The scene at the beautiful Carine Glades Park for the Welcome to Australia refugee picnic on Sunday, October 20 was good for the soul.
Lively, face-painted children and cheerful, energetic youth and adults engaged in a variety of fun activities – soccer, cricket, football, dancing – all to the beat of bright music.
The more sedate were happy to relax amidst the trees and grassy surrounds enjoying a chat with family and friends.
The latest Welcome to Australia Picnic was organised jointly by the St Vincent de Paul Society and the Christian Brothers.
On this occasion, the welcome was being extended to around 80 recently arrived “new Australians” who had come as refugees from their former homelands of Burma, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran.
As at previous such picnics, the lively, cheerful spirit was largely set by the admirable staff and students, 40 of them, from Sacred Heart College, Sorrento, who entertained, encouraged and delightfully cared for the children.
Their efforts were boosted by the bright music and cheerful commentary provided by the ever generous DJ, Felix James.
Of course, the new Australians were treated to a fine Aussie barbeque prepared and served by dedicated volunteers from the parishes of Girrawheen and Greenwood.
Among those who came along to show support were Mr Peter Bothe, Principal of Sacred Heart College, and Fr Blasco Fonseca, Archdiocesan Vicar for Migrants.
When the time came for the guests to board the buses for home, they took with them gifts of books, toys and other helpful items provided in the main by the generous folk from Sacred Heart College.
Christian Brother Geoff Seaman cfc said it was a shame hardline opponents of a more generous approach to asylum seekers were not there to witness the occasion.
“What an ideal occasion this would have been for those of our political leaders who constantly seek to demonise and punish those suffering,” Br Seaman told The Record, “desperate people who take great risks to seek safety in Australia to meet some of them face to face and get to know what fine people they are.”
Refugee advocates and media commentators have criticised the Federal Government in recent months for restricting official information about the arrival of boat loads of asylum seekers to a weekly media briefing.
Immigration minister Scott Morrison told media in September that the restriction of information was necessary for operational reasons.
“Taking control of how that information is released denies people smugglers the opportunity to exploit such information and is just another one of the many measures we are utilising to stop the boats as the Government has promised it would do.”