Year 7 History Excursion

On Friday 8 March Year 7O and 7R went on excursion to the Heaven and Earth exhibition at the AGNSW and The Big Dig archaeological centre with Mr de Bres and Ms Wark.

On the way to the Art Gallery Mr de Bres drew our attention to some places of historical importance in the city including The Archibald Fountain at Hyde Park, St Mary’s Cathedral, Governor Macquarie’s statue at the top of Macquarie Street, Hyde Park Barracks, The Mint, NSW Parliament, Sydney Hospital, the Nurses Fountain at the rear of the Hospital and the Speaker’s Platform in the Domain.

At the ‘Heaven and Earth’ exhibition we walked around learning about the ways and styles of ancient Chinese art. My favourite object was the photo of the Chinese emperor on his throne, surrounded by dragons.
After the exhibition we walked through the Royal Botanic Gardens. We lunched in the gardens below Government House and looked out to Bennelong Point (where the Opera House is situated) and Fort Denison, another significant historical site on the harbour.

After lunch we walked to The Big Dig in The Rocks. There we learned about the families that lived in The Rocks area, as well as the effects of the plague. We also discussed whether or not The Rocks was a slum. We completed a historical timeline activity and studied artefacts which had been found at the site.  I chose two objects to study. These were an old shoe and an old pulley used to flush a toilet.

My favourite part of the excursion was learning about the houses in The Rocks and the people that lived there.
I would like thank Mr de Bres and Ms Wark for taking us on this fun and interesting excursion.

By Leo Sharwood
Year 7