I was asked at the beginning of the year by one of our Ag. Teachers if the Archibull Prize Competition was something that I would like to look into.
I looked into it and thought that it looked like a whole heap of fun!
The adventure was about to begin!
I put the idea to my year 10 Animal Husbandry class. They were extremely keen to get this idea moved from just an idea into something real.
Some of the first steps to apply were by filling in an EOI/ survey and answering some questions.
I needed to fill in one as well as Miss Bandrowski (HOD of Agriculture and IDT) and so did my Animal Husbandry class of year 10 students. Once submitted it was an anxious wait to see if we were lucky enough to be selected.
We were!
Monday 17th April 2017- I received a letter with the words Congratulations! We had been selected!
Our courier for QLD was to be Doug Lindsay. It was time to start getting excited!
Mrs O’Halloran worked some magic and put up some information on our schools new front gate sign.
Friday 12th May 2017- the wonderful ladies in the office phoned to say there was a parcel for me.
It was our paints!
Please excuse the photo. I was very excited but I had just received my flu vaccination and my arm was a bit sore.
The next week another parcel arrived. Cotton Australia had sent a box full of cool stuff such as samples of cotton, brochures and posters! The students helped to open it. It was like Christmas!
25th May 2017- A phone call from Doug (Doug Lindsay Transport) stating that our Archie would arrive…..DRUM ROLL………..TODAY……..Fair Dinkum. I was so excited I gave myself a headache. I told the class and the cheering was fantastic.
Our Archie arrived at the end of morning tea that day.
It was unreal.
Everyone in the office came to greet her and see her. Doug helped to load her off the truck.
JD (Ag Assistant) had organised the tractor with the carry-all to put her on and she was loaded.
Mr Smith our principal even helped with a bit of tractor driving!
As we drove her towards the library (her yard was there in a common place to introduce her to the school) students came out from everywhere to follow her first journey through Beaudesert State High School. It was like a procession! I had never seen anything like it before.
Once at the library she was yarded. A newly polished show halter was fitted and our Archie was home!
She did not seem too phased with her new environment and settled in well.
Now the sign at the front of the school needed changing!
The next step is to speak with Mr Stocker (Information, Design and Technology Department) to see when he would like to start working on Bullinda.
30th May 2017- Our principal emailed our local paper to see if they would like to do a story on Bullinda. The Beaudesert Times phoned me that afternoon to begin discussions for planning their visit.
31st May 2017- Students from years 8 and 10 have begun researching for the blog topics during their lunch hours.
1st June 2017- Students from years 7 and 12 have also begun their research for the blog topics.
5th June 2017- Preparations have been made to have Bullinda moved every Wednesday period 4 to the Information, Technology and Design Department for approximately the next four Wednesdays. Bullinda will be moved back to the Agricultural Department every Thursday morning for safe keeping.
Discussion have started on venues where Bullinda can be yarded for public display to help promote her to our local community.
6th June 2017- Guess what?
7th June 2017- The local paper The Beaudesert Times (Reporter- Jocelyn Garcia) has come to see Bullinda to write a story about her. She was marvellous and some great photos were taken!
You can read the story by clicking on the following link:
This day is also very special as Bullinda has now left the library to begin her journey to become something amazing.
Bullinda has now been moved!
14th June 2017- Students help to move Bullinda to see Mr Ed Stocker to begin cutting. Yes, you have read correctly…cutting.
So now we need to just quickly jump back a bit as due to us keeping this a bit of a ‘Secret Squirrel’ for a while there is a bit of information that I need to fill you in with.
Well, during the brain storming sessions that the students had in the very early days of knowing that our school had been accepted in this awesome competition that students can up with the wonderful idea that they would like Bullinda to move.
It was agreed by all that we would like very much to have her ears move, eye-lashes move and also her tail. The students decided that due to the importance of sustainable Agriculture it would be very wrong of us to have this movement and then plug Bullinda into a power point to have this happen so it was agreed that Bullinda would be solar powered.
So, on the 14th of June Mr Stocker got to meet Bullinda and we cut out a large section of her side. This will be a door way (with the help of some little hinges) for the battery that will provide power for her when she is indoors. During the week Mr Stocker made the mechanism that will drive Bullinda’s tail.
