Year 5's Overnight Trip to Bathurst in search of GOLD!!

Our first stop was Echo Point to see The Three Sisters.

Year 5 students from OLA, Rouse Hill, went on an overnight excursion to Bathurst. The first stop was Echo Point where we saw The Three sisters and had morning tea before we continued on our trip to Bathurst.

About two hours laters, we arrived at the Bathurst Goldfields where we started the day with gold panning. This was a lot of fun. We had a short demonstration on how to pan and finally it was our turn. Gary, our guide, gave us a pan and a mini jar for us to put our flakes of gold into. Some of were lucky to find some specks of gold while others were not so lucky.

Following this, we went to a museum and saw what mine shafts would be like and learnt about how they mined for gold. We learnt that they marked the candle to show every hour allowing miners to see how long they had mined for and when to stop.

Nicholas, Zac S, Julian, Kenneth and Felicity searching for gold.

At the end of the day, we went to the store and bought a few things to remember our time in Bathurst. Once finished we went to the bus where to collect our bags and made our way to our room. Some of us unpacked their bags, where others sat on the bed and relaxed or had a shower. For dinner we had pasta, hot chips, bread and an ice-block for dessert.

To finish the night, we sat around and listened to a story about Wahlu and the Aboriginal history of Mount Panorama before we participated in some aboriginal art.

Students cooking their damper before filling it

The next morning, we woke up and started packing our belongings. We had a yummy breakfast before we went to Bathurst’s Old Cemetery where we had a treasure hunt, etching and learnt about the history of the cemetery and some of the headstones.

Written By

Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au

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12 Dec 2025
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School Leaders Handover Announcement from 2025 Captains to 2026 Captains- well done to everyone involved! “A captain leads by helping everyone do their best.”- We can't wait to watch these captains do their best in 2026!

12 Dec 2025
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Today at OLA, we gathered for our End of Year Mass, giving thanks for the blessings of 2025 and celebrating our community of faith, fun, and learning. We farewelled our wonderful Year 6 students as they prepare for the next stage of their journey, and expressed gratitude to Miss Whelan and Mr George for their dedication and service as they move on from our school. We also proudly announced our new leadership team for 2026, who will guide us into another year filled with hope, joy, and growth together. Thank you to everyone involved in such a beautiful celebration!