Humanities

Year 12 Geography Excursion

As a part of their fieldwork investigation for Unit 3, VCE Geography students have been delving into the land use change at the former St Mary’s Seminary site on Jacksons Road, Mulgrave.  Students performed a number of surveys, observations and data collection at the new Sir Hubert Opperman Retirement Village on 12 May, which included a very rewarding and valuable conversation with a number of the residents in the new development.   

On 14 May, we were also very fortunate to have Fr Harry Dyer, OMI (presently Rector at Mazenod College) speak with the class about his extensive experience and knowledge about the former seminary. This research is being used by students to complete the major SAC for Unit 3, which entails a 2000 word fieldwork report about the social, economic and environmental impacts of land use change on the site and its immediate region.

Mrs Carolyn Murphy

Geography Teacher

Year 12 Economics and Accounting Excursion

Last Friday Year 12 Economics and Accounting classes spent the day in Melbourne, embarking on an economic-based walking tour of the city. We explored various key sites, including the ANZ Banking Museum, Hosier Lane, and the Block Arcade. At each stop, we examined how economic principles and practices are reflected in the city, from in-depth talks about Australia’s finances to the role of tourism and small businesses in shaping the local economy. 

At noon, we broke off into small groups to have lunch and compete in an Amazing Race around the city. The race challenged us to apply what we’d learned in a fun and fast-paced way, as we solved clues and navigated landmarks. It was a great way to wrap up the day, especially since our group came out on top!

Overall, the excursion was a valuable and enjoyable way to connect classroom theory with real-world experience, and gave us a new appreciation for the role economics and accounting play in everyday life.

Renee Strunz

Year 12, MX7

Pentridge Excursion Reflections

Our Law and Order excursion at Pentridge prison was a truly unforgettable experience. It was thought-provoking, informative and confronting all at once. To witness and be able to explore the notorious H Division as well as learn about the incredibly harsh conditions and treatments that many prisoners would undergo was eye-opening. A moment that really stuck with me was when the tour guide was explaining how those on death row would spend their final days, unable to leave a small compact room and being constantly watched by a guard to prevent them from committing suicide. How ironic? 

All in all, this excursion was undeniably one the best I've ever been to. It was extremely enlightening and educational, offering a rare insight into the harsh realities of the past and the importance of understanding how our justice system has evolved. It's an experience that will stay with me for a long time. 

Renae

Year 10 KN 3

At the Pentridge prison, I experienced a shocking but enjoyable tour that taught me the harsh realities that prisoners had to go through back when Pentridge was an active prison. We got the privilege to listen to audios, explore H division - the block with the worst criminals/prisoners - and hear about stories, incidents, and the experiences that they went through from our tour guide. Apart from the actual cells and buildings that were in Pentridge, we found that there was a shopping centre, restaurants, a museum, and a playground for everyone which was also quite interesting and fun which made my experience at Pentridge even better.

Izabelle

Year 10 MC6

On our Law and Order excursion, I enjoyed touring Pentridge Prison and seeing how each division was designed. H Division scared me the most especially when the guide said, “Bike thieves became murderers,” showing how brutal the guards were. It was shocking to learn how badly inmates were treated. What stood out was that the prison is now a museum, and how strange it felt to have a shopping centre nearby which made the experience both educational and fun.

Karmen

Year 10 MC3

Our Law-and-Order excursion to Pentridge was a very enjoyable experience. Learning about the punishments that took place in the infamous H Block was quite shocking, but intriguing to see what gave it its reputation. Seeing the cells Mark 'Chopper' Read, Ronald Ryan (the last person to be executed in Australia), and William O'Meally lived in was very eerie and made me question whether to feel sorry from them because of the punishment they had to endure even though it was their own fault they were there.

Makayla

Year 10 KN5

Visit to the Museum of Chinese Australian History

Our excursion to the Museum of Chinese Australian History was an unforgettable experience. Although the bus ride was long and a bit tiring, it was absolutely worth it.

We were fortunate to have an incredible tour guide named Emerald, who shared fascinating insights and answered all our questions with enthusiasm. One of the most memorable exhibits was the enormous Millennium Dragon—once the longest dragon used in parades. Its head alone weighs 120 kilograms, and it takes over 200 people to lift the entire dragon!

We also discovered an ancient Chinese invention designed to detect earthquakes in distant towns—an impressive example of early scientific innovation. Most of our time was spent on the second floor, which focused on the Han Dynasty. We were given booklets to complete as we explored, helping us engage more deeply with the exhibits.

After the guided tour, we had 40 minutes to explore the museum independently and finish our booklets. We visited:

• The basement, which featured the Millennium Dragon displays,
• The first floor, also dedicated to dragons and their cultural significance,
• The second floor, where we explored the Han Dynasty in depth,
• The third floor, which told powerful stories of Chinese migration to Australia.

We thoroughly enjoyed every part of the museum and would love to visit again. We highly recommend it to anyone interested in history, culture, or simply a great day out!

Ryan Chan Year 7 KN5 

Diego Jong Year 7 MC3

Aaron Forster Year 7 KN1

Year 11 Geography Excursion 

The Year 11 Geography class went on an excursion to Dandenong ranges, on 23 May. We performed an in-depth risk assessment on 5 different sites, and were accompanied by their class teacher Mr Clark as well as Mrs Murphy on the excursion. 

During the excursion the class had gone to various locations to gather information about the environment, specifically of the bushfires that have occurred there. The locations visited were One Tree Hill, Hardy Gully, Basin Olinda Road, and Burkes Lookout; all were visited in the respective order. 

Each location was assessed on the following factors: physical features, native flora and native fauna. We looked at the impacts of Bushfires within the environment and some of the factors that contribute to the risks of them. We enjoyed hearing from a Parks Victoria Ranger who took us to the various sites and collecting Fieldwork Data at each of the sites.

The findings from our fieldwork will help us in completing our Fieldwork Report that focusses on how the Bushfires affected the Dandenongs and discussing our findings.

Year 11 Geography Students (Rissa, Grace, Jon, Alexis, Nicholas, Tommy)