BRIDGE school visits showcase Australia–Indonesia connections in action
Darwin, Australia | August 2026
From Indonesian gardens and student ambassadors to shared meals, collaborative learning and plans for learning on Country, visits to three Northern Territory schools showcased what Australia–Indonesia school partnerships can look like in practice.
The BRIDGE team visited Humpty Doo Primary School, MacKillop Catholic College and Girraween Primary School, meeting passionate educators and students who are bringing Indonesian language, culture and relationships into their school communities.
At Humpty Doo Primary School, new BRIDGE participants were at the beginning of their partnership journey. Teachers were already looking ahead to opportunities to share their unique Northern Territory context with their Indonesian partners, including plans for a camp in a Northern Territory national park and swimming experiences.
At MacKillop Catholic College, teacher Bee Khoo demonstrated how an established partnership can enrich Indonesian learning across Years 9 to 12.
The school’s commitment to linguistic and cultural diversity is visible from the moment visitors arrive, with a mural celebrating the many languages spoken by students. Indonesian learning extends beyond the classroom through cooking, Harmony Day celebrations and activities such as a Darwin language scavenger hunt.
The partnership with SMA Negeri 2 Batang has also created authentic opportunities for collaboration. MacKillop students have travelled to their Indonesian partner school, while students in both countries have participated in shared projects including a water-saving poster competition.
For senior students, communication with their Indonesian peers has even become part of assessment, providing opportunities to listen to and communicate with young people in Indonesia as part of their language learning.
At Girraween Primary School, joined during the visit by the Australian and Indonesian Consuls-General, Indonesian language and culture were visible throughout the school.
Led by teacher Taryn Hicks-McCubben, the school has developed a combined logo with its Indonesian partner school and translated its Acknowledgement of Country into Bahasa Indonesia. Taryn has created practical language passports for students travelling to Bali, while Kartini Day and Harmony Day provide further opportunities to celebrate Indonesian culture.
The shared logo between partner schools and the visit from BRIDGE staff and Darwin Consul-generals
The connection extends into the wider school community. Girraween’s entry in a Northern Territory “decorate a cow” competition featured an Indonesian theme, as does the school’s community street library.
Grant funding has enabled the school to purchase video equipment for synchronous communication with its Indonesian partner school and establish an Indonesian garden featuring tropical fruit trees including pisang, belimbing and sawo. Year 5 and 6 student ambassadors proudly shared these initiatives with visitors.
Across all three schools, one thing stood out: the commitment of passionate teachers working to inspire the next generation to continue learning Indonesian.
Their work demonstrates that language education can extend far beyond vocabulary and grammar. Through food, travel, technology, environmental projects, cultural celebrations and genuine relationships with peers in another country, students are discovering the people and culture behind the language.
From a new partnership taking shape at Humpty Doo to established connections flourishing at MacKillop and Girraween, the visits demonstrated what can happen when committed educators turn international partnerships into meaningful experiences for their students.
They are not simply teaching Indonesian. They are helping build the next generation of Australia-Indonesia relationships.
