Exploring Democracy, History and Heritage

Our Year 6 students recently embarked on a five-day tour of Canberra as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. This immersive experience provided students with a wealth of dynamic learning opportunities focused on Australia's history, culture, heritage, and democracy.

Despite some cool weather, the students had a fabulous time visiting the National Gallery of Australia, Parliament House, the Museum of Australian Democracy, the National Electoral Education Centre, Mt Ainslie, the National Dinosaur Museum, the Deep Space Communication Complex, and Questacon. They also found time to enjoy a day of snow-filled fun at Corin Forest.

One of the definitive highlights of the trip was their visit to the Australian War Memorial, where they attended a special ceremony commemorating Sergeant Henry Whitton. The service included tributes to the Hospital Ship Centaur, honouring the tragic torpedoing of the AHS Centaur on 14 May 1943, in which only 64 of the 332 people aboard survived.

Following the service, the students were fortunate to meet Lieutenant General Susan Coyle, who was recently appointed as the 42nd Chief of Army — the first woman to lead any branch of the Australian Defence Force and the first female Chief of Army in the military's 125-year history.

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 $150 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. 

View our image gallery of the Canberra Tour below. Click any image to see it full screen.