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Banjo Morton: the untold story

In 1949, after many years of being paid only in rations, Banjo Morton and seven other Alyawarra men decided they wanted proper wages for their work as stockmen and station hands at the Lake Nash cattle station in the Northern Territory. They walked off in protest. This rich media site records the history of that protest ...

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Chinese Anzacs

This is a website about the experiences of Chinese-Australian soldiers in World War I. It includes: historical facts; a collection of 12 story objects that tell the stories of individuals, events and artefacts; and a Chinese Anzacs Education kit. The kit is comprehensive. The learning activities are presented in five parts, ...

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Can We Help?: Shakespeare words: the process of language change

Imagine being responsible for inventing over 1700 words! That is the legacy of William Shakespeare, one of the greatest writers in the English language. Most of these words were created through translations of Latin words or by combining words with prefixes and suffixes in original ways. In this clip, you'll discover the ...

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Sydney Opera House: Construction launch

In what ways can a building reflect the aspirations of the society around it? The design and construction of the Sydney Opera House took place between 1957 and 1973. This short, silent clip shows part of the ceremony marking the commencement of the building's construction. This was a period of political and economic transition, ...

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Building the Sydney Opera House

Construction of the Sydney Opera House began in 1959. The Opera House was intended to be more than a building; it was meant to be a landmark that would put Sydney on the world map as a centre of culture. In this short, silent clip, discover some of the work that went into constructing this huge, unique and very complex building.

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Journey into Japan: Japan's shoguns keep everyone in their places

What was the status of each social class in shogunate Japan? During the period from around 1600 to 1868, Japan was a feudal society. As in medieval Europe, each group had its place in a strict social order. Watch this clip to discover the roles of each group during the age when the Tokugawa shoguns ruled the country. This ...

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Journey into Japan: Shoguns rule Japan with iron fists

Who were the shoguns and how did they rule Japan? In Japanese history, the time from about 1600 to 1868 is called the Edo period. In 1600, after centuries of wars, Japan came under the control of shoguns from the Tokugawa clan. They continued to rule until 1868, when they were overthrown. View this clip to discover how ...

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Thinkabout, Talkabout: Getting around town during the war years

During a fuel crisis, how do most people get around? In Australia during World War II, fuel was rationed (restricted so that people could buy only limited amounts), as it was in very short supply. Car parts were also in limited supply, so they were hard to replace. Hear some accounts of that time and watch footage from ...

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Four Corners: Surfies, clubbies and a changing way of life

What effect did the rise of surfboard riding and its accompanying surf culture have on surf lifesaving? In the early 1960s, surf lifesaving was regarded as a model of the values that underpin the Australian way of life. This clip from 1964 explores the collision between the new surf culture and the traditions of the surf ...

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Batavia shipwreck leads to mass murder

In 1629, the Dutch merchant ship Batavia was wrecked off the Western Australian coast near present-day Geraldton. What followed was a tale of mutiny and mass murder on the surrounding islands. Hear from two members of the 1963 expedition that first uncovered the ship's remains, as they visit one of the islands in 2013.

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Radio National: 'The Great Gatsby' and all that jazz

'The great Gatsby' is considered a classic of modern literature, so what makes people value books like this one over others? In this audio clip, explore a range of responses to F Scott Fitzgerald's enduring novel and consider the qualities people value in literature. This clip from 'Books and arts daily' on Radio National ...

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Four Corners: TV killed the radio star

Can you imagine a time when, instead of watching dramas at home on a screen, people listened to them on the radio - a time when the most popular of those dramas were made in Australia? This Four Corners program from 1964 examines the reasons for the death of Australian radio serials, the role played by television in their ...

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Can We Help?: Vanishing words: the process of language change

The English language is full of strange contradictions and vanishing words. Have you ever wondered why we sometimes put words together that contradict each other, such as 'pretty awful' or 'terribly good'? If we can be 'ruthless', can we be 'ruthly' as well? Watch as Professor Kate Burridge explains these curious irregularities ...

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Can We Help?: Challenging grammar rules, darlings and crowbars

Find out that what appears to be a straightforward grammar rule behind the use of the words 'fewer' and 'less' may not be as straightforward as it seems! Professor Kate Burridge explains that this grammar rule has been under challenge for centuries. She also explains the origins of the word 'darling' and why the 'crow' ...

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Can We Help?: Changing letter sounds and butterflies

Have you ever wondered why you can't just add a prefix such as 'in-' to the beginning of a word to make its opposite? Professor Kate Burridge explains how a prefix is influenced by the sound of the letters that come after it. She also gives two explanations about the origins of the word 'butterfly'.

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Can We Help?: Word histories: how extraordinary!

Words can change over time and so can their meanings. The word 'extra' broke away from other words to become a word on its own. Professor Kate Burridge explains how this impacts on words like 'extraordinary'. She also explains the origins and meanings of the words 'hearse' and 'rehearse''.

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Foreign Correspondent: Legacy of Nazism in modern Vienna

Why did Nazis in Austria dig up hundreds of human remains from graves in Vienna's Währing Jewish cemetery? Join reporter Mark Corcoran as he visits a Viennese museum to search for the remains of an 18th-century Jewish baroness. He makes some disturbing discoveries there. This clip from 2007 is the second of two.

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Foreign Correspondent: Uncovering a chapter of the Holocaust

What happened to the Jewish population of Vienna, Austria's capital, during World War II? Its members were among the estimated six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust. In this clip from 2007, find out about the prolonged campaign of historian Tina Walzer to reclaim Vienna's Jewish heritage. The clip is the first of two.

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Feathers, Fur and Fins: A song about snakes

Do you know any songs about Australian animals? Listen to this song about snakes performed by Don Spencer. Watch and listen, as the clip shows different types of snakes and even some trained people trying to catch a snake.

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Rewind: What is 'living history'?

In 2004, a re-enactment of the Second Battle of Vinegar Hill was carried out on site to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the battle. The activity, which involved accurate use of costumes, equipment and other props from the era of the battle, is called 'living history'. According to this video, what are some of the ...