Outback House: Life for the station workers

SUBJECTS:  History

YEARS:  5–6

Observe the morning routine for the station hands.

Discover why it was so important for the station owner to keep his workers loyal and content.

Things to think about

1. 1.Keeping a farm running well takes a lot of effort. Much of the work done by machines today had to be done by hand in the 1860s. What jobs would need to be done every day on a farm? Squatter Allcorn needs workers to help run his station. How would he have to look after them?
2. 2.Observe the sleeping quarters and kitchen. What do you notice about workers' living conditions? How did the gold rush affect the number of workers available for stations like this one? What did this mean for the station owner? Why would he not want his workers to buy parts of his lease (the land he rents)?
3. 3.Identify five ways the station hands' living spaces differ from your own. How would you feel about living like the station hands do? What if there was no gold rush and there were plenty of station hands looking for work? How might conditions differ for these station hands? Why?
4. 4.How do we know what life was like in the 1860s? What historical sources could you use to check the accuracy of this TV show setting? How did life on the sheep station differ from life on the goldfields? Make a poster to encourage people to stay away from the goldfields and work on stations instead.

Production Date: 2005

Copyright

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