In a special event, Strathewen and Anglesea Primary Schools had the privilege of engaging with Cindi Preller, who is the Director of the Pacific Tsunami Museum in Hilo, Hawaii. Cindi, who was in Melbourne as the keynote speaker at the Emergency Management Conference 2024, spent a morning with each of the school’s  students, to share information and learn about tsunamis.

The visit was made possible through the efforts of Lisal O’Brien, Jamie Mackenzie and Steve Cameron, who helped secure this unique opportunity for Cindi to address the EM conference and visit each school. Over the course of two hours, Cindi shared her extensive knowledge about the relationships between earthquakes and tsunamis, together with her experiences at the Pacific Tsunami Museum, where she works to preserve and share the history and stories of these natural disasters, with people of all ages and abilities in the Pacific region.

Her presentation covered the science of tsunamis, the significance of early warning systems, and the resilience of communities that have been impacted by these events. The students were captivated by her stories and insights, and the session was met with enthusiasm and curiosity. Most important was the understanding that while Australia is unlikely to experience major tsunamis, that many of us travel and will continue to travel around the world where these can and do occur. The information and sensory lessons that were part of this session, are designed to stay with people forever. What the students learned in only two hours may one day save their lives, and potentially the lives of others.

Two students from the upper grade shared what they had learned stating that “Cindi is an expert in tsunamis and earthquakes. She told us about the noises of tsunamis and our favourite sound was the bubbling sound. Tsunami waves come like a wall and they’re really strong, even ones that are only 30cm high. We looked at a display that showed all the earthquakes in the world since they started recording them and what the tsunamis looked like. A huge earthquake recorded in Chile generated enough energy to power the world for 501 years. Australia is not in the ‘ring of fire’ but we still get earthquakes and tsunamis”.

Following the visit, the students continued to discuss what they had learned, particularly the importance of disaster preparedness and the role of community resilience in the face of natural disasters. Cindi’s visit provided an invaluable learning experience that will likely have a lasting impact on the students and teachers.

Strathewen and Anglesea Primary Schools extend their thanks to Cindi for her visit and to those who facilitated this memorable educational experience.