The Oldest Classroom

How did First Nations people learn before books, school and the internet?  

What are some of the teaching places on Country? Can a cave or a beach be a classroom? 

What’s the role of rock art, like engravings, stencils and prints, in the ‘oldest classroom’? 

What are the different kinds of classrooms First Nations kids learn ion today? 

Students at La Perouse Primary School in Sydney tell us what they know about how their ancestors learnt on Country. 

Wayne Brennan and host Axel Clark visit a very old rock shelter on Dharug and Gundungurra Country. We hear about different kinds of rock art, learning when you’re ready and ways of passing down knowledge.

Merrikiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs invites us into her classroom at Yirrkala Bilingual School in North East Arnhem Land. 

How to use this episode in your classroom

• Play all the way through (24 minutes) or play half the episode (12 minutes) and pause.
• We'll tell you when you've reached halfway, and recap the episode.
• Use the 4 page Learning Materials worksheet PDF with your class, and find more resources on our website. 

Voices 

• Wayne Brennan is an archaeologist at the University of Sydney , a Gamilaraay person and Blue Mountains custodian. 
• Merrikiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs is the Principal of Yirrkala Bilingual School, a Yolngu woman and leader.  

Episode image 

Red ochre used in painting. Image courtesy of the National Museum of Australia.

Transcript

• Download The Oldest Classroom transcript as Word
• Download The Oldest Classroom transcript as PDF

Music

Thannoid and Highway 94 by Blue Dot Sessions.

Credits

• Hosted by Axel Clark
• Made on Gadigal Country by Anna Clark, Clare Wright, Jane Curtis and Britta Jorgensen
• Executive producers are Claire Wright and Anna Clark
• Podcast concept, design and development by Anna Clark
• Indigenous Cultural Consultant is Katrina Thorpe  
• Story editor is Kyla Slaven
• Learning material by Nick Adeney, Victorian primary educator
• Curriculum advisors are Nicole Laauw, Department of Education NSW, and Rose Reid, Association of Independent Schools of NSW

Thanks to all the students whose voices you hear in this episode and their schools and teachers: Princes Street Primary school, Marrickville West Primary School, Westbourne Grammar School, Preshill Primary School, La Perouse Primary School, and Yirrkala Bilingual School.   

Hey History! is produced by the Australian Centre for Public History at UTS and UTS Impact Studios.

Impact Studios' executive producer is Sarah Gilbert.