Students from our school have recently undertaken an education tour of the national capital. Students will be given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy. After reviewing with the students about their favourite parts of the trip, we asked students to write about some of their favourite parts of the excursion.

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 $20 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion.

Recount of our Year 6 Canberra Camp 2019

By Katie Maddern and Roisin Thompson

On arrival at the school, which was where you were to meet for camp, you would get your name ticked off, store your luggage under your bus, and then board. It was in the hour of 5:00am leading up to 6:00am when people arrived and were boarding, so there was still very little light. But then, with everyone boarded and ready to leave, with a jolt we were on the road for a 4 hour trip and destined for Canberra.

On arrival in Canberra, having only stopped once on the way there for a comfort stop at McDonalds, we did not go straight to the accommodation. Instead we went to look at the Embassies. The Embassies are a collection of buildings that represent a different country, and are places where only people from that country can step foot. After we drove down the streets spotting out each and every Embassies, we drove up War Memorial Road and turned down a street where we continued to drive to and up a mountain. Then at the top of the mountain we stopped and disembarked the busses for the first time in Canberra. We walked down to a lookout, which had the most beautiful view. You could see the whole of Canberra, including Parliament House and the Australian War Memorial in the centre.

After seeing the whole of Canberra, we reboarded the busses and headed back down the hill. From here we went to the Australian War Memorial, which was one of the most peaceful aspects of the whole trip. The gorgeous building was located right in the sun, and had a warm glowing feel to it. Inside we saw the Plaque of the names of fallen soldiers, all lined with poppies on either side. Also there was a room with only one tomb stone, a commemoration to a man with no name and no record. We saw soldiers march down the stone courtyard in the middle of the War Memorial. We also got a tour in the lower floor of the building, which was more of a museum rather than a memorial. There we watched two presentations that showed footage of the war, and re-enactments of what would have happened. We then left the building and boarded the bus. 

Now we drove the opposite way down memorial road towards Parliament House. It’s tall rod aloft it’s roof and glimmering metallic walls surrounding it make it hard to miss, and it’s prominent yet abstract features make it hard to resist. So as we first walked into doors, you can imagine the awe on everyone’s faces. Marble pillars and stairs, two beautiful shades of red and green painting the walls. Then as we move to an upper floor, after a little while waiting of course, things just got even more astonishing. First we went on a tour, splitting up into class groups. We were taken into the Senate first, where we sat in the viewing deck, sadly they were not in session at the time. Then we were lectured about what happens in the Senate, before moving on to the room next door, the House of Representatives. Here we sat down again, having left the green of the Senate behind, and our tour guide once again told us about the main things that happen in the House of Representatives. Then, leaving the red behind this time, we moved our way out of the Representative rooms where our tour guide dropped us off. Then we were free to walk around, seeing paintings of past presidents and beautiful Parliament House gardens before meeting with the other class on the roof. Then we made our way as a grade back down to the busses, waving goodbye to Parliament House. 

Now finally, as its getting dark, we head to the accommodation for the first time. Out in fields with blocks filled with rooms upon rooms, this is not what you would typically think for an accommodation in Canberra.  But we unload the luggage anyway, and people find theirs and head for our school cabin. Inside was about seventeen rooms, each with two sets of bunk beds. So we are put into our cabin groups, and everyone unpacks their clothes, pillows and whatever else they brought. But we weren’t sleeping just yet. After everyone had unpacked and made their beds, we gathered once again in the main corridor. We all then congregated out the door and into the dining room. This was just a large room with large kitchen at the back. We found our designated tables and chose each of our seats before standing and lining up for food. After everyone was finished we put the plates and cutlery in a wash basket before heading back out the door again.

Now, having had dinner, it was getting pretty dark but we still had one more place to visit before we could go to bed. We boarded the bus and went on a course to the Dinosaur Museum. When we arrived you could already tell what the place was as there were electric and plastic dinosaurs in the courtyard right outside the building, but there was even more as we walked through the doors. There were fake plants, real plants and dinosaurs of all kinds on every inch of the walls. There were fossils and teeth in cabinets scaling the walls, each with life like pictures to show what they would have looked like millions of years ago. We had a tour guide take us round explaining what each and every item and artefact in the building was called and what it was. Then after about 40 minutes we had seen everything we possibly could have, so we made our way to the gift shop. Now was the first time we were allowed to buy any souvenirs, and it was a great place to start. There were rocks and jewels and all sorts of bits and bobs, and they used paper bags too. Then we were herded back onto the busses, finishing our travels for the day. When we arrived back at the cabin, it was close to being pitch black. We all settled into bed, chatted for a while before finally closing our eyes and drifting off to sleep.

As we all woke up the sun was barely visible, but I guess that’s what you get in winter. We all changed out of our pyjamas and into our clothes, brushed our teeth and did our hair before grouping in the main corridor of the building. We entered the dining room for the second time, where we had breakfast made up of the usual things. Toast, cereal and pancakes disappeared in seconds, and before you knew it we were out of there and back in our cabin. We packed our bags, loaded them below the busses before, then loading ourselves on to the buses. Then as we drove away we waved goodbye to our accommodation, never to see it again on this trip.

Now we were on the road, we headed for our first destination of the day, The National Museum of Australia. We had already seen its structure multiple times the previous day, but now that we were up close we could see just how abstract it really was. Painted in oranges and reds and yellows of all sorts, this eye catching building was as if a piece of art. It had curving walls and arches and colours everywhere you went. Inside we got a tour, having split up into multiple groups each with its own individual tour guide. The National Museum of Australia is dedicated to showing Australia past and its present, sharing stories of Australians and putting artefacts on display. So as we walked through lots of displays with a huge amount of interesting information thrown at us, and we all took it in. Then at the end of our tour all of the groups met up and we headed back for the busses. 

Having said farewell to the National Museum of Australia, we said hello to Questacon. In case you don’t know, Questacon is an interactive science museum for children and adults alike. This is the part that everyone had been waiting for, and it had finally arrived. We entered a spiral ramp that had different doors leading out of it. We entered the first door, and inside was an interactive science discovery room. There were heartbeat scales, a straight drop slide and all you could imagine. Then, after playing around for a little while in there, we moved up the ramp and into the next room. Inside was a more crafty side of science and in the next room was electric themed experiments. It went on like that until we had experimented every room on the spiral, before heading back down the spiral into the one and only gift shop. Unlike the Dinosaur Museum, the Questacon Gift Shop was filled with collection of mixed items. There were slinkys and bouncy balls, lava lamps and Newton’s Cradles. So people bought their collection of bits and bobs, put them in a box that would later be stowed beneath the bus and met outside the building. We all then crossed the road to a green patch of grass, where we sat down and had lunch. Our lunch had been provided by the bus drivers, and consisted of sandwiches and fruit.

Sadly, it was time to wave goodbye to Canberra. We boarded the buses, and began to drive down the road. We drove and drove until we were out of Canberra, stopping once only for a comfort stop at McDonalds, and we kept driving right until the point we were on the road right outside the school. It was 6:00pm, and the sky was already turning black. We stepped outside the busses and collected our bags, moving towards our waiting parents. Camp was over, and we were home - having enjoyed an amazing, fun filled and interesting excursion.