The Constitutional Centre of Western Australia in West Perth, Western Australia | Community organisation

The Constitutional Centre of Western Australia

Locality: West Perth, Western Australia

Phone: +61 8 6552 5000

Address: Corner of Havelock Street and Parliament Place 6005 West Perth, WA, Australia

Website: https://www.constitutionalcentre.wa.gov.au

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25.01.2022 Year 6 HASS Tenterfield Oration 130th anniversary October 24. Our website has an activity you can use with your year 6 HASS class. https://www.wa.gov.au//130th-anniversary-of-the-tenterfiel

21.01.2022 Are you teaching civics and citizenship in remote or regional Western Australia? Why not try the Constitutional Centre loan boxes? Loan boxes are teacher’s resources for Year 4, 5, 6 and 7, available only to remote and regional schools in WA. https://www.wa.gov.au//constitutional-centre-loan-box-book

19.01.2022 The Electoral Education Centre has been based within the Constitutional Centre offering education programs since 1997. Education Officer Jacqui Smith recently joined the Electoral Education Centre and was happy to share with us her favourite books. One book I think is magnificent and I couldn’t put down is ‘Becoming’ by Michelle Obama. I felt like she was a friend while I was reading this book and I really enjoyed her company. She lifts you up and she is all about empowerin...g girls and women. I learnt that Michelle met Barack Obama through being his boss. Another book I wanted to share is ‘The Enigmatic Mr Deakin’ by Historian Judith Brett. Alfred Deakin was the Prime Minister of Australia for three terms in the 1900s. He was one of the key leaders in the movement for Australia to become a Federation. I am still reading this book, and I am enjoying it because I love history and have been involved in education relating to the Federation for many years. As a Civics Educator I am passionate about assisting children’s understanding and appreciation of our democracy, which is why I like reading these types of books.

18.01.2022 Annually the Children’s Week Council of Australia organises a national Children’s Week event which this year runs from the 24 October to 1 November. The Children’s Week Council of Australia advocates for and promotes the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child. There are 54 articles on the Rights of a Child. In Western Australia the not for profit organisation Meerilinga https://www.meerilinga.org.au/ has arranged a variety of activities and events for children ...and their parents to participate in to celebrate the rights of children. For information on remaining events visit https://www.childrensweekwa.org.au At the Constitutional Centre we support the education of children by providing programs at no cost that offer an insight into how our government works, and how they can contribute to the State’s democratic development. To find out more about our programs visit www.wa.gov.au #childrensweekwa

18.01.2022 Last week, from Tuesday to Thursday, the Constitutional Centre proudly hosted Western Australian YMCA Youth Parliament, 2020, marking the 25th anniversary of Youth Parliament. Around 60 young people debated topics including the views of underrepresented youth; women in the work place, and refugees in asylum. Congratulations to the youth in the chamber. Youth Parliament applications are open to all Western Australians between the ages of 15 and 25. The program is open to all young people, regardless of their level of political engagement, who want to have their voice heard by decision-makers. To find out more contact YMCA. #YouthParliament #Civiceducation #TheConstitutionalCentre

18.01.2022 A group of 3rd Year students studying Secondary Education at Edith Cowan University (ECU) were treated to a one-hour taster session of programs by our educator Remie. The programs Remie presented were a combination of The Constitution and You, Democracy in Action and Forming Government for Years 7 -9 students. The ECU students were asked to put their knowledge of Australian politics and democracy to the test by completing a range of activities. The in-service visit in...cluded a session with the Electoral Education Centre who are also located at the Constitutional Centre. For further information about teacher in-service sessions email us at [email protected]

16.01.2022 The USA elections demonstrates democracy in action, but how does USA democracy compare to Australian democracy? Many people around the world are awaiting the outcome of the election for the USA’s 45th or 46th President. Millions of USA citizens have cast their votes, which could take weeks to count due to the fact that each state has different rules and timelines. A Presidential candidate needs 270 Electoral College votes to win the election. In Australia during an election,... the winning party needs 76 seats or more in the House of Representatives. The USA has a presidential style of democracy where citizens vote directly for their president. Australian citizens don’t vote directly for the Prime Minister they vote for a person to represent them in parliament. The Australian Prime Minister is the leader of the political party that forms government and is elected by party members. The President of the USA is the chief executive and is separate from the legislative branch, however has the power to veto a bill. In Australia we follow the Westminster style of government from the UK, where the Prime Minister sits within executive government which is responsible to the Parliament. We have had 30 Prime Ministers since 1901 when Australia became a Federation compared to the USA’s 45 Presidents since 1789. Want to know more about how the Australian Democratic system compares to forms of democracy in other countries? Visit our Constitutional Centre website for more details about school programs https://www.wa.gov.au//primary-and-secondary-school-progra Photo Source: fivethirtyeight.com. Image from David Everett Strickler; Unsplash.com.

