Humanities

Term 2

The Humanities faculty has had an exciting start to Term 2 with students taking their learning beyond the classroom and going on several excursions and fieldwork trips: 

YEAR 12 GEOGRAPHY FIELDWORK – PHILIP ISLAND 

Our recent Geography fieldwork excursion to the Phillip Island Penguin Parade was a winner! We travelled to the location to observe the land use change of the Summerland’s Peninsula, and how the residential land (183 houses) developed in 1927 was removed by 2010, and converted to a nature reserve. The excursion was highly useful in observing the effects of the land use change; being able to witness the second most popular tourist attraction in Australia, being the ‘Little Penguins’ of the Penguin Parade.

Geography at St Bede’s has been one of my most enjoyable subjects at the College, covering topics of tourism, bushfires, glaciers & ice sheets, volcanoes and land use change to name a few. I recommend this subject to students eager to discover more about their world.

• Benjamin Smith – Tutor Group 40

YEAR 11 GEOGRAPHY FIELDWORK – KINGLAKE 

The recent Geography fieldwork excursion was quite enjoyable. As a cohort we travelled to the Kinglake region and ventured into the Kinglake National Park to observe and to take photographs relevant to the topic “Has the Kinglake region completely recovered from the Black Saturday Bushfires?” We collected data on tree heights and compared them to the heights prior to the bushfires in 2009, we took many photographs to reference in our upcoming SAC as primary sources. We visited Masons Falls which was a scenic lookout that gave us the opportunity to note the change in the environment, after eating lunch at the local cafés we took the bus back to St Bede’s.

• Josh Atkins- Tutor Group 32

YEAR 9 HISTORY EXCURSION – MENTONE RSL & MEMORIAL GARDENS 

While we had been learning about World War One in class, many of us had some questions leading into the excursion to Mentone RSL. Classroom learning is fantastic, but the chance to supplement it with some experience was a great opportunity. In the classroom, you find it hard to find time to reflect on what you have just learned, due to the fast-paced and loud nature of it, leaving some understanding not tapped in to. The excursion across the road, where we were silent, reverent and reflective gave us that opportunity. Something about listening to facts that we had learned during our small service in that silent and reflective state made them click and stay in my mind, as it did for others who experienced it. The excursion gave us greater understanding, connection and memory of what we had learned, setting us up for assessments and exams in the future.

• William Aufner- 9.1 Mentone

I loved the ANZAC Day memorial trip for its profound historical significance. Immersed in stories of bravery and sacrifice, I felt a deep connection to the past. Walking amongst memorial sites, I was filled with gratitude for the selfless service of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. Each tribute and commemoration touched my soul, reminding me of the enduring impact of their sacrifice. It was a humbling experience that deepened my appreciation for their heroism and the value of remembrance.

• Caiden McGaw – 9.7 Mentone 

 Even those who were unable to attend the excursion, have realised, through their classroom learning, what ANZAC Day symbolises for them and Australians as a whole.

What does ANZAC day mean to me? 

ANZAC Day for me is a day of remembrance for all the fallen Australian soldiers who died fighting and still are currently fighting for our freedom and peace. It commemorates the day that Australians landed in Gallipoli to the day the War ended (1914-1918).

ANZAC Day is a day of remembrance for the soldiers that fought for peace in our country. It is a time that we remember their qualities like bravery, mateship and resilience. Many communities come together for marches, dawn services and ceremonies to reflect. Many soldiers who fought in the war or their families bring their medals to these events to show how proud they are that they have fought for our country. 

Australia's identity has been heavily influenced by our soldiers and how they portrayed themselves showing that they would always have a close bond even through tough times. They always stayed together and always listened to each other. After looking through many photos of the soldiers at War they are always smiling and looking like they are having fun. 

But most of all ANZAC Day can hold different emotions for certain people. Personally, my great grandpa fought in the war, so most years on ANZAC day we bring his medals to the dawn services and commemorate what he did for our families and other Australians' peace

• Finn Bonsall 9.1 Mentone 

YEAR 10 HISTORY ELECTIVE EXCURSION – STATE LIBRARY OF VICTORIA AND THE SHRINE OF REMEMBERANCE 

The excursion was really interesting. First, we went to the Victoria State Library and learnt about some amazing ways to research and study efficiently. After that we were given a tour of the reading rooms, newspaper rooms and the library. I really enjoyed seeing all the rare and vintage books the library had to offer! After that we went to the Shrine of Remembrance and learnt about the lead up to the Vietnam War and even got the opportunity to talk to a conscript that had served in Vietnam!

I especially enjoyed the tour of the memorial as we got to see one of the most significant Victorian Cross medals in the world, and even one of the boats that was used in the Gallipoli campaign. I am really enjoying what the year 10 history elective has to offer. It's perfect for people who love history and want to extend their knowledge. At the moment we are learning about the history of nuclear weapons and disasters. It’s really fascinating to learn how significant nuclear power is to our world and how deadly it can be. I would definitely suggest picking the history elective for anyone next year! 

• Ed Brown Tutor Group 26

https://vimeo.com/stbedescollege/yr10history23

Meaghan Ryan

Humanities Leader