SA Premier's Anzac Spirit School Prize

  More than just rocks By Malcolm McInerney At times during our trip to the Top End I heard some quizzical comments about my infatuation with rocks. Yes, they are rarely seen by most as something to dote upon, but they do stimulate the imagination in terms of time and please the eye in regard to beauty. With many others, one of the highlights of the trip for me was the boat trip in Katherine Gorge. Although at other times on the trip we saw some wonderful landscapes, the experience of floating past ancient rocks of such grandeur was awe-inspiring. Not only because they looked so beautiful but also because they told an amazing story. A story of time beyond our comprehension, and there we were in 2021 admiring them in all their glory. Their story involved being laid down in an ancient sea 1650 million years ago (get your head around that), then consolidated and hardened over millions of years, before being cut into by what we now call the Katherine River. As we travelled throug...

  Unforeseeable, and yet, unforgettable  By  Lara Nguyen Bich-Loan Reminiscing over our 10 days in the Northern Territory, it proved rather ambitious having to narrow everything down to one memorable moment. Leading up to the study tour, I was unsure in what to expect; I questioned myself and was extremely doubtful. Would I befriend anyone? Have I set my expectations too high for the trip? As these questions, alongside many others, ran through my mind, it was unforeseeable what I would experience on the trip, and yet, the trip had far exceeded my expectations. Throughout the trip, we heard many inspirational stories. Stories in which were eloquently spoken and taught us many distinct lessons, either intentionally or not. On the eighth day of our trip, we had the opportunity to experience Marksie’s Stockman’s Camp Tucker Night. Under the starry night sky, Marksie entertained us while we had beef stew, damper, scones, jungle juice, and billy tea. Both the food and hos...

  The moments of quiet reflection B y Bec Learey In a trip so full of joyful excitement and non-stop adventure it is hard to narrow down one pivotal moment that stands out. The spear throwing, pool swimming, crocodile feeding, rock climbing escapades were intermixed with journeys of discovery and a deeper understanding of the world around us. For me, it was the moments of quiet reflection that were most noteworthy. I appreciated the deep level of respect, gratitude and a desire to know more that was shown by all of the students. To watch as the students engaged with the culture of the Larakia people was wonderful, particularly the way they took hold of the wisdom that was shared with them. Each evening, as the team gathered, they eagerly awaited their turn to share the story and life of those who died in the Bombing of Darwin. It was incredible to hear the passion with which they honoured those that had gone before them. Arriving at Adelaide River War Cemetery was the culmination ...

  The impact of indigenous culture was all pervasive. By Tyla Peters The Darwin trip was an amazing adventure filled with experiences that could only be had in a well organised and programmed agenda with a group of like-minded people. The first couple of days proved a challenge in adjusting to new faces and a very different environment. Friendships developed quickly and the initial apprehension quickly turned to joy and a desire to learn more about Darwin and the impact of World War II on it and its inhabitants. The trip is full of memories that I will cherish forever. The new friendships made, the real local characters we met, the extensive war history of Darwin and the many and varied activities we enjoyed all contributed to a memorable trip. Selecting one favourite memory is difficult. One activity that does standout in my mind was the bush tucker night. The food, the environment, the story telling and the great company made this one of the most enjoyable nights ever. Storie...

  We truly are living in the ‘lucky country ’ By Maddison Lawrie Like so many have stated, it was incredibly difficult selecting one event, one photo, one memory of significance to capture the trip. Upon reflection, for me, it is a selection of memories that have evoked a strong sense of gratitude that will be hard to convey in an image. However, I feel that the photograph from Arnhem Land best encompasses this feeling. We are more aware than ever of what is happening around us. The climate we are currently living in is one many of us have never experienced before. I can’t help but reflect on our study tour without confirmed belief that we truly are living in the ‘lucky country’. The ability to travel from state to state, or in our case state to territory, is something others around the world are currently not fortunate enough to do. However, this is just the beginning and it goes beyond the opportunity to travel, it is about the place we travelled to. In our own backyard, we wer...

  History had quite literally been cemented in this spot! By Sakinah Karras It was almost hard to conceptualise, that as we rode around the Darwin Harbour, the remnants of the Bombing left behind was the result of events occurring in this spot just shy of 80 years ago.  History had quite literally been cemented in this spot! Pill-Boxes used to fire weapons still sat on the cliffside, oil reserves and pipelines were rusted but still left in their original form. Within view of the water was the Parliament House built on the remains of the formerly bombed Darwin Post Office and perhaps even cooler, the USS Peary wreckage that remained at the depths of the harbour. Our guide was amazing as well, he was so informative about the area, allowing us to learn so much! Right after the cruise had finished, we headed to the Royal Flying Doctor Museum just nearby on the Wharf. The VR reality experience provided there of the Darwin Bombing encapsulated what we had just learned. It was ...

  The trip challenged me to get out of my comfort zone and to have a go at new things. By Erika Watson   On the 25 of April 2021, an amazing trip in the top end of Australia had come to an end. It had been a great experience meeting new people and learning about the history that unfolded on Australian turf. Events and opportunities such as learning about the Darwin Bombings, Larrikia culture and seeing some of the most beautiful waterfalls made the trip an unforgettable one. On Anzac Day, the Premiers Anzac Spirit group attended the Dawn Service which was an amazing experience. The day before, we had ventured to the Darwin Esplanade to mark 100 years of the Cenotaph which was followed by a gathering and reception at Parliament House. Anzac Day was held along the Esplanade which provided a view out to a part of history that for many decades has not been told. At the Anzac Day commemoration there were people from the Navy, Air Force and Army and many others that had se...

  A start to many unforgettable adventures By Cassidy Hamilton-Smith The day started early with a 4.30am start to travel to Adelaide Airport and meet up with the rest of the group by 5.45am. Meeting everyone was definitely an unforgettable experience and little did I know that during the 10 days in Darwin it would get so much better. When arriving in Darwin we started our experience with a Welcome to Country where Trent, a local Larrakia man, led a traditional Larrakia ceremony where we had to wash our sweat into the sea. After the welcoming, Trent demonstrated to the group how to throw a spear. It was an intense but fun competition between the girls and guys, with no-one ending up hitting the foam kangaroo. We made our way back up the beach to some shade from the scorching sun, where we were served some damper and jam for lunch. We split into two groups and my group chose to do the face painting. We were taught how to make natural paints from the different coloured rocks called oc...

  Fascinating Zebra Stone formations were revealed By Mikayla Gillett   There are endless experiences I could write about. However, on the second to last day we were lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit the Zebra Stone Facility near Litchfield National Park. We met Ruth and her daughter Opal who, with the help of a few other family members, run the facility. Zebra Stone is a type of sedimentary rock, composed mainly of small particles of quartz, sericite, and hematite. Ruth told us about how there is a lot of controversy regarding the way which the Zebra Stone was formed millions of years ago, and the various theories which mathematicians and geologists have come up with. Zebra Stone is still largely a mystery to the world of science, which is one reason why it is important it is protected. Ruth also told us about how they had a mining lease to mine the Zebra Stone but didn’t have permission to use it for tourism at this point. Their plan is to keep at least...