16.01.2022 This week is Book Week, initiated by the Children’s Book Council of Australia and celebrated in schools across Australia. At the Constitutional Centre we are celebrating the books central to the programs we provide for our student visitors. We have two books that won’t fit on an ordinary bookshelf and are accompanied by a range of animal puppets. The books are Larfalot’s Letter and Prejudice in Parkesville. The big books were developed in-house as part of a civics edu...cation program offered to Year 1 to Year 3 students. The book Larfalot’s Letter explores the concept of rules and the democratic process of voting to elect representatives. Mayor Larfalot of the fictional town Parkesville asks the animals of the town to vote for a new mayor and an election is held. Prejudice in Parkesville explores the issue of prejudice in the town of Parkesville when new residents arrive. The local residents work together to overcome their prejudice and discover that the new residents are a valuable part of the town. For further information about the programs offered by the Constitutional Centre visit our website : https://www.wa.gov.au//primary-and-secondary-school-progra

14.01.2022 On Thursday 11th September we were visited by the Mallee Schools Group, a group comprised of Year 5 and 6 students from five schools within the Esperance Region. The students spent a week in Perth visiting a number of places such as Scitech, the Fremantle Prison and the Perth Zoo. We were so lucky they fitted the Constitutional Centre into their busy schedule- what a lovely group of students and teachers. Remie Paulik our Education Officer provided the group with a hands on... lesson about the 3 Levels of Government. If you would like further information about our school programs visit https://www.wa.gov.au//primary-and-secondary-school-progra or email [email protected]

13.01.2022 2020 National Schools Constitutional Convention Year 11 students who attended the recent State Schools Constitutional Convention, submitted their application, to have the chance to join their peers from around Australia and take their constitutional experience one step further. Fifteen successful applicants were notified and have taken up the offer, to represent their WA school, and attend the National Schools Constitutional Convention to be held in Canberra from March 17 to 19, 2020.

13.01.2022 On the 21st of September the Debating Chamber at the Constitutional Centre was visited by more than 50 Year 6 students, all the way from Quinns Rocks Primary School. Within the Debating Chamber the students role played the passing of a bill through the House of Representatives, in Federal Parliament. The students also learnt how a bill becomes an Act, by passing from the House of Representatives to the Senate and then receiving Royal Assent from the Governor-General. The Quin...ns Rocks Primary School students were really wonderful and keen learners. We hope they enjoyed their visit. If you have groups of Year 6 students wanting to learn more about how our government works, the Making Laws program is a great one to consider. All our programs are linked to the Western Australian Curriculum. Visit our website for further information: https://www.wa.gov.au//primary-and-secondary-school-progra

08.01.2022 We are very fortunate at the Constitutional Centre to share the space with Reconciliation WA who became tenants in 2019. In the spirit of Book Week, we asked staff member Leone Cottam-Williams, who oversees Communications and Reconciliation in Education, to share with us her favourite civics education related book. Leone said I found it really hard to choose one book! And in fact one of my favourite little books was produced by Reconciliation WA a few years before I joined a...s a staff member. "Don't Keep History a Mystery" had a big impact on me as the information was so local and was not readily available anywhere else. It was also to share! Not to keep to myself but made to help educate. " "There are so many books I would like to list, but I have chosen a few novels as well that in listening to the story helps to give another perspective of what life journeys can be like. They help frame and make me wonder about the Australian Curriculum: Civics and Citizenship aims - which are to ensure students develop ’a lifelong sense of belonging to and engagement with civic life as an active and informed citizen in the context of Australia". #ReconciliationWA #BookWeek

08.01.2022 We had a proud moment with some of our Future Footprints Alumni finding out what they have been up to AND looking back and laughing at old photos and each other.

