ANGAIR

The garden at Anglesea Primary School is a thriving testimony to the beauty of our indigenous vegetation.

ANGAIR, under the inspiring leadership of Bill McKellar, has played a major role in creating and maintaining the swathes of greenery that now replace the bare earth of the new school site.

In 2011, members of the school community, various environmental organisations, Alcoa representatives, and people from the extended local community came together with many ANGAIR volunteers in an outstanding illustration of good-will in practice. The schoolyard garden was transformed into a sea of plastic tree-guards.

This initial planting used 4000 local trees, grasses and understory bushes propagated by ANGAIR. Supplementary planting has continued, replacing losses from natural attrition and small feet.

Parent initiative has led in recent times to the construction of a magnificent undulating play space, designed to expose students to the natural world. Again ANGAIR has provided tube stock, and worked with students and parents to establish extensive plantings.

Many creatures can now be found in the bushy environs. An echidna sometimes visits, to the delight of all.

As well as the ongoing care and support provided to our school environment, Anglesea Primary School has developed a strong and regular connection with ANGAIR across a number of days each year. Through these experiences, students investigate and learn about the local natural environment, indigenous flora and the importance of caring for Country. A particularly special aspect of the partnership is students learning the skills of plant propagation, with every student nurturing their own propagated cutting to care for and eventually take home to plant in their own garden. This hands-on learning fosters not only knowledge and environmental understanding, but also a genuine sense of ownership, pride and connection to the natural world.

Anglesea History House

Each year we hold an excursion to the Anglesea History House to learn all about the rich history of our local area. Students explore how Anglesea has changed over the past 150 years, discovering old stories, photographs, and artefacts that helped bring our town’s past to life.

With the support of the dedicated volunteers from the Anglesea & District Historical Society, students learn about early settlers, changes to the coastline and landscape, and how life looked very different for children growing up in Anglesea many decades ago. The hands-on experience sparked great curiosity, and students were fascinated by the objects, tools, and items used by families long before modern technology.

We are incredibly grateful to the History House volunteers for sharing their knowledge and passion with our young learners. Experiences like this strengthen our connection to our community and help students appreciate the place they call home.