Rohan Watt

After getting in trouble and hanging with the wrong crowd in school, Rohan shares his struggle of having to move towns and schools and leave his family behind in Alice Springs.

Funded by Department of Local Government, Sport and Culture (DLGSC) and produced by Centre for Stories in partnership with Nyamba Buru Yawuru, Rubibi Yarning is a collection of experiences from Broome/Rubibi storytellers recorded in April 2024. Over two weeks, Centre for Stories ran workshops for Nyamba Buru Yawuru staff, friends and clients, including Warrmijala Murrgurlayi Rise up to Work participants, which offers pre-employment and vocational training to young people. The workshops culminated in a storytelling event held on the grass of Nyamba Buru Yawuru, with music from Bart Pigram.

This story was shared by Rohan Watt. Rohan was a Warrmijala Murrgalayi Rise Up to Work participant. After getting in trouble as a young boy, Rohan shares his story of moving from his hometown of Mparntwe/Alice Springs to Yiramalay Studio School near Fitzroy Crossing and how he struggled being away from home.

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Photo by Rohan Watt. Story published 16 April 2024.

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RW: After middle school, my mum thought it was a good idea that I go away for boarding school to the Kimberley’s because I was mucking around too much, getting in trouble, wagging, getting sent home and getting suspended. So, yeah, she sent me away to the Kimberley’s all by myself. And I was pretty nervous, and I felt bad because at the time I didn’t know how I was making everyone feel.

So, getting sent away was pretty hard for me, because I’ve never been away, moved away from home and going away by myself was pretty hard. So yeah, when I got to the school first week, I would just sit in my room all by myself thinking about when I’m about to go back home for holidays, but it would just take so long because I’m just sitting doing nothing.

So one day I thought, I can’t just keep sitting in here doing this ’cause it’s not, it’s not good for myself and it’s just gonna take longer. So I’ve gotta find a way to kill time. And so I thought I have to get out and make some friends, which is pretty hard because I know how making new friends is because I was jumping around from school to school in my primary years, and it wasn’t easy for me. I thought it would’ve been a bit hard because it’s high school and everyone’s matured more.

And so I thought, what are some ways I could go out and make some friends? So I just thought, what hobbies could be similar to other hobbies that some of the people got at school? So playing footy was one of mine. So I went out and had a kick of the footy with some of the boys and had a talk with them. And it was easier than I thought. And the struggles they have back at their home is the same as, pretty similar, the same as what I got back in Alice Springs. So, it made me feel like I was back at home and time flew by quicker than I thought.

And now I miss school and want to go back. But the lesson I learned was don’t be shame. Just get out and have a crack because what’s the worst that can happen? And now I’ve made good relationships from that school and now I set myself up, or the people that I’m made good relationships with helped me get a job. Now I got a job here back in Broome. And yeah, just always listen to your mum.