Melissa Solorzano, the Penn State School of Visual Arts Down Under marketing intern, writes:

After spending a total of 22 hours on a plane, we finally landed in Sydney, Australia. The feeling was unreal. I couldn’t believe I was finally there. Before unpacking, eating, or taking a break we took an incredible tour through The Rocks with our first guide; a kind, older gentleman named Brian.

The Rocks is a historic district of Sydney and a popular place for tourists to visit. Here we learned that The Rocks was going to be torn down in order to better fit the city’s modern look. Fortunately, the residents campaigned to keep the history alive and this beautiful area remains a highlight for the city.

The area is also filled with great artwork. Brian told us that the most important people in Australia are the mums and the buns; the moms and the babies. Because of this they have this amazing indented wooden carving of a mother holding her child. What makes this monument even more powerful is on the other side there is a similar carving of a man with a metal lock around his ankle, symbolizing the origin of the area as a penal colony. This artistic tribute is a great way for Australians to pay their respects to those who were enslaved and at the same time look to the future generations.

It was incredible to learn about such an important part of Australian history. All my life I have learned only the history of where I live in the United States. I was amazed by how much I learned in one day from the beautiful landscapes and museums I visited. I will certainly remember this day of the rest of my life.