Education at the Coal Loader

The Coal Loader embodies both environmental and social sustainability and is an outstanding example of modern placemaking.  

With a living classroom, opportunity to deliver education addressing a wide range of curriculum and an awe inspiring outdoor setting, visiting the Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability provides exciting learning opportunities for students from primary right through to tertiary education.

Once an industrial site based 2km from Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Centre is now a beacon of sustainability while still embracing its indigenous and industrial heritage. The Centre’s interactive facilities offer students the chance to learn first-hand how to live sustainably at school and in their homes. A visit to the Coal Loader will hopefully fuel a passion in students to make a positive difference when it comes to sustainability.

A visit to the Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability will introduce your students to explore:

• a heritage site with a rich indigenous and industrial history, transformed into a showcase of sustainable technology
• heritage buildings that have been retrofitted to showcase energy and water efficiency
• Indigenous carvings and bush food gardens
• a thriving man-made wetland
• the biodiversity of Balls Head Reserve, including rare and endangered flora and fauna
• sustainable living in action including organic waste recycling, community gardens and chickens
• historic coal-loading equipment from the last century, including the original coal-loading tunnels and wharf
• artists in residence
• a state-of-the-art local government and community facility.

All schools and learning institutions are welcome to visit the Coal Loader to undertake self guided education. The Coal Loader Sustainability Learning Guide for years 5 to 12 has some helpful resources.

Coal Loader Sustainability Learning Guide

You can request a 20min site introduction and orientation at the start of your self -led tour, and if available, can also have the use of one of our indoor learning spaces for the duration of your visit, free of charge. For more information, please contact our team:  coalloader@northsydney.nsw.gov.au

Tertiary education

Tertiary institutions including university and TAFE groups are can also request guided tours of the Coal Loader to cover topics including industrial history, architecture, adaptive re-use and sustainability and environmental science.

Tertiary groups can also apply to run their own field days onsite and use the indoor learning spaces for the duration of their program, free of charge.

For enquiries, please contact coalloader@northsydney.nsw.gov.au

Child safe guidelines

Council aims to ensure that all children and young people remain safe while on Council premises and when utilising Council services.

Council believes that it is primarily the responsibility of parents and caregivers of children and young people to ensure their safety and wellbeing; however, Council has implemented strategies across Council venues to protect children and young people from abuse, harm and exploitation.

Council believes one of the most effective ways of preventing child abuse is to increase awareness amongst all Council staff, volunteers and the community.

Across all Council properties and facilities, the following guidelines must be adhered to:

Toilets and change rooms:

• children under the age of five must be accompanied and supervised at all times while in the toilets and change rooms
• if children are over the age of five but cannot go to their respective toilets or change rooms without supervision, parents and carers must be encouraged to use family rooms where possible.

Supervision:

• while on Council premises and in the care of their parents and carers, children and young people are not the responsibility of any Council staff, contractors or volunteers
• while on Council premises, children must be supervised at all times by their parents and carers
• a child or young person left unattended in a public place such as Council libraries, parks and pools may be classed as a child or young person at risk of harm in accordance with section 23 of the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act (1998). Whether or not staff, contractors or volunteers are mandatory reporters, they all have a duty of care to report any child protection concerns.

Age restrictions:

• at some Council properties and facilities, there are restrictions on the age of children and young people that are allowed entry without adult supervision. Any age restrictions need to be communicated to the community in an effective manner.

Book a facilitated excursion

The Coal Loader offers a range of full-day, teacher-led, Stage 2 and Stage 3 Science and Geography Excursions that are fully curriculum linked.

Schools within the North Sydney LGA can take part in these excursions for free. For out-of-area schools, excursions cost $15 per head for Department of Education schools and $25 per head for non-Department of Education schools.

Students will engage in unique, fun, hands-on activities across the iconic site, focusing on the sustainability features of the centre and linked to the following topics:

Stage 2 Geography: The Earth’s Environment

Excursion activities include: Map and compass use to locate human and natural features, weather data collection using scientific equipment, an introduction to sustainability definitions and examples, musical peer interviews about sustainability, “I Spy” around the Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability and parachute games.

Key Inquiry Questions

• How does the environment support the lives of people and other living things?
• How do different views about the environment influence approaches to sustainability?
• How can people use places and environments more sustainably?

Outcomes

A student:

• examines features and characteristics of places and environments GE2-1
• describes the ways people, places and environments interact GE2-2
• examines differing perceptions about the management of places and environments GE2-3
• acquires and communicates geographical information using geographical tools for inquiry GE2-4

Stage 3 Geography: Factors that Shape Place

Excursion activities include: investigating a wetland area, its function and the biodiversity through observations; analysing what waste is, how it impacts our environment and solutions like a circular economy for products; using ID charts to observe pollinators and support biodiversity by creating pollinator seed bombs and water stands; and redesigning a home to incorporate environmentally sustainable features.

Key Inquiry Questions

• How do people and environments influence one another?
• How do people influence places and the management of spaces within them? 

Outcomes

A student:

• describes the diverse features and characteristics of places and environments GE3-1
• explains interactions and connections between people, places and environments GE3-2
• compares and contrasts influences on the management of places and environments GE3-3
• acquires, processes and communicates geographical information using geographical tools for inquiry GE3-4

Stage 2 Science and Technology: Living World

Excursion activities include: Exploration walk searching for living things, introduction to frogs and frogs life cycle, structural and behavioural adaptation, food web wide game, investigation of the wetland and an assessment if the Striped Marsh Frog live would there, data collection including wetland observations and invertebrate tree shakes.

Key inquiry questions

• How do physical conditions affect the survival of living things?
• How do the structural and behavioural features of living things support survival?

Outcomes

A student:

• plans and conducts scientific investigations to answer testable questions, and collects and summarises data to communicate conclusions ST3-1WS-S
• examines how the environment affects the growth, survival and adaptation of living things ST3-4LW-S

Stage 3 Science and Technology: Physical World

Excursion activities include: An introduction to solar energy through building and racing solar powered cars, investigative artwork to demonstrate how plants use the sun’s energy, experimenting with sunlight to create heat to cook a marshmallow in a pizza box and a scavenger hunt to collect data of sustainable energy features available for houses.

Key Inquiry Questions

• How do light, heat and electrical energy make things happen?
• How can we use forces and energy in a product or system?

Outcomes

A student:

• ST2-8PW-ST describes the characteristics and effects of common forms of energy, such as light and heat
• ST2-1WS-S questions, plans and conducts scientific investigations, collects and summarises data and communicates using scientific representations
• ST2-3DP-T defines problems, describes and follows algorithms to develop solutions

Suggested schedule (can be tailored)

Risk Assessment and permission form can be provided.

Excursions for Stages 4-5 are currently being developed and are earmarked for rollout at the end of 2025.

If you’d like to find out more information, please contact our team: coalloader@northsydney.nsw.gov.au

Before booking, please refer to the Observatory Hill Environmental Education Centre booking calendar to see available dates. They will be marked as 'Coal Loader Bookings Available'.

Then please complete our booking form:

Book now