Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Freshwater & Saltwater Heritages
Discover how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples celebrate the richness of the maritime environment and their intrinsic living relationship with it.
This school program highlights some of the diversity of Australia’s First Peoples Freshwater and Saltwater heritages with a guided tour of exhibitions and displays from the National Maritime Collection as well as visiting exhibitions from other institutions.
People of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent should be aware that this tour may contain, names, images, video, voices, objects and works of people who are deceased.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people refer to the land, sea and sky as one and these natural elements are all connected.
Get immersed in a new way of looking at Australia’s maritime history from First Peoples perspective and gain a greater understanding of their deep cultural relationships with water, and contemporary connections explored through expressions of art.
In this curriculum linked tour, learn about:
• The Traditional Custodians of gomora (Darling Harbour), the Gadigal people and their lifestyle before European settlement.
• Be a part of the Cultural Protocols practice with an Acknowledgment of Country.
• Significance and symbolism of the Indigenous flags flown daily by the museum including the Yolŋu Sea Rights flag.
• bamal badu an important new 3D virtual worldscape depicting pre-colonial gomora (Darling Harbour).
• Au Karem Ira Lamar Lu (Ghost Nets of the Ocean) a marine ecology installation from Erub (Darnley Island) Torres Strait which raises the awareness of ocean conservation and the value of marine life for the Erub people and their culture.
• Australia’s unique Pearling History and the involvement of the John Louis pearling lugger featured in the museum's vessels collection.
Other themes explored include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service in defence, trade, science, watercraft and navigational practices.
Curriculum References
Australian Curriculum
HASS (Years 1 – 6)
ACHGK002, ACHGK004, ACHGK005, ACHGK006, ACHGK010, ACHGK011, ACHGK012, ACHGK014, ACHGK015, ACHGK018, ACHGK019, ACHGK021, ACHGK022, ACHGK023, ACHGK024, ACHGK025, ACHGK026, ACHGK027, ACHGK028, ACHHK002, ACHHK045, ACHHK060, ACHHK077, ACHHK080, ACHHK094, 9ACHGK003
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
NSW
History (Stages 1 -3): HT1-2, HT2-2, HT2-4, HT3-1, HT3-2
Geography (Stages 1 -3): GEe-1, GE1-1, GE1-2, GE2-3, GE3-1, GE3-2, GE3-3
*Note: Tour will include highlights of visiting Indigenous Exhibitions from other institutions. The tour may include highlights of other Indigenous maritime heritages from Pacific Communities.
Exhibitions in 2020 include:
Mariw Minaral (Spiritual Patterns) April – Oct 2020
A retrospective of Zenadh Kes (Torres Strait Islander) artist Alick Tipoti.
Defying Empire: 3rd National Indigenous Art Triennial
Brings the works of 30 contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists from across the country into the national spotlight. May – Oct 2020
Paradise Lost: Daniel Solander’s Legacy. Aug – Nov 2020
Under Southern Skies. April 2020
Navigators and Voyagers in Australia and the Pacific.
Duration: 60 minutes per session (runs every Thursday morning during school term)
Cost: $225 per group with a maximum of 15 students
Ratio: A supervisor/student ratio of 1:15 applies.
Teachers and supervising adults visit FREE of charge within the ratios specified in Plan Your School Visit.
Contact us
Phone: +61 (02) 9298 3655
Email: bookings@sea.museum