As part of their History studies Year 4 travelled to The Rocks last Friday to participate in a fabulous, hands-on excursion, discovering the secrets of colonial life.  Our students dressed up in costumes representing the different groups of people living in the colony, including Governor Phillip, Governor Macquarie, nurses, free settlers and convicts! We visited landmarks in the preserved 19th Century historic landscape of Sydney’s oldest neighbourhood including Cadman Cottage (built in 1816), Playfair Street, George Street and The Rocks Square just to name a few. From there we continued to the Sydney Harbour YHA, which is built above archaeological remnants of colonial Sydney, and The Big Dig Archaeology Centre. Here we worked as archaeologists to excavate artefacts from the simulated archaeological dig, then used our investigative skills to discover what life was really like for the convicts and early settlers who lived in The Rocks during the 1800s including George Cribb, Ann Armsden and Richard Byrne. We had a fabulous time and learnt so much about Australia’s early colonial history.

Thanks to Mrs Matheson, Mrs Charnock, Mrs Pearson, Samantha Anthony, Mel Di Nardo & Alison Taber for joining us and making this excursion possible.