Students on the Central Coast saw history come to life when the State Library of NSW brought a new collection of rare historical artefacts out of the archives and into the classrooms recenlty as part of the FAR Out! Treasures to the Bush initiative.
State Librarian Dr Caroline Butler-Bowdon said this is the first time the State Library has been to the region with this program.
FAR Out! visited six schools on the Central Coast from June 17-20, with over 700 students and their teachers getting to see a special selection of artefacts up close.
“The students participated in fun and engaging learning activities,” Butler-Bowdon, who attended a session at Woodport Public School on June 18, said.
Members of the Learning Services team brought props, costumes and even a story of a stowaway to immerse students in hands-on activities exploring the navigators who mapped the Australian coastline.
Students had the chance to engage with priceless treasures from the library’s collection, including: a pocket globe from 1754 showing early European mapping of Australi that fits into the palm of your hand; the journal of Dutch navigator Willem Corneliszoon Schouten from 1619, with an account of his search for the ‘Southern Land’; a map from 1703 of the voyage to New Holland by William Dampie; and a word list from the Gosford district (1899–1903) detailing First Nations place names for the local area.
“When we take artefacts and manuscripts to schools in rural and regional NSW, we see students engage and interact with history in ways they will never forget,” the State Library’s Head of Learning Pauline Fitzgerald said.
“The way students and teachers connect with these stories is powerful and transformative.”
For more information about the State Library’s Learning services and programs, visit www.sl.nsw.gov.au/learning