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Departure and arrival

As I walked through the doors into the Perth Airport, there was a great sense of excitement and anticipation among all the tour participants for the next ten days' adventure ahead of us. After a three and a half hour flight, we stepped out onto the Kununurra tarmac and were hit by the 37 degree heat. We collected our luggage and hopped onto the bus, travelling to the Kununurra Museum and Historical Society. We were fortunate enough to have Andrew Barker show us around, and share his knowledge and passion for Kununurra’s history. The museum was filled from top to bottom with historical artefacts and information ranging from the history of the Durack family to crocodile and bull skulls.

We spent the afternoon immersed in the town's history at the Kununurra Museum and Historical Society with enthusiastic and explorative curator Andrew Barker. I was fascinated to see the variety of artefacts collected from the country around us and really gave perspective to the depth of Australian history. Lucy's strife and struggle also provided a new insight into the Anzac legacy as she argued Beersheba as an alternative to Gallipoli as a representation of the Anzac spirit and the attributes of our soldiers, while Grace's research into the Ord River Irrigation System furthered my understanding of the interconnectedness of events as she explored the story of the Duracks.

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Everywhere I looked was content that struck chords within me. One of my main takeaways from today was just how interconnected everything was. Stories, like the many that came from the Durack family of Western Australia, lead from one to the other. It showed me that although the population of Western Australia may be spread out across the State, our stories are still tightly intertwined. It gives a sense of community and unification towards a common goal. This was a perfect way to start the 2021 Premier's Anzac Student Tour, and I have high hopes for the next nine days.

At the museum, I presented my Strife and Struggle Time Capsule 08 research on the Battle of Beersheba to the group and received some constructive feedback and stimulating questions. Following my talk, Grace presented her field trip speech on the Ord Valley Irrigation Scheme. I was interested to hear about the pivotal role of the Ord Valley Irrigation Scheme, which generates hydroelectricity to power the Kimberley region.

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