Learning from Year 5/6B

In the Year 5/6B classroom we have been working on creating different types of poems as well as exploring in our inquiry unit what life was like during the gold rush in the 1850’s in Ballarat. In our investigations we have discovered that many people immigrated to Australia from other countries in the hope to “strike it rich” and find gold. The journey to Australia as explained by Phoebe Emilene McPherson was exciting but also fearful. After reading about Phoebe’s journey the students reflected on her journey to Australia from Liverpool, England.  They then created poems that convey what it was like travelling on a ship to Australia. Here are some of their poems. 

Overwhelming times in the deep ocean

Calm deep sea

Energetic waves hitting the boat

Awesome animals through the water

Need the agony of the sea sickness to go away.

By Darby

Pressure of trying to keep safe 

Heavy rain pouring down 

Ocean waves gushing against the boat

Enormous seas away from home

Big storms forming over the vessel

Every child screaming with worry.

By Eva

Sight of children crying

Traumatising moments, people being swept off the boat

Realising that this is a true story breaks me.

Ethereal conditions, bone-chilling, being in the ground of a boat for 3 months.

Scarier by the second, 3 months in hell.

Sea sickness occurring fastly

By Indee

She sailed from Liverpool to Ballarat Australia.  

Hell for three months.

Inside the boat, stale smell and sea sickness. 

Phoebe was her name.  

By Shiloh

Phoebe’s Journey 

Phoebe and her family were bound for gold,

On the journey there they survived the cold.

Their excitement then turned to grief,

As sea sickness came aboard as they sailed across the reef.

The captain took the Great Circle Route and passed icebergs,

It was becoming colder and colder the weather became absurd.

Captain brought three shiploads of immigrants to Australia,

He had a lot of experience so there was no failure.

Boiling weather kicked in and the air turned stale,

Children were crying like a dying whale.

After seven days many people had died,

But everyone got it together and put the sadness aside.

The weather cleared and people learned some tricks,

Someone had a sea chest and everyone got their picks.

Two weeks later a cry of joy was heard on the boat,

It was time for the gold fields and get off afloat.

By Caitlin