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Outback House: Mal's perspective

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Man stands beside large wooden roof frame
Outback House: Mal's perspective

SUBJECTS:  History

YEARS:  5–6


Join Mal Burns, a station hand and member of the Wiradjuri people, as he builds a shelter near the homestead.

Imagine leaving your home to travel back to about 150 years ago, to live and work on an outback farm. Sixteen Australians take part in a reality TV show about life on 'Oxley Downs', a sheep station built to look and work like an 1860s station.


Things to think about

  1. 1.The Wiradjuri people have lived in the region of Oxley Downs for tens of thousands of years. How might their knowledge, experiences and skills be helpful to European squatters who are hoping to establish a successful farm?
  2. 2.Listen to Mal Burns explain why he is building his own shelter away from the main house. The narrator calls it a 'gunya'. What word does Mal use? Explore why different words may be used. What materials does Mal use to build his shelter?
  3. 3.Mal explains the strong connection that Aboriginal peoples have with their land. What benefits does building a shelter away from the homestead offer?
  4. 4.Research the contributions that Indigenous groups and individuals have made to Australian society, particularly during the colonial period. Use search terms such as 'Aboriginal workers Australia colonies'. Present your findings in an interesting way.



Production Date: 2005


Copyright

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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