It has been almost a year's labour to get to this week, and while they did not expect to be unveiling their work via a livestream, Sturt Public School's Aboriginal leadership group still felt the pride of their accomplishment.
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The group, which is made up of 13 First Nations and Torres Strait Islander students mostly from years 5 and 6, designed a welcome to country message that was installed on the road-facing wall of the school's office.
It acknowledges the Wiradjuri people as the traditional custodians of the land in which the school is situated, and pays respect to the past and emerging elders.
The school boasts up to 30 different nationalities within its schoolyard, each with its unique cultural flavour to add.
But the group of Indigenous students, which formed their leadership group in 2019, had a particular message to offer their fellow students.
Zara Elliott-Hawthorn, aged 12, was one of the members of the design team. Flanking the plaque with images of the dream-time goanna was a decision she said she was most proud of.
"We went on an excursion [last year] and found out that the goanna is the Wiradjuri totem animal, so we wanted to include that in it," Zara said.
"I think it's important [the plaque] is here to acknowledge we're on Wiradjuri land. Sturt Public has a lot of Aboriginal artworks from other years around it so this fits well."
With many in the group now graduating primary school, the students say it will be a winning legacy to leave for future years.
Another member of the design committee, Payten Jane Kavanagh aged 12, said the group decided on making the plaque knowing it was something that was something that would be appreciated long after they have left.
"We didn't have anything like this at the school so we knew we needed it," Payten said.
"It's something good to have at the school and know that we were involved in making it happen."
Researching the words for the plaque also gave the students the opportunity to connect to their own history.
"I think it shows how we can all work together to achieve something, and how exciting it can be to learn about our culture," Zara said.
"I'm overwhelmed at the dances and the art in our culture. It's beautiful."