Teacher Shirley Tickner said it was a special event for the students and presented an opportunity to learn about a significant piece of the town’s long history. 

“Each year we will ask them what the Stawell Gift is and they will say it’s a pub and you go there for tea, you’ll have one child out of 20 who knows what it is,” she said. 

“So this is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about it, we have all the silks and the gunman is here, it’s very special.”

This year was the first time the school organised a separate event for girls and boys. 

“It is about participation, not emulating the exact handicapping, but they learn so much.” Mrs Tickner said.