Great Scot April 2019 Great Scot_156_April_2019_Online | Page 20

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FOUR BUSY DAYS
IN CANBERRA
Year 6 boys visited many locations during their tour
JUNIOR SCHOOL
CAPTAIN, WILSON
CRAWFORD, AND
JUNIOR SCHOOL VICE-
CAPTAIN, SAM STEELE,
AT THE WREATH-
LAYING CEREMONY,
AUSTRALIAN WAR
MEMORIAL, CANBERRA
Seventy-seven Scotch Year 6 boys
travelled to Canberra from 12 to 15 March,
accompanied by several staff, for an
exciting Year 6 Camp, as part of the boys’
Government, Parliament and Politics studies.
The boys spent four busy and productive
days in the nation’s capital, visiting the Royal
Australian Mint, Old Parliament House and
Parliament House, where they enjoyed a long
question and answer session with the Federal
Treasurer and Member for Kooyong, the
Hon Josh Frydenberg MP. They also visited
Questacon, the Australian Institute of Sport,
the Australian Electoral Commission, and rode
bikes around Lake Burley Griffin.
Highlights of the tour also included an
extended visit to the Australian War Memorial,
where the Junior School Captain and Vice
Captain laid a wreath, and a visit to meet
the Governor-General of Australia, General
the Hon Sir Peter Cosgrove, who found time
in his busy schedule to speak to the boys,
and make some presentations. Here are
some observations on the tour by 14 of the
participants:
‘It was a great pleasure to meet our Head
of State, Sir Peter Cosgrove, in Government
House. It was wonderful to have this once-in-
a-lifetime experience. Taking a tour around the
vast Government House was breathtaking.
Hearing about how busy the Governor-
General is and what he does every day really
makes us respect him more. This experience is
one of the best things Canberra has to offer.’
NEIL DOSHI, EDWARD HILLS and
HUGO FOWLES
WILLIAM HAYWOOD
AND MAXWELL FINDLAY
ON LOCATION IN
PARLIAMENT HOUSE
20
Great Scot Number 156 – April 2019
‘The Australian Institute of Sport visit came
on the Wednesday. As we walked into the
building, installations of bicycles hung from the
ceiling. The walls, painted a bright green, gave
a sporty sense. It was a real inspiration to see
all of the professional athletes training on a daily
basis to achieve amazing things.’
JOSH GAUDIN
‘Canberra affected me emotionally. I felt
sympathy for the families and friends who
lost someone during the horrible wars. I felt
proud for the people who achieved records
and amazing achievements under Australia’s
name under the roof of the Australian Institute
of Sport. I felt unusually satisfied looking at
the Questacon experiments. I felt relieved and
happy when I returned home.’
ALFIE HOLUIGUE
‘In the end, the Canberra camp was all
about resilience, being patient, and learning to
tolerate many obstacles. We had to be able to
improvise when things didn’t go to plan.’
MATTHEW KRIESNER
‘Attending the War Memorial was a very
emotional experience. Laying the wreath was
a massive honour, which demonstrated our
respect to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives.
The experience at the War Memorial was very
touching and it made me proud and grateful
to be Australian. The memorial recognises the
resilience the soldiers showed by never giving
up the will to fight for our country. Overall the
trip to Canberra was all about respect and
gratitude.’
WILSON CRAWFORD, SAM STEELE
AND RIO BARRY
‘Resilience, empathy, sorrow. Our trip
incorporated these values, and they featured
throughout the Canberra camp. Understanding
the horrendous conditions the soldiers endured,
then remembering family members touched all
of us. It made us realise how lucky we are by
being able to walk freely, having a safe place to
sleep, and having food and water to consume.
These were luxuries for the soldiers, but for us it
is normal.’
JOSEPH PAN
‘Our trip to Canberra taught us a lot
about using resilience and patience. The War
Memorial gave us a better appreciation of the
people who gave their lives in the hard-fought
wars. Resilience and patience were shown