This Anzac Day saw the launch of the Ration Shed’s latest innovation—an interactive iPad app called ‘The Dilly Bag’, developed to complement the current Boys from Barambah exhibition. Visitors and students—each armed with an iPad and headphones—saw and heard Cherbourg Elder and military veteran Uncle Eric Law as he led them through the story of Barambah/Cherbourg’s WWI soldiers. They were able to record their photographs and written interactions within the app by saving them to their individual Dilly Bags, which can be sent to the students’ classroom or a visitor’s computer to download later.
The Dilly Bag uses new technology called ‘augmented reality’ (also known as ‘AR’), in which the device picks up triggers on the exhibition panels. As the device sees the trigger—be it a photograph of one of the Barambah soldiers, text on the exhibition panel, or an artifact—a variety of interactive possibilities pop up onto the screen.
The Anzac Day launch was attended by numerous Cherbourg community members, school principals and teachers from the region, who all put the Dilly Bag app through its paces. Their feedback was overwhelmingly positive:
‘It brought the exhibition alive. I … was more inclined to read rather than breeze past.’
‘Love the iPads … the kids will love it!’
‘Was amazing … will definitely be bringing a class.’
The content in The Dilly Bag app is designed to work closely with school curriculums, and was developed in consultation with history teachers at Murgon State High School. When a school booking is made, the Ration Shed will provide teachers with associated materials to prepare their classes for their AR adventures within the Ration Shed Museum precinct. Back in the classroom, teachers can download the students’ individual Dilly Bag journeys for use in their planned projects or activities.
Since Anzac Day the Dilly Bag has been road-tested by a few groups of school students. We are delighted with their responses, best captured by a comment from one of the teachers:
‘There was silence for a whole hour…they were rapt… very unusual for my class…’
The Ration Shed is currently developing the second phase of the Boys from Barambah Dilly Bag experience—an adventure within the Barambah Anzac Memorial Park. It is designed to complement the Boys from Barambah exhibition by focussing on the importance of Anzac Day, the role of the Barambah/Cherbourg community in Anzac efforts, and the wars fought by Australians of all backgrounds over the years.
The Dilly Bag experience within the Boys from Barambah exhibition lasts for approximately 45-60 minutes. The Ration Shed Museum is able to provide the iPads, but students should bring their own headphones (inexpensive sets are also for sale at the museum).
The Dilly Bag AR experience was funded by the Q ANZAC 100 Spirit of Service grant program, and the technology was partially funded by the Queensland Gambling Community Benefit Fund.
This project is proudly supported by the Queensland Government
