Recently, the Year 3/4 students, went on an exciting excursion to the Maritime Museum, where we explored different aspects of maritime history and life at sea. We had a fantastic time learning about the history of maritime encounters, life on ships, and how people travelled and traded across the oceans. It was an unforgettable experience full of hands-on activities and new discoveries. 

One of the highlights was the Encounters program, where we learned about early interactions between Aboriginal people, Macassan fishermen, and European navigators. We discovered key moments, such as the arrival of European settlers in New South Wales in 1788 and the meeting between British navigator Matthew Flinders and French explorer Nicolas Baudin in 1802. These encounters made us reflect on how different groups connected and how First Nations people experienced these events. 

We also got to explore a full-size trading ketch called Active II. During the Ketch program, we learned how these small cargo ships transported goods between South Australian ports from the mid-1800s until the 1980s. We tried to imagine what it was like to work, eat, sleep, and navigate on board—it would have been a tough life at sea! 

In the Life on Board program, we learned about what it was like to migrate by ship from England to South Australia in 1836. We explored where people slept, what they ate, and how they managed during the long voyage. We also talked about how sea travel has changed over time, from sailing ships to steam ships, and now to modern cruise liners.