Semester 2 Stage 4 History Site Study

On Friday 9 September, the Year 7 and 8 History students attended a Site Study at The Rocks. They investigated historical artefacts at The Big Dig Archaeology Site. They also visited The Rocks Discovery Museum and participated in a walking tour led by an Indigenous Guide, Jamarni Tompkins. Through inquiry learning, the students engaged with significant historical concepts including cause and effect, change and continuity, significance, empathy and contestability.

Here are some of the students’ reflections:

We visited The Rocks (Tallawoladah) in the city. It was a great experience as we got to learn about all the different rituals and initiation ceremonies as well as the way they lived. An interesting fact that we learnt was that there were different rituals for welcoming girls and boys into the tribe. For girls, a piece of rope or string was wrapped around her pinky finger when she was about 0-3 months old and it was left on for at least a week. In that time period, her finger would have changed to black and at the end of this process, her mother flicked her pinky out into the ocean. For the boys, a man holds him up and knocks out one of his front teeth. If he is brave then he is classified as a man. We had a great time learning about different cultures and understanding the way they survived as well as the different tools used by Aboriginal people for different purposes. 

Sarah S and Davina R

We learnt about the plants that Aboriginal people relied on to survive when they were thirsty, hungry or even to keep snakes away. When it was time to go to the second half of the excursion we went to the archeological site of the Big Dig. The site was very interesting because we saw artefacts that I thought wouldn’t preserve till today. 

Amelia O’C

I enjoyed learning about how people used to live in the Rocks area. I enjoyed learning the terms for different places around the harbour like the Sydney Botanical Gardens. The most interesting artefact that I encountered was a bottle that I thought was possibly a vase, but the instructor told us that it was used as a fizzy drink bottle and was kept lopsided on the table to keep the cork wet.

Tara M

The most fascinating thing that I learned was that people put animal skeletons and baby shoes between bricks to keep the evil spirits out.

Mischa Z

It was really interesting talking about people who lived in the houses that we can still see the structure of. The most fascinating thing I learnt was probably the way the houses were once standing there.

Ivy E

I enjoyed learning the history about the Rocks and what the original names were. I also liked how we wrote down what we thought those artifacts were. 

Charlotte R

The most interesting thing I learnt is the boomerangs don’t always come back unless they are symmetrical, and also the ceremonies the Indigenous Australians and Europeans held. 

Natalie N

I enjoyed looking at the different tools that Indigenous people used to make music such as the sticks. The most interesting thing I learnt was the tools that the Aboriginal people used to make music.

Bluebelle H

Overall, it was an engaging experience where I was able to learn about this country’s history and the past. It was extremely educational and I had a great time with my friends. It was very hands-on, meaning we actually got to participate in most of the activities. 

Gabby N