Year 5 Excursion 

On the 21st of October 2024, all Year 5 students visited the Old Melbourne Gaol and Old Treasury Building. We have been learning about democracy and how it works. At 8:40 a.m we boarded the bus, and at 9:30 a.m we arrived. Mr Zgudka's class and half of Mrs Murphy's class took a tour around the treasury building, while Mrs Nugent/Diciero's class and the other half of Mrs Murphy's class went to the Old Melbourne Gaol. When my group arrived at the Old Melbourne Gaol, our tour guide told us the story of Ned Kelly. We learnt about how he was both good and bad, and how he was in a gang and they were hiding from the police. After that, we went to the courtroom. We reenacted the mock trial where he was sentenced to death. I was playing the role of dr. Samuel Reynolds and I talked about the 3 gunshots on the policeman. Apparently, Ned said he shot the police 2 times but there were 3 gunshots. We concluded that the gunshot on his left thigh was shot accidentally by the policeman himself. Next, we went inside of the gaol. We saw the wood plank where Ned was hung. The prison smelt of fresh wood and rust. We also went inside of his prison cell and saw his wax mask. It was tiny and clamped in his cell. Right after, we went into the courtyard and ate a little snack. The sun was shining and it was really hot. Our guide told us that his armour, boots, and rifle were in the state library so, We walked just down the road to the state library. We also saw a portrait of Barry-judge who sentenced Ned Kelly to death. It was 11:00 a.m and we were walking to the treasury building. We stopped at a park with a water fountain and ate lunch. Just across the park was the treasury building. When we went inside, we split into groups of 10. Our tour guide took us to the meeting room where the governor makes decisions on democracy. Then, she also took us to see the biggest golden nugget found during the gold rush. It was called the welcome stranger, and It weighed 78kg. After that she showed us the dresses that young ladies wore if they were poor and if they were rich. At 2:00 p.m, we boarded the bus back to school. Our trip was super fun and we learnt so many new things!

Daenerys 

5ND

On the 21st of October, the three Year 5 classes went on an extraordinary excursion to the Old Melbourne Gaol and the Old Treasury Building. The reason we went to these places was because we are learning about Australian democracy.

Looking at the Old Treasury Building from the outside, I was mesmerised by the shape, height, and colour. As we entered, we divided into three groups. One of the rooms we went to is where the Executive Council still holds their meetings. In the room, there were paintings, fancy seats, and many books. We also learned about the history of the Yarra River, how Britain came up with the name Yarra River, and how the Indigenous people gave a warning about the rocks and how they could cause problems. They said "yarra yarra," so Britain named it Yarra. We also got to know about the gold rush in Melbourne, how the miners needed licences to dig for gold, and how they were enraged by these licences. This led to a big conflict with the army, and the miners had to give in to the army. I honestly thought the experience was very exciting.

Then after lunch, we went to the Old Melbourne Gaol where we learned that Ned Kelly was a bushranger who was both perilous and amicable. We were practically baffled by how he could be seen as both a hero and a villain. We then went to the old court where Ned Kelly was sent to trial, and we acted out the scene. I was Mr. Smyth (the lawyer for the judge). The fun was colossal! We then went back to the gaol to see Ned Kelly’s armour, which was a replica. Ned Kelly died by being hanged on a pole. The pain was excruciating, apparently, and his neck broke. We then saw the face of Ned Kelly—his real face on a plaster cast. People were jittery, and I honestly thought it looked like a mannequin.

I think the Old Melbourne Gaol was filled with more excitement than the Old Treasury Building because we got to act out a scene, the gaol and Ned Kelly were more interesting than the governor’s meeting place and the constant information. However, both buildings were fun and interesting.

Minjun

5Z