1. The Oldest Classroom

2024-05-13

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 classroomPlay 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.

TranscriptDownload The Oldest Classroom transcript as WordDownload The Oldest Classroom transcript as PDF
Music

Thannoid and Highway 94 by Blue Dot Sessions.

CreditsHosted by Axel ClarkMade on Gadigal Country by Anna Clark, Clare Wright, Jane Curtis and Britta JorgensenExecutive producers are Claire Wright and Anna ClarkPodcast concept, design and development by Anna ClarkIndigenous Cultural Consultant is Katrina ThorpeStory editor is Kyla SlavenLearning material by Nick Adeney, Victorian primary educatorCurriculum 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, Preshil 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.

No. of episodes

17

Latest episode

2026-04-29

Where can you listen?

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For kids age 8-12, a series on Australian history with stories and music. For teachers, a professional learning series called Hey History Teacher!

Season 1 follows Stage 2 and 3 of the Australian curriculum, and of NSW, Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland. Students can listen in class and use our Learning Materials designed and road-tested by a primary school educator.

Go back in time to the Gold Rush. What happened at the meetings between Captain Cook and First Nations people at Kamay Botany Bay? Experience life as a convict kid, and hear how First Nations people learn on Country.

Season 2 is for teachers, teacher-educators and pre-service teachers. hear conversations and advice about over 8 episodes, including teaching difficult histories, creative history teaching, approaching First Nations histories with care and confidence, complexity in history teaching, advice for new history teachers, great history teaching, and teaching the Australian Wars.

These eight PD episodes are grounded in current research and features fifteen classroom educators and academics from around Australia.

Hey History! is made by history professors, so you'll hear from Australia's top historians and experts. It's produced by The Australian Centre for Public History and Impact Studios at the University of Technology Sydney, in partnership with La Trobe University.

Hey History Teacher! series is made with the support of the History Teachers Association of New South Wales.