EXHIBITION: Back to School

 

What’s your strongest memory of school? Did you love every minute or resent every day? Regardless of your answer, attending school is something we all have in common. Last week a number of locals took a trip down memory lane when the Mayor officially opened our latest exhibition, Back to School.

The exhibition looks at the history of our local schools and the changing nature of education in New South Wales. Botany Public was the first public school to open in Sydney, so our history goes right back to 1848!

Thanks to the generosity of local schools and ex-students there were many objects and stories on display. Highlights include a large number of class photos from the 1920s to 1980s to a social science exercise book, c. 1960s that was produced by a local school principal when she was in Year 6!

In the exhibition you will also be able to see the work of some of the district’s current school children. Many took part in our drawing exercise where they had to imagine what school would look like in 100 years time. Some schools even time travelled into the past. One group decorated and filled old Globite cases with stories about how school in 1900 differs from today. Another class turned these stories into a short film which they made on an iPad! Wow, haven’t times changed!

The exhibition runs until February 1st 2013 so you have no excuses not to see it. We promise it won’t be a dry history lesson!