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Listed under:  History  >  Social history
Video

Rogue nation, 2009: NSW in 1819, convict gulag or place of opportunity?

This clip is an excerpt from the 2009 documentary 'Rites of passage', the second of a two-part series entitled 'Rogue nation'. The clip begins with historian Michael Cathcart providing contextual information about England in the early 1800s. He says that in the midst of the industrial revolution, millions of people were ...

Video

Benalla Migrant Camp

While many postwar immigrants were sent to Bonegilla Migrant Reception and Training Centre when they arrived in Australia, others lived at the smaller Benalla Migrant Camp. Like Bonegilla, Benalla is in north-east Victoria. Unlike at Bonegilla, however, many immigrants remained at Benalla for over a decade. Listen as Sabine ...

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Welcome to Bonegilla Migrant Camp

Following World War II, the Australian government was eager to increase the country’s population. The war reminded Australians that their small population would not withstand an enemy invasion. Further, a larger workforce was needed to develop the postwar economy. European people, many displaced by the war and the spread ...

Online

Who was Quong Tart?

In this sequence of two activities, students learn about Quong Tart's contribution to Australian life by examining photographs and responding to questions. Based on Quong Tart's tea house, students redesign their classroom to create their own tea house experience.

Interactive

Botany of Kamay

This resource explores the plants of Kamay Botany Bay – their significance to the Aboriginal people of Kamay, and to the botanists on the Endeavour in 1770. This resource is one part of the 'Endeavour – eight days in Kamay' resource.

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Tour of NSW Government House

This resource is a YouTube playlist containing a series of videos taken as a group of senior high school students are given a guided tour of NSW Government House in 2010. The tour covers primary sources such as architecture, furniture and images significant to the history of Australia and NSW.

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The convict voyages

What do you think it was like for convicts on their voyage from England to Australia? Would you be surprised to discover that their life expectancy on board a convict vessel was actually higher than that of free settlers? Watch this video to discover why this might be, and learn about the convicts themselves.

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Hannie Rayson on writing complex roles for women

Watch as Hannie Rayson describes her early desire to write multidimensional, complex roles for women in her plays. What was this in response to?  Why is it important for audiences to see female characters as well as male characters driving drama in plays? 

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Looking after the land

This is a resource about the environmental, climatic, natural disaster and pest challenges faced during settlement in Australia. It includes details about land management techniques; extreme and unique weather conditions, including floods and droughts; bushfires; animal and plant pests; and water management. Text, images, ...

Video

School in the 1940s

Imagine going to school in the 'olden days' (the 1940s). Find out what morning assembly looked like. Discover the things that children kept in their desks and what they used to do their writing. This clip shows you what school was like in the past as two adults (actors Terry Norris and Carmel Millhouse) remember what they ...

Online

New Gold Mountain. Chinese on the goldfields

This resource provides teaching and learning activities exploring the history and contribution of the Chinese on the Australian goldfields in 19th century Australia. The PDF booklet provides teacher's notes, historical background and reproducible student activities which focus on the gold rushes and the Victorian goldfields. ...

Online

Migrants Enriching Australia

This is a rich collection of stories that focuses on the life experiences of two individuals, one of Greek heritage and one of Polish heritage, who immigrated and settled in Victoria post World War II. The resource explores how these people shared their cultural heritage and how this enriched Australian life at this time. ...

Video

NSW Governor Marie Bashir – 2010 speech to students

This resource is a YouTube playlist containing a series of videos from a speech the NSW Governor Marie Bashir gave to senior high school students at Government House in 2010. She speaks on a range of topics, including the Australian system of government, the history of Australia and NSW, and her life. She also answers ...

Online

Billy Blue

In this learning activity, students examine images of Billy Blue, a convict who was transported to New South Wales, and use the template provided to write his life story focusing on historical perspective and empathy.

Online

History in place

This is a website about the History in Place program which aims to use digital technology to connect teachers and students with their local history or heritage. The resource has three sections: Introductory information; Story Objects; and Story Education Resources. There are 16 Story Objects, all videos that were produced ...

Online

IP in everyday life

This is an interactive resource about products that exist in everyday life that have protected intellectual property. The resource is presented as a timeline of one day, beginning at breakfast in the morning through until night. Interactive images appear as the mouse scrolls across the timeline. These images are linked ...

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Life on the land

This is a resource about life on the land in Australia in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. It includes details about land grants allocation, the establishment of Australia's first farms, the condition of the land, the processes used to farm the land, and case studies about the early farming families in Australia. The ...

Video

ABC News: Full-on Aussies

How do people celebrate Australia Day where you live? Watch how diverse groups of Melburnians spend Australia Day in 2013, and hear some people talk about why they chose to become Australian citizens.

Interactive

Gold rush: level 1

Dig for gold on the Ballarat goldfields in 1865. Try your luck at alluvial or shaft mining. Buy a miner's permit, tools and enough supplies to last a month. Discover how hard life was on the goldfields. Explore a map showing the countries migrants left to join the gold rush in Australia. Find out which towns developed due ...

Image

Australian gold diggings, c1855

This is an oil painting measuring 70.5 cm x 90.3 cm, painted about 1855 by Edwin Stocqueler (1829-1895), showing men working on the Bendigo gold field in Victoria. The men are panning, puddling and cradling for gold on both sides of a stream in a tent-dotted valley. The valley is stark, with only a few trees remaining. ...