Sydney School Adopts Blue-Tongued Lizard as Reconciliation Totem

Students at St Bernadette's Primary School are building a garden for a very special resident. The blue-tongued lizard that wanders their campus has become more than a visitor—it's now the school's cultural totem, teaching kids about Aboriginal traditions and caring for Country.

The project started during National Reconciliation Week conversations between principal Lisa Samojlowicz and an Indigenous parent. They noticed blue-tongued lizards regularly sunning themselves on the school pathways and gardens, and saw an opportunity to teach about First Nations culture.

Year 4 students like Penny and Lillian are now planting native vegetation to create what they call "a safe place" for their totem near the school office. They're learning that in many Aboriginal communities, totems aren't just symbols—they represent deep spiritual and environmental connections between people, animals, and land.

The school sits on Dharug Country in western Sydney, where the initiative has grown into a campus-wide commitment. Former students like Thomas Ross, now working with the Jarara Cultural Centre's Junior Rangers program, help guide the project.

"When we do initiatives like this, tapping into our local knowledge, we allow for our kids to become deeper into our environment and feel like they belong in this place," Ross explains.

The Ripple Effect

The garden project is creating unexpected learning opportunities beyond just wildlife care. Leading teacher Lyndal Simmonds from the Jarara Cultural Centre explains that totems often represent "keystone species" that play vital roles in their ecosystems.

Students are discovering that totem systems vary widely across Aboriginal communities and language groups. Some people inherit multiple totems connected to Country, clan, or family lines, each carrying responsibilities for protection and care.

Richard Fejo, a Larrakia Senior Elder and academic, notes that Aboriginal culture is beautifully diverse. "Different regions do things differently," he says, emphasizing how saltwater people might have totems based on coastal environments while inland communities connect with different species.

The project shows how reconciliation can happen through everyday moments—like noticing a lizard in the garden and choosing to learn from it. By protecting their blue-tongued friend, these students are practicing the Indigenous value of caring for Country in their own schoolyard.