08.01.2022 What book is 8 chapters long, created in 1901 and is described as the birth certificate of a nation? This book is quite difficult to understand and requires judges from the High Court to interpret it. It’s the Australian Constitution and it sets out the fundamental law of Australia, binding together the Commonwealth Parliament and the Parliament of each State. Changes have been proposed to the Constitution but the only way to do this is to have a referendum. Only 8 referend...ums have been successful in allowing for changes. One very important change occurred in 1967, where Indigenous Australians were made full citizens of Australia. At the Constitutional Centre we run several programs and events that delve deeper into the content of the Constitution. Our annual State Schools Convention is one such event, where Year 11s students from around Western Australia convene to discuss and hear from experts about a range of topics including Human Rights, Voting in a Referendum and what the Preamble to the Constitution means. Two programs that the Centre offers to high school students include The Constitution and You for Year 7 students and The Constitution and the High Court of Australia for Year 10 students. For further details visit our website: https://www.wa.gov.au//primary-and-secondary-school-progra

08.01.2022 Australia’s history didn’t begin with European contact and early settlement in the late 1700s, or with the arrival of the Dutch on the west coast in the early 1600s. It has a history dating back thousands of generations. NAIDOC Week 2020 is about embracing the true history of Australia, a country with the oldest continuing cultures in the world, and recognising that the First Nations’ sovereignty was never ceded. From 8-15 November NAIDOC celebrations will be held nationally.... The theme this year is Always Was, Always Will Be. acknowledging the 65,000 years that First Nations people have occupied and cared for the Australian continent. Visit the NAIDOC website to find out more about the variety of events running in your local community www.naidoc.org.au #NAIDOC2020

08.01.2022 A resource suitable to explore with students in Years 10 to 11, linked to the Australian Curriculum is the film In My Blood It Runs. The film is more than a documentary it is part of a social change campaign and presents a voice that is not always listened to, the voice of a child. The film explores the perspective of a 10-year-old Aboriginal boy, Dujuan from Alice Springs (Mparntwe) who balances his Arrernte/Garrwa heritage with his life at school where his culture is not... acknowledged or included in the history he is being taught. Dujuan has a very important role in this community as an Angangkere, a Traditional Healer, however at school he becomes disengaged. Dujuan and his family wanted their story to be heard and they collaborated with filmmakers who allowed them to have ownership and control over how they told their story. In 2019, at 12 years of age Dujuan addressed world leaders at the United Nations Human Rights Council, an opportunity fostered by the documentary film-maker team, the Australian Human Rights Commission and Human Rights Law Centre. Dujuan is the youngest person to address world leaders at the United Nations. Teacher resources, information about the film and Dujuan’s address to the United Nations are available on the website: https://inmyblooditruns.com/education/ Watch the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbpcWq54Ga0&t=3s #inmyblooditrunsdocumentary #ReconciliationWA

07.01.2022 Even as the sand disperses we will remember what always was and always will be. We thought we would share with you a sand mural which was created last Wednesday at Dumas House which is just across from the Constitutional Centre for NAIDOC Week. The mural was designed by artist Acacia Collard and Welcome to Country was provided by Danjoo Koorliny Walking Together Project Noongar Leaders. ... Colleagues from the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, the Public Sector Commission and Treasury joined together to reflect on the NAIDOC theme and to place their hand prints in the sand mural. #NAIDOC2020 https://vimeo.com/478781525/c3ca39625c

06.01.2022 The National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is held each year between 27 May and 3 June. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively. This year’s theme for the NRW’s is In This Together reminds us that we all have a role to play in reconciliation as individuals, families, communities, organisations and as a nation. It is an opportunity for all Australians to learn ...about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. For more information on the National Reconciliation Week, please visit Reconciliation Australia and Reconciliation WA. #InThisTogether2020 #NRW2020 #ConstitutionalCentre

05.01.2022 Did you know, the Australian Constitution borrowed concepts from the American Constitution? We won’t go so far as to offer our pocket sized copies of the Australian Constitution as trick or treat goodies for Halloween though, unlike this American politician in 2018.

04.01.2022 Happy Friday!! Our team at the Constitutional Centre wanted to wrap up Book Week by sharing their favourite books. Manager Sally Watkins has worked for the Department of the Premier and Cabinet for seven years, with her role recently including managing the Constitutional Centre. Sally says her favourite book is Becoming by Michelle Obama. The reason she enjoys this book is because it not only depicts the incredible work that a First Lady of the United States can accomplish..., but also that she is a wife and mother who has experienced the same everyday struggles, frustrations and priority juggling of women all around the world. Our Education Officer Remie Paulik, who has worked at the Centre for five years delivering programs to students and adults, has really enjoyed reading Julia Gillard’s My Story. Remie said the reason for her choice is because I enjoyed reading about Julia’s personal account of her journey to become Australia’s first female Prime Minister. She also gave some personal accounts and anecdotes of her colleagues and gave me an insight into what happens during a political coup. Natalie Amos, who has just joined our team recently as a Project Officer said that her favourite civics education related book is 1984 by George Orwell. This book was first published in 1949 just at the end of World War II and is a stark exploration of a future governed by totalitarianism where there is no freedom. Everyone is watched by ‘Big Brother’ and their thoughts are monitored by the ’Thought Police’. I think this book is a very important piece of literature which explores issues of power and what life could be like if the human spirit is so severely controlled. It is possibly more relevant today than ever before.

