Learning Useful Skills Through Traditional Spear Making

September 29, 2023
1 minute read

The SEE Program at Venndale Rehabilitation Centre has recently started up again under new trainer Mike Bolton. 

Clients do 2.5 hours a day of workplace-centred literacy and numeracy activities during their stay at Venndale.

Mike is adopting an activity-based approach to fire up the interest of the clients.  He is hoping the clients will see more relevance in their reading, writing and numeracy tasks than they do in the classroom, when it is anchored in hands on activities.

The first activity was woomera (Aboriginal wooden spear-throwing device) and spear making using recycled pallet timber for woomeras and then bamboo and silica for the spears.  The aim is to make and then give to a younger family member.

Whilst making, we also looked at jigsaw safety, hand tool use, measuring, describing, technical drawing and then a poster-style report.

Some of the clients had a competition to hit the Rock Wallaby.  The best of ten shots won a meat pie and can of cola. 

The Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) Program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.

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