An extreme sense of awe to wash over me

 

Brushstrokes of History by Emma Choi

 

The historical study tour to Darwin and the Top End of Australia, as part of the Anzac Spirit School Prize, was an experience I will remain forever profoundly grateful for – I left Adelaide Airport, subsequent to the ten days of the trip, having acutely cultivated my passion for history, ruminated upon my personal identity and values, and materialised close-knit bonds with some of the most intelligent, ardently investigative individuals I will ever have the pleasure to meet.  

 

With this opportunity, I would like to share a quote that I believe summarises the emotions I felt on the trip: “We are not makers of history. We are made by history.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. As such, I was continually reminded that in the grand tapestry of human existence, each of our lives are intricately entwined with those that came before us; and an experience that particularly enforced this, was observing Indigenous Australian rock art sites.  

 

This ancient canvas etched upon rock caused such an extreme sense of awe to wash over me. This image specifically captures rock art that likely originates from the freshwater period – meaning the last 1500 years – and depicts the sources of food the First Nations people, at the time, relied on, such as fish. Listening to our tour guide, Niall, explain various details, including the fact that red pigments typically display greater longevity in rock art than yellow, and the diverse Dreamtime Stories represented, was extremely enlightening. The red handprint, as visible in the photograph, was particularly fascinating to me – the rock surface, so high up above us at present, would have been ground level for those who had painted upon it thousands of years ago. This emphasised how we are all simply visitors upon a landscape that will continue to grow, evolve, and change, for an unimaginably long period of time.    

Simultaneously, however, the trip also instilled a sense of drive within me – whilst we may not be the sole architects of history, we possess the capacity to contribute to its ongoing narrative. The marks of past stories left for us to share, whether that be the bricked wall of the bombed Darwin Post Office, clandestine oil tunnels from World War II, or descriptions inscribed on the graves of brave individuals who embodied the Anzac spirit, left me determined to both honour these said stories, and leave my own mark.  

 

Finally, I would like to express my gratitude for the nineteen other awardees, Malcolm, Aaron, Peter, Lauren, and Jodie – thank you your knowledge and kindness, and for the lifelong memories.