From the Assistant Principal's Desk

YEAR 5 EXCURSION TO COCKATOO ISLAND

When we arrived at Cockatoo Island/Wareamah, the first thing that our tour guide showed us was a sandstone tunnel. He told us that the Island used to be surrounded by sandstone. This was the British settlers primary source of material. We went up the Island and we saw the house of the superintendent and learnt about their role. Next, we visited the guard house and found out what they did in it. After, we saw the Mess Hall which is where the convicts would be served breakfast and lunch/dinner (lunch and dinner was combined). This place was also where there was weekly mass.

Outside the Mess Hall there was a well where the convicts were allowed to wash their face once per day but they could not change clothes or shower for 6 months! Then we went to see where the convicts slept. We learnt that 3 people would share a wooden uncomfortable bed and the dorms were very dirty, unclean and full of diseases. Finally, we saw  a dock that took 10 years to be dug by convicts. The purpose of it was to be a dry dock so they could fix boats.

This was one of my favourite excursions, I learnt a lot about the British colonies on Cockatoo Island.

By Elsa

Warm regards,

Fenna Di Maggio