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Create your own personalised code by giving each letter of the alphabet

a symbol in the key below. You can use shapes, keyboard symbols,

letters or numbers – it’s completely up to you!

Use your new code to write a secret password on the lines below using

your favourite colour and your favourite animal (e.g. Blue Jaguar)

Cut off this section and hide it or give it to

the person you want to read your message.

Fun Fact:

There are lots of

different types of

cuneiform writing!

You can use the

symbols above to

write your name on

the blank cuneiform

tablet to the right.

Did you know the State Library of NSW has an ancient

tablet that is 4000 years old? The King of Uruk’s name

was carved into the wet clay before it was baked.

See the Clay tablet with Sumerian cuneiform

inscription on our website

In 2010, this small boat was found in the shelves of the

Mitchell Library. The scroll inside tells the story of

Chaman Shah Nasiri and his family.

Sometimes secret messages can be hidden in plain sight.

Draw a picture of your family on a piece of A4 paper. Follow the instructions

below to fold the paper into an origami boat. Hide your boat somewhere in your

house and see how long it takes someone to find it!

Fold paper

in half

Fold the

corners in

Fold both

bottom

edges

outwards

Pull out the sides

and flatten

Fold both bottom

corners up

Pull sides apart

and flatten

Pull top flaps

outwards. Flatten

the bottom to make

into a boat... …like this one!

1 2 3

4

5

6

7

Find more information about Take me

home [Realia] on our website.

Question: Question:

Official flag of:

Official flag of:

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9

Answer: Answer:

Arthur Wilcox Manning drew a

semaphore code just like this one during

his journey to Australia in 1839.

Invent your own semaphore flag code by designing your flags in the two

middle rows. Use combinations of 3 flags to ask questions and give

answers. Give a copy of this code to a friend, design an official flag for

your name and theirs, and put up flags in your window to send secret

messages to each other.

Read Arthur Wilcox Manning - journal of a voyage

from Plymouth to Sydney on the Earl Grey, 1839-

1840 on our website