Science Week
Primary School Science Week 2026: Recognising Indigenous Science
The week started on Monday, with the individual Science Challenge projects filling the Primary School and ECC foyers. These ranged from amazing models of the Fish Traps to hand-made boomerangs and spears, bush medicine concoctions, and even a handcrafted working didgeridoo!
Dr Susie Cramp visited to talk about her research on Indigenous lizard traps, and Mrs Teresa McAllister took the Year One students on a foreshore walk to find the bush food samphire, which they would delight in adding to the dampers they made later in the week with the help of the Year Ten students.
On Tuesday, Indigenous leader Larry Blight spoke to Year One to Year Three students about everyday science used by the local Menang people to make fire (using lightning rock, sand, dried kangaroo scat, and sticks). Rachel Angelini from the Muewum of the Great Southern brought in a range of simple machines for Year Two to Year Four students to explore, helping them understand firsthand the precision required when constructing and using Indigenous tools and weapons. Our own Science teachers, Mr Grant Taylor and Dr Paul Mitrovski, ran fun and informative workshops on Indigenous astronomy and the use of the woomera to hunt local animals.
On Wednesday, the Year One students rejoined Mrs Teresa McAllister and the Year Ten students to make their samphire dampers (with their homemade butter, yum!). Dr Alison Lullfitz and Indigenous presenter Jessikah Woods delivered a fascinating cross-cultural presentation, identifying different plants and bush foods and their varied uses, while also providing insight into significant aspects of Indigenous culture, such as the moodjar tree (WA Christmas tree), which is important as it is believed to hold the spirits of those who have passed.
Three different trips to the ancient Fish Traps took place. In the morning, the Year Five students gained knowledge from local Elder Shandelle Cummings. Kindy and Pre-Primary students completed the walk with Year Eight and Year Nine VACS students and their Humanities teachers, and the Year One and Year Two students took an afternoon stroll, enjoying hearing from Mr Lewis Ward and current Year Eleven Indigenous students Lindsay Dean and Mackirra Williams.
On Thursday, classes pursued their own studies on an aspect of Indigenous science in preparation for the in-house presentations on Friday afternoon.
Friday was a very exciting final day! While the ECC students had fun in their playground making their own dampers over a campfire, the Year Six students were delighted to learn how to make Indigenous tools from Larry Blight. Using mini stoves to heat solid grass, tree resin, and kangaroo droppings into a soft paste, Larry helped them carefully insert a sharp flint (or shard of glass) at the top to create replica Indigenous tools. The cohort then joined Mr Tone Ritchie in the Secondary School to take part in an exciting forensic workshop. A headless corpse was uncovered, leading to a scientific archaeological “whodunnit” as students worked to piece together the 40,000-year-old mystery of Narrabeen Man.
Science Week ended with an action-packed afternoon, during which each year group presented their class research and window displays, highlighting the extensive influence Indigenous science has had on Western science. A perfect ending to our 2026 Primary Science Week!
Mrs Fiona Gouldthorp | Primary School Science Coordinator