Pupils across grades 3, 4 and 5 at Longford Primary School have taken part in a large art project as part of their history curriculum focusing on the first Australians.
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“We did lots of work on it and if we did dots we would be stealing the stories from the mainland [aboriginals] so we had to use lines,” said pupil Jock Johnston.
“They used whatever was available where they were putting up their huts and houses.”
Teachers Kayla Farron and Rhiannon Morrison said the students were visited by members of the Tasmanian aboriginal community, who shared creation time stories.
“We’re studying the first Australians and what life was like for the first Australians before European contact and we wanted some knowledge from elders rather than just what we were reading,” Ms Farron said.
As a sign of respect the pupils called their visitors Judith Rose and Val, ‘Aunty’.
“They were teaching tradition thought the art and lots of rich conversations through the art project,” Ms Morrison said.
Each classes heard stories about Australian animals, from how magpies came to be and how all the animals are related.
“Getting food wasn’t as easy as going to the shop and buying it, you had to hunt for it,” said Mae Gilligan.
“The first Australians, the Tasmanian aboriginals, didn’t use boomerangs they used a nullanulla,” said Bree Lavell.
