelled to the Karralyka Centre in Ringwood to see their daughters make their debut.
Ms Peeler said the girls and their partners had a ball.
The girls were presented to the 1949 Elders before taking to the dance floor with their partners to dance the night away.