Geography Fieldwork

VCE Geography

Student Reflection by Hannah W (12.8)

Our VCE Geography fieldwork excursion to the old Lilydale Quarry, now called Kinley, offered a great opportunity to enhance our understanding of land use change. Once a site for limestone mining, the area is currently undergoing a major transformation into a residential community. By examining both the remnants of the quarry and the new housing developments, we could see firsthand how human activity alters landscapes over time. This experience emphasised the intricate processes involved in shifting from industrial to urban land use, reinforcing important concepts from our studies and providing a clear example of land use change in action.

Year 9 – Rayner’s Orchard

On Wednesday 5 March half of our Year 9 cohort attended a field trip to Rayner’s Orchard to learn about the modification of Biomes. Students were able to pick and eat fruit whilst listening to a tour of the orchard’s history and current management practices. An enjoyable, information packed, and sunny day in the orchard for our future Geographers!

Tanya Robinson

Year 9 Coordinator 

Student Reflection by Priscilla P (9.12)

The Year 9 excursion to Rayner’s Orchard was a fun and interactive way to see everything we have been learning about in class in real life. Upon our arrival at Rayner’s, we started off by bottling our own apricots, preserved in a sugar syrup. We were then taken on a tour around the farm in which we were introduced to various fruits, some quite exotic, for instance the finger lime and loquat. 

Whilst traversing through the rows of trees, we were privileged enough to pick our own fruit and eat it fresh from the trees! We learnt about the different ways Rayner’s strives to remain natural and sustainable, including their dam water/irrigation systems and lack of pesticides and other chemicals. We then applied the knowledge learnt in class as we drew a field sketch of the farm. 

To finish off the day, we embarked on a leisurely tractor ride where we were able to see the temperate/mixed forest biome surrounding the farm, as well as the extent of fruit trees within. All in all, it was an enlightening and enjoyable experience, which has given us a deeper appreciation and desire to continue looking after nature.