Mungo was the focus of the term at Sacred Heart Primary School in Tatura and Thursday, September 2, was a special day for the whole school as an archaeology superstar spoke to students and staff.
Jim Bowler, 92, spoke to students and staff over zoom about his discovery of Mungo man and Mungo Lady in 1974.
Learning about Mungo Man and Mungo Lady was part of the curriculum this term but teacher Emily Slaughter never expected it to be so popular with students and staff.
It was included in nearly every subject, including English, maths and religious education.
“We weren’t sure it was going to happen as he’s a little bit older (and) with the technology and because he’s got a lot going on but it was amazing it was able to happen,” Ms Slaughter said.
Learning about Mungo Man and Mungo Lady, two of the oldest human remains found and how they completely changed the understanding of Australia’s past.
She said while on the Zoom with Mr Bowler the students were “fantastic”.
“The kids asked him things like ‘how did you feel when you saw the remains?’ and ‘did you actually know though human remains when you first saw them?’,” she said.
“He told them a story about how one of his colleagues put the remains in his suitcase because they didn’t have anything else to put them in.
“I felt like I was listening to David Attenborough.”
Parents and other students were able to look at the presentations on Mungo Man and Mungo Lady from the Year 5/6 students.
Bonnie O’Shannessy and Madi Worm both loved the term, with Bonnie wanting to go to Lake Mungo during the school holidays.
“The fact they were the oldest modern human remains was special,” Bonnie said.
“It just sounds so amazing and today I was so excited to be talking to the person who helped write history.”
Madi said she found it “really amazing” to be learning they were so old and was excited to learn from Mr Bowler.
"I was surprised by how much people talked about Mungo Lady because I thought Mungo Lady was a small thing and Mungo Man was a big thing but they were both the same,“ she said.
The school also has a drawing of a giant diprotodon — an ancient ancestor of the wombat which lived at the same time as Mungo Man and Mungo Lady — sketched out life-size at the school’s entrance.
Hamish Gow and Darragh Robbins spoke about how massive they were and about some of the giant kangaroos and lizard megafauna which lived alongside them more than 20,000 years ago.
Student Ella Amurri told parents and students the story of Mungo Man and Mungo Lady.
She said it was “different, but good different” speaking to Mr Bowler on Thursday.
“I’ve never spoken to anyone that’s discovered something like that and that was really cool,” she said.
Student Char Whitford enjoyed learning about Mungo Man and Mungo Lady.
She said it was amazing how long ago they lived and to find out there were people in Australia more than 40,000 years ago.
She said hearing Mr Bowler talk was amazing.