A VISIT TO THE CAPITAL

Students from our school have recently undertaken an education tour of the national capital in our biennial VCE Legal Studies trip to Canberra. Students were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage, and democracy.

Our journey to Canberra began at 6.30 am when we boarded the buses to get to Canberra in time to see some of Canberra in the evening. With a few stops along the way, including a visit to the iconic Holbrook submarine, we made it to our accommodation in the early evening and went on a night walk to see the War Memorial.

Our first full day was jam-packed. We started at Parliament House, learning about both the history of the building and the foundations of democracy with the opportunity for a mock debate which the students embraced enthusiastically. This was followed by a guided tour along ANZAC Parade to learn about the interesting memorials to soldiers who sacrificed so much in different global conflicts. After some tasty lunch, we ventured to the National Archives that contains so many stories about the people who have contributed to Australia’s history and we even got to see the Constitution and other key artefacts. Our next stop was Mount Ainslie for a beautiful lookout over Canberra city as the sun was setting and after dinner we relaxed with some glow-in-the-dark mini golf!

Our final full day began at the Australian Electoral Commission learning about preferential voting and distributions.  After morning tea in the rose garden, we visited Old Parliament House and the Museum of Australian Democracy. Here we were able to learn about Australia’s democratic history, before taking part in a role play in the Senate chamber. Our next stop was Government House which is the residence of Australia’s Governor-General. We were amazed by the expansive grounds of the property and the impressive interior of the house. The rooms, artwork, cabinetry and details were fascinating. We were even shown the Governor-General’s Rolls Royce. Our last stop of the day was the Australian War Memorial, where we attended the last post ceremony and Zara and Shelby laid a wreath on behalf of BHCS.

On Saturday, we made the long bus trip back to Melbourne through the rain and cold weather! As always, our students were incredible representatives of our school, and should be commended for their participation and willingness to give things a go on the trip. Also a big thank you to the teachers who attended, Mrs Fraanje, Mr Cliffe, and Mr Halliday, and especially to Mr Kelly for being an excellent bus driver!

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing funding to our school in the amount of $45 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion.