Exploring History and Geography in the City
About the program
Enjoy a day of discovery in the heart of Sydney, exploring the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Hyde Park Barracks and the Botanic Gardens of Sydney. In two new curriculum-aligned programs, students will uncover the far-reaching impacts of the convict system on Aboriginal peoples and explore its enduring legacies at the Hyde Park Barracks. They’ll also investigate the journey of water through urban catchments at the Royal Botanic Garden, discovering how both natural processes and human actions shape our environment.
History program
At the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Hyde Park Barracks, students uncover the site’s role in administering the convict system at the time of the Myall Creek massacre in 1838 and the impacts on Aboriginal peoples in Sydney and beyond.
Your students will:
- take part in a simulated archaeological dig to uncover artefacts and explore what archaeological evidence can reveal about Aboriginal peoples’ experiences of colonisation
- analyse a range of sources, including artwork, objects, oral histories and artefacts, to investigate Aboriginal peoples’ experiences and perspectives
- step into the Myall Creek exhibition space and connect with Country, learning about the Wirrayaraay people and their enduring connection to the place they have cared for over tens of thousands of years
- examine the circumstances surrounding the Myall Creek massacre and consider the perspectives and forces that shaped this event.
Hyde Park Barracks’ Myall Creek exhibition and legacy stories were developed in consultation with descendants of the Myall Creek massacre. The program was also informed by the expertise of the Museum’s archaeology and First Nations cultural and history specialists.
What students enjoyed about the program ...
It helped me picture Myall Creek as a real place with deep spiritual connections. It helped me value and imagine how Aboriginal people viewed Myall Creek.
'It showed the past and those people did exist and aren't just stories being drilled into us.'
'It helps build your own opinion towards the history of Aboriginal colonisation and the perspective of Aboriginal people.'
'...it shows how historians can study artefacts properly, and how different people's opinions matter.'
'It was very helpful to really hear and feel their connection to the events that happened in the past. It was helpful to think about how this could impact how we think about history.'
Geography program
By exploring the Royal Botanic Garden, students will learn the value of water, how water interacts with its environment and the importance of sustainable management.
They will gain an understanding of how an urban stream works, how natural and human actions affect the waterways and how we can apply sustainable environmental management practices to our water systems.
Your students will:
- conduct water quality tests in the Garden and use their data to assess the health of the aquatic ecosystem
- use maps to describe the movement of water around the site and design water management strategies for the Garden
- evaluate historical and present-day rainfall and water usage data to better inform a water management plan
- investigate through fieldwork how natural and human processes influence the quality, distribution and availability of water as a resource
- discuss approaches that can be used to sustainably manage water resources and reduce water scarcity
- learn about sustainable water management practices in an urban catchment.
For booking inquiries, call + 61 2 8239 2211 or email bookings@mhnsw.au
Complimentary program
Onsite
Country, Colonisation and Legacies
Students investigate the far-reaching impacts of the convict system on Aboriginal peoples and explore its enduring legacies
Hyde Park Barracks
Queens Square, Macquarie Street Sydney NSW 2000- Wheelchair accessible
Rathborne Lodge, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
Cost (GST free)
From $300 for up to 20 students for each program
See page for cost scale details
Duration of program
1 hour 30 minutes – history
2 hours – geography
Sessions offered
Monday to Friday
Dates:
Thursday 1 April
Wednesday 12 May, Thursday 13 May
Friday 30 July
Wednesday 8 September
Thursday 21 October
First session:
10am–11.30am Hyde Park Barracks
10am–12pm Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
Second session:
12.30pm–2.30pm Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
1pm–2.30pm Hyde Park Barracks
If these are not your preferred dates then please book these two learning programs separately via:
Maximum students
160 per session
Supervision ratios
The supervision ratio is 1:15 for secondary groups. Teachers and parents attend free of charge at these ratios. One carer per student with special needs will be admitted free of charge
Additional adult costs
Each additional adult will be charged at the concession rate of $15
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