This is now fitted inside of her.
21st June 2017- Mr Ed Stocker, Mr Vincent Kruger, Mr John Daley, Miss Kate Bandrowski and Mrs Laura Perkins (me), all got together to discuss the students requests on the further developments of Bullinda. It is agreed that the tail and ears will move. Her eyelashes will contain lead lights. The students have chosen various items on Bullinda that will light up and produce sound. Bullinda will become interactive! How exciting!!
Mrs Jodie O’Halloran is going to sew Bullinda a new pair of jeans. This is awesome as jeans are made out of……COTTON! How cool.
19th July 2017- Students were grouped into many different activities. A small group of students worked with Mr Kruger to start the beginnings of the serious end of the robotics. A large group began making the ‘cotton boll plants’. Unfortunately our Beautiful Beaudesert is not a cotton farming district so cotton is unavailable to us. We then did the next best thing………we made some! This was another suggestion from our very talented students, to have Bullinda standing in a field of cotton.
Bullinda has now left AG03 (our classroom at Ag.) and is on her way back to Mr Stocker. Today he will remove her ears.
Mr Stocker has built the mechanism that will control the movement of Bullinda’s ears.
Mr Stocker along with the help of Mr Daley, Mr Richard Boon and Mr Phil Hyam removed Bullinda’s ears and has taken out a section of her neck for easier access to the mechanism that controls the ears. Her ear mechanism was installed- this was a bit tricky due to Mr Hyam needing to pretty much climb inside of Bullinda to help install the ear mechanism.
20th July 2017- Bullinda has moved back to AG03 for continuation of her artwork. Mr Steve Brecht showed some of his Agricultural Mechanics students how to mix up some bog. They then ‘bogged up’ Bullinda’s ears so that hopefully next week we can drill some holes into them to attach them back onto her head.
26th July 2017. Such exciting stuff! Mr Stocker has made some 3D printed tractor tyres for our Harvester! This is so amazing. 3D printing is unreal. Yesterday there was nothing and today we have something…….our very own tractor tyres! How cool.
The 3D printer makes them red so JD went into town and purchased us some black spray paint. In a matter of no-time the students had sprayed our red tyres black and they look just like real ones!
Cogs have also been made to be reflective of Bullinda’s ‘Industrial’ side.
The students have had a lot of fun painting these.
2nd August 2017- A bit of trouble today. Drilling of the ears began. One worked. One did not. Well that ear now had to go back to Ag. Mechanics to be bogged again. Never mind. We can fix! Thank you Ag. Mechanics students and the Super Mr Brecht!
Also, we were not allowed to stay today with Mr Stocker. He needed to begin the glassing and therefore we had to go. See you tomorrow Bullinda!
3rd August 2017- Today is the day that our amazing Young Farming Champion has come to see us all the way from Emerald!
Welcome to Sharna Holman who came and spoke to approximately 60 students about The Cotton Industry, Biosecurity and Careers in Agriculture. The students had a an amazing time and learnt so much from Sharna.
Please check out our link on our blog page about our Young Farming Champion Sharna.
Sharna also brought us some real cotton! We were all excited as we do not have cotton growing in our local area.
9th August 2017- Her gut is hinged! This one was a tricky one. Due to Bullinda having a curved gut two hinges would not sit flush. Brainstorming was needed on how to make her gut both fit snugly as well as work. After a bit of trial and error and practice makes perfect a solution was found. Bullind now has her gut back!
Today was also important as the cogs were placed for next week’s drilling.
11th August 2017- Mr Kruger, Mr Stocker, Mr Daley and Mrs Perkins began some of the wiring up of Bullinda. Buttons were calculated, lights were organized and mechanisms were rehearsed. Cogs were re-check in their places to be.
16th August 2017- Bullinda is now all ears! It took a bit of time but she can now again hear. Now all we need is something to fill in the gaps. She needs the gaps but we need to fill them in. Tricky eh! Cogs are now beginning to be connected. A strap is attached to help hold the gut door.
19th August 2017- Today Bullinda again spent her lunch hours crowded around by about 20 or so students actively working on her and bits to do with her. Students also had a lesson in how to solder as there are many lights that need to be worked upon.
