Year 2 Significant Place Project

Exploring Country and Significance in Year 2 

At this week’s Junior School Assembly, the Year 2 class shared their learning around Country, Dreamtime stories and places of personal significance.
The students began by presenting their own Acknowledgement of Country, written after learning about places that hold meaning for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. They had a visit from Uncle John who helped them understand that Country is not just land – it is family, rich with stories, spirits and connections that sustain life and belonging.

In library lessons with Mrs White, students explored Dreamtime stories, including one from the Bangarang people that describes the creation of the River Murray. As the story goes, an old woman dragging a digging stick across the land wakes a giant colourful snake whose angry movements deepen the path into a riverbed later filled with water during a storm.

They also learnt about the freshwater springs around South Australia formed, according to Kaurna tradition, from the tears of Tjilbruki after the death of his nephew. The children were surprised to discover that some of these significant places such as Port Willunga and Sellicks Beach are places they have visited themselves.

These stories prompted the class to reflect on the idea of significance. They discussed how a place might be important because of its age, uniqueness or cultural value but also because of the memories and personal connections we attach to it. To finish, the students proudly shared their own drawings of places that are special to them.

The list below details a place significant to each of the students.

Amber McMahon 
Teacher Year 2