Full stomachs, cameras ready, and curiosity levels at an all-time high — our Year 9 students had an unforgettable first full day in Canberra! From standing in the halls of Parliament House to free-falling down a slide at Questacon, this trip has brought classroom learning to life in the heart of Australia’s capital.
We began our day with a hearty breakfast before heading off to the Royal Australian Mint and Government House, where we enjoyed fascinating tours at each venue. We then drove along Embassy Drive, where our bus driver pointed out the various embassies. We waved at the guards — although not many waved back!
Arriving early at Parliament House, we had some morning tea, which included fruit, muesli bars, and other snacks, before beginning our tour. Highlights included seeing a copy of the Magna Carta, written in 1215, and viewing the painted portraits of previous Prime Ministers. We spent plenty of time (and probably too much money!) in the Parliament House gift shop — but we couldn’t resist!
Next, we headed to Questacon, where we enjoyed a delicious lunch of assorted rolls before exploring eight levels of hands-on scientific activities connected to physics, geography, and astronomy. We ended our day watching the sunset at the Arboretum.
Each night, students from each teacher’s group will have the opportunity to share the highlights of their day here on the blog. Today, five students from Miss Moore’s group had lots to share about their adventures:
Wesley Jones highlighted our tour at the Royal Australian Mint: “It was freezing cold this morning, but we were glad to get on the warm bus and into the Mint. We learnt about Australia’s history of coins, including how Australia previously had 1c and 2c coins. We learnt about how coins are made today with the help of three robots. We also got an opportunity to go to the gift shop, and I bought a custom penny for my birth year — 2011.”
Jack Sneddon shared his experience at Government House: “I signed the Visitor’s Book at Government House, which is the current Governor-General Sam Mostyn’s house, on behalf of all the Year 9 students from St Stephen’s. I really liked this because it meant our HASS Tour got to make our mark in Canberra. Maria even got a chance to play piano in the Governor-General’s sitting room, which was really cool.”
Lily Clay thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Parliament House, saying: “I had a great day visiting the Australian Parliament House in Canberra. The building was impressive, with its unique design built into Capital Hill and a massive flagpole on top. The guided tour was very informative, and we even got a chance to see the Senate and the House of Representatives. The view from the rooftop was definitely a highlight, as we could see the War Memorial directly across from Parliament.”
Amelia Du Plessis had a blast at Questacon: “Questacon in Canberra is so much better than Scitech at home! There were so many activities to do, and they were all science-related but fun at the same time. Alani, Miss Moore, Mr Osborne, and I attempted to balance rings on a rotating cylinder. I was good at it, even though Alani’s ring almost knocked mine over a few times. We also got to free fall down a slide, but we had to wear orange jumpsuits that made us look like prisoners. Mr Langley and Mr Osborne tried to be professional baseball pitchers, with Mr Langley throwing a ball recorded at 105 km per hour. We also went into the Earthquake House, which simulated what a real earthquake would feel like. The gift shop was really cool, and I wanted to buy a Lego set of flowers, but they were expensive.”
Regarding our visit to the Arboretum, Ryan Wang recalled: “The Arboretum was really peaceful after a busy day with lots of tours. Our afternoon tea was really good, especially the muffins. We all went exploring and took scenic photographs during golden hour. The sunset made the sky pink and the clouds look really cool. I took my camera and got some great photos I can’t wait to share.”
Although we don’t believe there is anything such as “too many photos”, we believe we may have come very close to this today. There are photos attached to this post, as well as 3 videos*. We have so many more to share and will update accordingly!
Thank you, and have a good evening.
Warm Regards,
The HASS Tour Staff.
*Disclaimer: Some students have been de-identified due to not having photo permissions. If you are this student’s parent and/or guardian, and you would like to have the group images with your child included, please email tenesha.moore@ststephens.wa.edu.au
Students outside Government House.
Jack signing the Visitor Book at Government House.
Maria signing the Visitor Book at Government House.
Maria playing the piano.
Rahni playing the piano at Government House.
Ryan playing the piano at Government House.
Students at Government House.
Students entering Government House.
Students wiping kangaroo poop from their shoes after walking on the lawn at Government House.
Students entering Government House.
Students outside Parliament House.
Ryan, Alex and Wesley at Questacon.
Ryan, Alex and Wesley at Questacon.
Ryan, Alex and Wesley at Questacon.
Students walking up the stairs at Parliament House.
The Magna Carta.
Students posing on the rooftop of Parliament House.
Students at the Australian Mint Exhibition.
The Governor-General’s house.
One of the Governor-General’s many cars.
A cool light display at Questacon!
A cool light display at Questacon!
Lochie, Rylan, Vishy, Will, Zeke and James striking a pose!
Students at Questacon.
Alex, Zane, Wesley, Ryan, Sam and Jack at Questacon.
Students lining up for the free-fall slide.
Students watching a brief video on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ present varied food sources found in mangroves.
Students reading a book and the periodic table.
An image taken at Questacon in the planetarium level.
Alani striking a pose!
Amelia striking a pose!
Students walking up the stairs of the Australian Mint Exhibition.