Rare pieces of Australian history head to the South Coast schools
- The Beagle
- Mar 5, 2021
- 2 min read
From the telescope of explorer Ludwig Leichhardt to the diary of an 1840s first-class
passenger, students will see history come to life when the State Library of NSW brings
historical artefacts to the South Coast, from 9 March 2021.
The Far Out! team will be visiting Batemans Bay, Broulee, Batehaven, Mogo and Moruya schools.
According to State Librarian John Vallance, this will be the first time these rare pieces of our
shared history will be shown in the area, as part of the State Library’s FAR Out! Treasures to
the Bush initiative.
“The last year has been unusual, to put it mildly. But now we are delighted to see the return
of the FAR Out! program in 2021, thanks to the support of the State Library Foundation,”
said Dr Vallance.
“Our first stop will be in areas affected by last summer’s appalling bushfires. We are hoping
that hundreds of students and their teachers from at least five schools in the South Coast
will get to benefit from the program.”
From 9 March – 11 March, specialist members of the State Library’s staff will start
conversations about early migration to Australia organised around a selection of the
Library’s treasures including:
• Convict Mary Reibey’s land grant, 1812
• First-class ship passenger Arthur Wilcox Manning’s journal, 1839-1840
• Explorer Ludwig Leichhardt’s telescope, 1842
• Gold prospector George Charles Johnson’s personal papers, 1872
Image: State Library of NSW
“The State Library of NSW is the home of Australia’s history,” said Pauline Fitzgerald,
Manager, Learning Services. “Students will have the unique opportunity to get ‘up close’ to
original material and hear the fascinating stories behind these iconic items.”
FAR Out! connects students and teachers to the amazing resources and learning services the State Library has to offer onsite, online and in the community. In the past 10 years over 70% of NSW schools (and nearly 30,000 students in regional areas) have participated in State Library learning programs.
To support schools during the difficult year that was 2020, the Library hosted over 169 free
virtual excursions for almost 22,000 participants around Australia and beyond.
“We will continue to deliver our popular virtual programs but now that restrictions on
school excursions have eased, we are excited to welcome students back into the Library and take our programs on the road again. We want to give students every opportunity to learn, and nothing beats seeing the real thing!” said Pauline Fitzgerald.
For more information about the State Library’s Learning services and programs,