After another fantastic, whirlwind tour of the sites and learning opportunities of Canberra, we are back and ready for Term 3. This trip forms part of our students’ studies on the Federal Government, our Constitution and the history of Australia. There were many positives for our students as they developed friendships and experienced many new and interesting places in Canberra – each day held highlights of its own and different students enjoyed different aspects of each day.
It all started on Thursday 20 June when we arrived at Perth Airport to catch our 3:45pm direct flight to Canberra.
Friday 21 June – Parliament House, NEEC, Royal Mint and Australian War Memorial
On Friday 21 June we began our day by visiting Parliament House. At Parliament House, we participated in an activity with the Parliamentary Education Office where they showed us how parliament is run and let us vote for our own bill. We then split into two groups with one visiting the National Electoral Education Centre and the other going to the Royal Australian Mint. After these tours, we met back together and did a self-guided walk through the Australian War Memorial.
Saturday 22 June – Cockington Green, Gold Creek Station and Questacon
On Saturday we visited Cockington Green to view the miniature villages, travelled to Gold Creek Station and experienced an Australian kelpie work the merino sheep, watched sheep shearing and participated in sheep wrestling! After this, we travelled to Questacon to do all things Science! Here we watched a show about liquid nitrogen and also got free time to explore all the awesome displays.
Sunday 23 June – St Andrew’s Church and Australian War Memorial
Sunday it was off to Church at St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church taking in the old architecture, stained glass windows and friendly congregation. Then onto the Australian War Memorial where we saw the Wall of Remembrance and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and viewed the audiovisual shows.
Monday 24 June – Government House, CSIRO, High Court, Parliament House
Then on Monday 24 June we did a tour of Government House where we learnt about the Governor General’s role and also went to the CSIRO Discovery Centre. We travelled from the CSIRO to the High Court of Australia. We then headed back to the Parliament house where we did a tour of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Tuesday 25 June – Museum of Australian Democracy, Embassy of Indonesia, Australian Institute of Sport
Tuesday, we visited the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, where we participated in the “Who’s the Boss” program. We also swapped our group rotations from Friday, meaning half the group went to the Royal Australia Mint and the other to the National Electoral Education Centre.
We also visited the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia, where we got an insight into Indonesian culture and were able to play some traditional Indonesian musical instruments, and the Australian Institute of Sport. The evening was spent relaxing and watching various movies.
Wednesday 26 June – Snow Day at Mt Selwyn
Then there was Wednesday 26 June – a day in the snow at Mount Selwyn! What a great day playing in the snow and tobogganing. The previous day’s snowfall meant students were able to experience beautiful, soft snow at the top of the mountain. From Mount Selwyn, we made our way back for dinner at Maccas. The students showed great patience while waiting for their fellow students to receive their orders.
Thursday 27 June – Sydney Sites, Circular Quay and Bondi Beach
On Thursday it was time to pack up and load our gear onto the bus as we headed out for a long day before catching our flight home! We travelled to Sydney and did a walking tour of Bondi beach. Then we travelled by ferry to Circular Quay and walked around taking in the views of the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Then it was off to Sydney Airport to board the plane before finally arriving at Perth airport. HOME!
A great time and experience was had by all, and we received lots of positive comments regarding our students’ behaviour.
PACER Program and Thanks
The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing funding of $240 per student the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate (PACER) program towards the cost. The rebate is paid directly to the College upon completion of the excursion. We really appreciate such support and funding!
I would like to thank the students for making the trip a great experience and parents for all your support before and during the trip. Thanks must go to Mrs Jones in our office for her work in helping organise the trip.
Thank you also to Mrs James, Mrs Rode, Mrs Jones Mr Murray, Mr Yu and Mr Blennerhassett for all their help. Without our valued staff this experience would not happen for our students.