04.01.2022 Yesterday we hosted 32 Year 11 Politics and Law students from 14 schools across Perth for the 2020 State Schools’ Constitutional Convention. We began with a Welcome to Country by Traditional Owner of the Whaadjuk Nyoongah Nation, Senior Cultural Elder, ‘Mungart Yongah’ Mr Nigel Wilkes Snr. Engaging and insightful presentations were then given by Dr Harry Phillips, Prof Sarah Murray (UWA) and Prof Alan Fenna (Curtin University) about the Constitution’s Preamble and the challen...ges associated with bringing change to the Constitution. The Constitutional Centre looks forward to planning a full programme of events for 2021. For further information please contact us at [email protected]

03.01.2022 On 30 October 2020 a Year Eight class from Yule Brook College visited the Constitutional Centre to partake in our Democracy in Action program. The students learnt about different types of democracy around the world and in Australia, such as the direct democracy in Switzerland where citizens can call for a referendum for new laws or against certain laws. In Australia we have a representative democracy where Australian citizens aged 18 and over vote for candidates who carry ...out government duties on their behalf. The students at Yule Brook College also learnt about the different rights and responsibilities of citizens of an Australian democracy. To find out more about our Democracy in Action program visit https://www.wa.gov.au//constitutional-centre-year-8-course #yulebrookcollege #civicseducation

03.01.2022 Today is the first day of National Reconciliation Week (27 May 3 June). We want to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which the Constitutional Centre stands, the Whadjuk Noongar people, and their continuing connection to the land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to all members of the Aboriginal community; and to Elders past, present and emerging. Thank you to my colleague for this beautiful photo taken over Perth this morning. #InThisTogether #NRW2020

03.01.2022 Thank you Barry McGuire for this beautiful Welcome to Country this morning. #NRW2020 | #InThisTogether2020 https://youtu.be/gl7ZsvcC0n0 Our Reconciliation Week ceremony and some reflections from the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Hon Ben Wyatt can be viewed live here. https://youtu.be/i2Pz4AyCR9Q

03.01.2022 We are celebrating Book Week at the Constitutional Centre

03.01.2022 This week, the Constitutional Centre had a visit from Karen Venard, who had come to show a friend the tapestries in the Main Hall and the Board Room. Karen was one of the weavers who created the tapestries and had some amazing stories to tell! Karen told of how the loom was situated in the end classroom with the weavers working away on the design. While this tapestry tells the story of Western Australia’s decision to join the Federation of Australian States in 1901, the Cons...titutional Centre recognises and acknowledges Australia’s significant indigenous history and culture, and are proud to have Reconciliation WA as tenants at the Centre. For further information on programs offered through the Centre please visit our website: https://www.wa.gov.au//primary-and-secondary-school-progra

02.01.2022 A group of Year 4 students from Quintilian Primary School enjoyed a memory fishing game and writing a letter to their local council during a visit to the Constitutional Centre on 15th of October 2020. The Where I Live program focuses on the role the local council plays in the community where the students live and go to school. The students were asked to consider things they would like to see in their local area and they responded with really thought-provoking ideas. These ...included wanting to see more rescue shelters for animals, more two-way streets, less plastic and ocean pollution and a big mansion for elderly people. The Where I Live program is a fantastic way for young students, to learn more about how things work at a local government level and also how young people can have a voice within their community. More details about the Where I Live program are available on our website

01.01.2022 On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month each year we fall silent to remember those who did not come home from war. Yesterday, around 90 Year 5 students, teachers and parents from Trinity College gathered in the courtyard of the Constitutional Centre for a minutes’ silence, while the flags were flown at half-mast. Lest we forget. #CivicsEducation #theconstitutionalcentre #VeteransDay #TrinColl Source: www.army.gov.au/our-heritage/traditions/remembrance-day