Local Aboriginal studies excursion | Stage 2 HSIE Geography | Field of Mars EEC

Cost and details

Cost 2026	DoE $27 per student – GST free Non-gov $37 per student – GST free, min charge $750 per class Term 1 – Non-gov weeks 3 to 6 cost = DoE cost – GST free, min charge $750
Classes	Recommended maximum 4 classes with up to 30 students per class.
Risk assessment	See location tile below.
Bring	Sports uniform, backpack, medication, low-waste food, water bottle, sunblock, raincoat, hat, sturdy shoes, reusable name tag.
View	Preparing for your excursion
Welfare	Rugged bushwalking, not wheelchair accessible. May not suit recently unwell participants. For medical or special needs notify staff prior to program.
Extreme or wet weather	Program may be modified, postponed or cancelled due to predicted extreme temperatures, bush fire danger, heavy rainfall, high winds or dust storms.
Booking policy	Confirm student numbers and classes 7 days in advance.
Cancellation fee	Less than 30 working school days – $600 Less than 7 working school days notice – full cost Weather or fire danger cancellation – $0

Activities

Activities may vary depending on student needs, timing and weather.

Acknowledgement of Country

Students begin with an Acknowledgement of Country and identify the Traditional Custodians of the local area, the Wallumedegal Peoples of the Darug Nation. Students use key inquiry questions and selected Darug words to frame the day’s learning about Country, Place and continuing culture.

Tuning in

Students slow down and connect to Place by using their senses to notice biodiversity and other natural elements. Students collect loose materials from the ground, describe the environment using rich vocabulary and share observations in a short yarning-style discussion.

Bush resources

During the bushwalk, students stop at selected plants and features to investigate how natural resources support daily life. Through guided questioning, students learn examples of traditional uses for food, fibre, medicine, utensils, fire and protection, and apply their learning in a plant resource bingo activity.

Waterways

At the river, students explore how waterways supported travel and food gathering and learn about fishing skills and technologies. Using shells and images as prompts, students examine how a shell fish hook could be shaped and discuss sustainable fishing practices connected to local water Country.

Traditional tools

Students rotate through practical stations that model the skill and perseverance needed to make tools from natural resources. Students explore spear shaping, axe grinding and cord making, and consider how tools supported hunting, fishing and daily life while practising safe, respectful use of materials.

Evidence of the past

Students investigate how we know Aboriginal Peoples lived here by examining sources and visiting significant sites focusing on respectful behaviour and site care. Students use ochre or clay to create a small symbol connected to Place and conclude with a yarning circle that recounts the journey, key learnings and ways to care for Country.

Suggested timetable

Time	Classes A, B	Classes C, D
9.45 - 10.15	Introduction - Boronia Park Toilets and recess	Introduction - Buffalo Creek Reserve Toilets and  recess
10.15 - 1.15	Bushwalk and activities along the Great North Walk	Bushwalk and activities along the Great North Walk
1.15 - 1.45	Lunch at a bushland site	Lunch at a bushland site
1.45 - 2.00	Concluding activity and toilets - Buffalo Creek Reserve	Concluding activity and toilets - Boronia Park
2.00 - 2.15	Pack up, toilets and depart	Pack up, toilets and depart

Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary

sustainability, responsibility, evidence, journey, resources, connect, respect, Country, Custodian, Wallumatta, Aboriginal Nations, shell midden, ochre, nawi, canoe 

Syllabus outcomes and content

Human Society and its Environment K-6 Syllabus (2024)

Geographical information is used to understand the world

Outcomes

• Describes Aboriginal Peoples’ obligations to Country, Culture and Community HS2-ACH-01
• Explains how people care for Australia’s environments and participate in Australian society, using geographical information HS2-GEO-01

Content

Aboriginal Peoples use and care for the environment sustainably

• Identify and use appropriate terminology when sharing Knowledges about Country
• Describe how Aboriginal Peoples sustainably use the resources of Country

History uses sources to construct narratives of the past

Outcomes

• Describes Aboriginal Peoples’ obligations to Country, Culture and Community HS2-ACH-01
• Explains how people lived in the past, how navigation connected the world, and what life was like in the Sydney Cove penal settlement, using sources as evidence HS2-HIS-01

Content

Aboriginal Peoples have the oldest living continuous Cultures in the world

• Examine NSW sites of archaeological evidence of the oldest living continuous Cultures in the world

Human Society and its Environment K-6 Syllabus © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2024