[CDU eNews] - NT RURAL COLLEGE STUDENTS RECEIVE A HELPING HAND . . . FROM MELBOURNE

[Peter.Hurt at cdu.edu.au]

A helping hand for rural students,
all the way from Melbourne every year

A Melbourne couple have arrived in Katherine on their annual pilgrimage to
assist Northern Territory Rural College students with their literacy and
numeracy.

Katherine has become a second home for George and Loris Murdoch who give
their time and skills every year as members of Volunteers for Isolated
Students' Education Inc. (VISE), a scheme that ensures the skills of the
nation's retirees are not wasted.

George, a retired school principal, and wife Loris are on their eighth
visit to the college, part of Charles Darwin University.

NT Rural College director Brian Heim said: "We are rapt that George and
Loris are back at the College with us for another dry season. They provide
a much-needed service to our students and the broader community and help to
fulfil our goal of providing training excellence to all our students."

Dr Heim said George would be helping full-time students with their
assignments, working with external apprentices doing their academic
training through CDU and assisting other students on various short-term
training courses.

"Loris will be working in the college library, helping to fill a gap caused
by the retirement of Katherine identity James Richards at the end of last
year."
Mr Murdoch said today: "Loris and I really look forward to our annual trip
to Katherine. We spend up to five months here every year and during that
time we work with lots of young people and also meet lots of wonderful
people."

"When we leave Katherine to go home we always look at one another and
observe that once again we seem to have taken more from Katherine than we
have given," Loris said. "Every year we seem to learn more about this area
and meet more wonderful people and enjoy ourselves so much."

The NT Rural College and VISE have a long record of cooperation over the
past 15 years.
VISE has met with remarkable success, placing retired teachers with
families in remote areas to help students keep up with their schoolwork -
and offer much-needed respite for parents.

>From Cape York to the Kimberley, throughout the Northern Territory,
Queensland and NSW, hundreds of teachers and their spouses have taken part
in this scheme since its inception in 1990.

The Murdochs will be in Katherine until the end of September when they will
head down south again for Christmas with family and friends. They will get
their vehicle serviced, their caravan checked and then start to prepare for
their next visit to their second home in Katherine.


Dr Heim and George Murdoch are available for interview, by contacting the
NT Rural College on 8973 8311



Peter Hurt
Media Manager
Charles Darwin University
Tel: 08 8946 6019 or 0438 466 439

CRICOS Provider No: 00300K