Mr Kruger, Mr Daley and Mrs Perkins spent the afternoon working on Bullinda’s beautiful eyes. it did take a bit of time but WOW!
22nd August 2017- The students worked super hard today. More painting and more soldering. More soldering and more painting. The students are having a ball! I am having a ball! Today we treated Bullinda and introduced her to one of our school’s beautiful steers ‘Ginger Meggs’. A beautiful friendship has now been made!
Tonight is a big night for Bullinda. Tonight is subject selection night and here she will make her debut. Although she is still under ‘construction’ she will be introduced to the parents of our students that attend.
Good Luck Bullinda!
23rd August 2017- Bullinda had a late night. Many, many people from our local community came and wanted to talk about her. The interest was HUGE!
Many students that are working on her even brought their parents over to meet Bullinda and show off their work.
Even though she is not finished yet and may not have had on all of her ‘Bells and Whistles’ she still ‘Lit up the Room’! Those that know her will know EXACTLY what I mean. Well done Bullinda, you have made both myself and the students proud.
25th August 2017- Bullinda’s artwork is really coming along. Layers and layers are being completed. We now are beginning to sort out what needs to be done to finalise Bullinda so we can work out our deadline to jobs ratio.
The students have done an amazing jobs of Bullinda’s lights. Next week they will be applied and the last of the buttons will be placed. Bullinda’s ear gaps are now filled thanks to Mr Daley and a couple of really good students!
A BIG SHOUT OUT to our equine donator ‘Nelly’! You have really made Bullinda a star for the subject selection evening! Bullinda is now ‘all a flutter’! Thank you Nelly.
This weekend two more equine friends will become Bullinda participants too (Leggs and Roy…..that means you).
We are all really looking forward to next week. Bullinda you are really coming along!
28th August 2017- The students have finished making the blue lights with their amazing soldering abilities. Now the next step is to make 20 little yellow lights. These will be the lights that make Bullinda’s sun shine. The sun is still yet to be painted on Bullinda’s ‘cotton side’ but the lights will take time so will be needed to be started as soon as possible.
Bullinda is now ‘an official member’ of our herd at Beaudesert State High School and she received her very own ear tag!
Tomorrow is going to be an exciting day as if all goes to plan Bullinda will have her new pants!
29th August 2017- The yellow lights are now started, the harvester is coming along nicely and the rest of the cogs have now been ‘Steam Punked’ for Bullinda’s industrial side.
Students are also working very hard to continue to create information for our blog page (the very one you are reading now!).
This afternoon Bullinda was fitted for her jeans. They are looking great! We have decided not to secure them just yet as we need to finalise the painting first but they are on and they are wearable!
Tomorrow Bullinda should be getting the last of her glassing (her neck needs to be glassed back in). The last of the cogs should be drilled both through them but also the holes through Bullinda where they will sit. We will also be cutting out the wording for Bullinda’s trolley stand.
Our local paper ‘The Beaudesert Times’ has been booked in and organised to come and cover another story on Bullinda tomorrow!
30th August 2017- Well today was a big one! It was full steam ahead from whoa to go. Bullinda is as always crowded around by some really very amazing students. Her harvester is really coming along, the sky is looking amazing and all systems are a go for the students that are making her many lights (yellow at the moment).
The local paper ‘The Beaudesert Times’ came out today to do a story on Bullinda’s progress as well as interview the students. We all had so much fun and it was so great to see the students so proud of the work. The vibe was certainly ELECTRIC!
The paper stayed with us the whole lesson taking photos and doing interviews. We cannot wait for the paper to come out on Wednesday!
After school today Bullinda was taken up to T block with the help of students to have some more industrial work done. We worked and worked and much was completed.
Bullinda’s sun was made and the holes drilled for the sunshine.
Holes drilled for the rest of her buttons, cogs and tracking lights.
Her neck was finished with fiberglass.
We also had a lot of fun with an amazing machine called a CNC Router. This machine was programed and cut out the writing that we needed. This was the same machine that had made her cogs.
As we were working we then had the pleasure of meeting many prospective students and their parents that were having a look at our school for next year (it was prospective students and parents evening). There were so many and we invited them all in to see and meet Bullinda and have a chat about her. They were so interested and there were many questions. We were quite proud to see so many people take such a huge interest in her. It was great. We were even able to show them the movement of her ears, her eyes were lit up blue and the harvester headlight also operational. We worked late but it was very much worth it. Well done again Bullinda!
