BEST’s social programs co-ordinator Danny Middleton organised the lunch of creamy homemade soup and a large lamb roast on a spit for the elders.

Aunt Elizabeth Connors gave the Welcome to Country, and young Myles Jerrard welcomed the elders to the luncheon.

Alex Munro played a longer piece with hiccups, growls, roars and yips that filled the room with sound.

Inverell poet Esther Gardiner recited one of her popular poems from memory to the sound of Alex playing the didgeridoo behind her.

Danny wanted the lunch to show gratitude for the older people who are so highly regarded in the community.

“To show the Aboriginal elders that we respect them, and we thank them for what they’ve done,” he said.

He said the same to the elders.

“Elders, today is all about you. It’s about us showing we appreciate you, we respect you, and we thank you.”

Danny arranged for students in the Inverell High School Clontarf Academy to serve the older people, many of whom were the boys’ family members and relations. He said there was method to his decision.

“I wanted to bring the Clontarf Academy together for them to actually wait on the elders and say thank you for what you’ve done for us.”

Phyllis Brown said it was good to be at the lunch among the others.

“I get to see more people,” she said.

Elizabeth Munro said it was good to be there. Her son Alex brought her to the meal. 

“I didn’t know I was coming until yesterday. He said, ‘You coming with me Mum to lunch?’” she smiled.

Alex and BEST Employment’s Tom Sanderson serenaded the group as the lunch service commenced. 

The boys seemed alive with excitement to be serving their elders, and hustled up and down from the kitchen below where Mark Newton was nursing the fragrant lamb roast.