Year 2’s Explore Life Cycles and Habitats at Healesville

On Thursday 7 November, our international students from Years 7 to 10 travelled to Sovereign Hill in Ballarat for a day of discovery, learning and connection. The excursion brought students together to explore Australia’s rich gold rush history while strengthening friendships across year levels. 

The group ventured deep into the Red Hill Mine, hearing stories of hope, hardship and perseverance from the miners who once worked there. After an enjoyable lunch, they explored the many shops and displays from the 1850s township and, of course, tried their luck panning for gold, a clear favourite among the students! 

A local tour guide, dressed in period costume, shared fascinating stories from the past, including how miners would use the crust of their pies as a makeshift plate to keep their dirty hands from touching the filling. Students also learned about the experiences of Chinese gold diggers and saw a re-creation of their camp, before witnessing the impressive guard parade, complete with a real rifle firing. 

The visit concluded with a gold pouring demonstration, where students watched molten gold transformed into a 3kg gold bar, another memorable highlight of the day. 

It was a brilliant excursion filled with laughter, learning and perfect weather, giving our international students a deeper understanding of Australia’s history and a chance to share in the excitement of discovery together.