1st September 2017- Well we saw this today and we think that it is awesome so we just have to share!
Look at how many page views we got yesterday!!!!
Again, many thanks to Bullinda’s equine friends, Leggs, Roy and now Bobby. Although your tails are shorter Bullinda’s isn’t!
Bullinda was fitted today for tail adjustments. How lucky is she!
5th September 2017- Bullinda has been having a tidy-up of her insides! All cables and leads are being organised and tagged so we all know what belongs with what.
The students are continuing with painting but it is now mainly touch-ups and finer details. Pencils have come out to assist with detailing as well.
Bullinda today now officially was branded (or her jeans were) with our Education Queensland brand, and how proud was she!
Lucky we practised first! A bit too hot for this one.
Spot on! Perfect!
Her Brochures have also been amended and finalised- soon ready for printing.
Bullinda’s solar is presently being fitted and soon she will prove to be the ‘sustainabull -bull’ that she was created and designed to be.
Comments are continuing to roll in on our Blog page and we are as proud as punch!
6th September 2017- The students had a great load of fun today as the local paper The Beaudesert Times was published and to our great surprise our story was on not just one but two pages! Bullinda again is a star!
The Beaudesert Times not only put out the paper story but also a clip that they had made. It is so awesome and the students had great fun watching it over and over.
You can read the article written by Jocelyn Garcia from The Beaudesert Times by clicking the following link:
https://www.beaudeserttimes.com.au/story/4895421/high-school-project-turns-to-robotics/
Once you have clicked the above link scroll down and take a look at the awesome clip that Beaudesert Times made! It is really cool and the students had heaps of fun with it!
Check out the views!!!!! 5,420 so far and still growing.
Bullinda is now getting closer and closer to being finished.
Bullinda’s tail is now moving and looks great. Her pipes are almost completed and the harvester is about to have the final touch-ups.
The cotton bolls are almost finished and her trolley had its last coat today.
This is the trolley! Well done to all of those that made it! This will make it a lot easier to move Bullinda around.
Students are still sending work to be up-loaded to the blog and the last are now receiving their final touches also.
Bullinda is Busy in Beaudesert!
Tomorrow will also be a busy one.
Her ‘insides’ still have a little bit of organisation to be done.
Her tail sleeve needs to be fitted. Painting needs to be completed so her shiny gloss and begin to be applied.
Next week her CNC Router signs will be installed, cotton will be planted and solar connected.
Oh, jeans also needs the final fit.
Friday 8th September 2017- Today was a crazy day and the most scared yet! We began to put on the gloss and Bullinda started going white and bubbly! Our nerves were high but we decided to have faith in ourselves and we kept going. The students worked hard trying to ensure that Bullinda stayed perfect and after a lot of work and drying time her coat was looking ok. We decided that the issue with the white and bubbly was perhaps because she is textured and not totally smooth.
The students helped Mr Daley to install the signs that we had made.
The last week of term- Monday 11th to Friday 15th September 2017- This was it! The final week that we have at school to finish Bullinda before the end of term 3 and the end of this amazing competition. We did the final touch ups. We cleaned. Her insides were finalised and connections were made.
Bullinda’s harvester looks amazing!
We practised our writing (we wanted it to be perfect).
Her brochure is now also completed and her back pockets are filled.
On the very last day of term 3 Bullinda’s final photos were taken and she was proudly placed on her trolley and transported up to the Mathematics Department. The Mathematics department runs a STEM Expo day for the year 6 students of the surrounding primary schools. We hold a range of activities involving problems around Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The year 6’s (and the year 8 mathematics extension students we had invited to do the activities) all loved Bullinda and enjoyed pressing her buttons to see what happens.
At the end of the day she was brought back to the Agriculture Department to await for her judging in week 1 of term 4.
We all stood around her and admired her.
Well done Bullinda.
My how you have changed from a blank white fibreglass cow to now Beaudesert State High School’s Archibull Prize Competition 2017- The Australian Cotton Industry- Our Story.
Good Luck Bullinda.
