Year 6 Excursions

As part of their Term 4 HASS studies, Year 6 are learning about 'Significant First Nation Australians', with a particular focus on the palawa/people of lutruwita/ Tasmania, both past and present. 

Students were given the opportunity to learn first-hand about Fanny Cochrane Smith from her direct descendent Bronwyn Dillon. They travelled by bus to Nicholls Rivulet where the church Fanny Cochrane Smith and her family built in the mid-1800's. This old church is now a living museum of significant cultural importance. The College is grateful to SETAC (South East Tasmanian Aboriginal Corporation) and Bronwyn Dillon who generously shared her people's stories with us and answered all our questions. All Year 6 students who attended the excursion, are to be highly commended for their positive engagement in learning more about Aboriginal histories and cultures as a cross-curriculum priority in their HASS studies this term.

Bark Canoe

Year 8 Ceramics and Sculpture students have almost finished constructing a traditional palawa bark canoe. Led by highly accomplished craftsman Sheldon Thomas, students have participated in workshops at our Senior Campus. These lessons are part of a term unit on woven vessels. Students learnt to strip stringy bark and twist it to make rope. They trimmed cork reed and made bundles of the bouyant stalks. Sheldon showed students how to wrap the cork reed in stringybark to make the three separate sections of the canoe. These will be strapped together using the stringybark rope. We are very grateful to Sheldon Thomas for sharing this unique cultural craft with us and look forward to completing construction very soon.