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HASS F-6 / Year 6 / Knowledge and understanding / History

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Curriculum content descriptions

significant individuals, events and ideas that led to Australia’s Federation, the Constitution and democratic system of government (AC9HS6K01)

Elaborations
  • studying Australia’s path to Federation through an examination of key people and events, such as Henry Parkes, Edmund Barton, Alfred Deakin, George Reid, John Quick, the Tenterfield Oration, the Corowa Conference and the referendums held in the colonies between 1898 and 1900
  • exploring how the United States of America’s model of federalism (the Washington system) contributed to the ideas for Andrew Clark’s first draft of the Constitution
  • investigating how Australia’s system of law and government has origins in the Magna Carta, the English Civil War and Westminster system and, therefore, why we have a constitutional monarchy and why there was a separation of powers (legislative, executive, judiciary)
General capabilities
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and Creative Thinking
ScOT terms

Significant people,  Constitutions,  Democracy,  Federation

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BTN: The Australian constitution

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Video

BTN: Federation explained

  • TLF-IDM020007

On 1 January 1901 New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and Victoria officially joined together to make one country: the Commonwealth of Australia. Before this, they had each been separate British colonies and operated like individual countries. Watch this clip and find out why the colonies ...

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Interactive

Discovering democracy: Federation timeline

  • TLF-IDL8208

Use a timeline to find information about significant events and ideas in the establishment of a federated Australia. Nominate specific years or scroll from 1788 to 1901 to see what steps were key in determining the nature of government in Australia.

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Interactive

Discovering democracy: the people make a nation

  • TLF-IDL9814

Interact with a slideshow of images and text to explore the controversies that the colonies needed to deal with before they could agree on a federated Australia. Investigate the library to find out more about the different views about trade, immigration, transport, defence and rivers. Examine the rivalries among the colonies ...

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Video

BTN: Federation of Australia

  • TLF-IDM019985

Did you know that Australia as a federated nation is only about 115 years old? Before federation, Australia's states and territories each had its own laws and even its own army! Watch this clip to find out how, why and when Australia became a federation.

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Interactive

Gold rush: level 2

  • TLF-IDL680

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 ...

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Video

The House In Session, Ep 3: The Westminster system and borrowed traditions

  • TLF-IDM025387

In this 5-minute video, Annabel Crabb explains interesting traditions that the Parliament of Australia has borrowed from the parliament of Westminster in the United Kingdom. Who is Black Rod, and what is a serjeant-at-arms? What is the Mace, and why is a hood placed over it when entering the presence of the Governor-General? ...

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Image

'Southern Sun' above Sydney Harbour Bridge, 1931

  • TLF-IDR3164

This is a gelatin silver-toned composite photograph measuring 32 cm x 25.5 cm, created by E.W. Searle. The Avro-10 Southern Sun plane piloted by Charles Ulm celebrated the arrival in Sydney of aviatrix Amy Johnson, the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia. Amy Johnson had crash landed in Brisbane and was flown ...

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Image

Touring possible sites for the federal capital, 1902

  • TLF-IDR3005

This is a black-and-white photograph, measuring 18.8 cm x 24.0 cm, taken in 1902 during a tour of inspection by senators from the Federal Parliament of possible sites for the proposed federal capital. Having alighted from a horse-drawn stage coach, five members of the party en route to Tumut, New South Wales, are standing ...

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Image

'Panorama of Challicum, No. II', c1850

  • TLF-IDR3256

This is a watercolour measuring 16 cm x 24.5 cm showing the Victorian squatting runs Challicum and Yalla-y-poora from a south-south-westerly viewpoint. In the midground is the yellow grassland of the Fiery Creek plains, gum trees dot the countryside and the distant bluish mountain is Mount Weejort. Two emus are shown in ...

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Image

Ruins of the Model Prison, Port Arthur, 1911-15

  • TLF-IDR3223

This is a sepia-toned photograph measuring 8.2 cm x 13.2 cm. It shows the ruins of the Model Prison at Port Arthur, Tasmania. A semicircular brick wall has three barred doors that open to exercise yards. A fourth door is open, showing another brick wall with steps leading up to the closed door of a solitary confinement ...

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Image

'Panorama of Challicum, No. VI', c1850

  • TLF-IDR3260

This is a watercolour measuring 17.2 cm x 26.2 cm showing the twin peaks of Mount Langi Ghiran rising behind the smaller tip of Conical Hill. Two distant mountains on the right are Ben Nevis and Mount Buangor. A camp of Indigenous Djapwurrong people, consisting of two bark and wood dwellings, is situated on the edge of ...

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Image

City railway terminus, Melbourne, 1854

  • TLF-IDR2933

This is a black-and-white lithograph measuring 12.5 cm x 20 cm, depicting the city terminus of the Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company in Melbourne in 1854. An early type of steam locomotive is shown approaching a platform where passengers and freight are waiting. The drawing was made by Samuel Thomas Gill and his ...

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Video

Torres Strait Light Infantry Battalion, c1942 - item 1 of 2

  • TLF-IDR8917

This clip from a silent black-and-white home movie shows Torres Strait Islander servicemen undertaking army training drills on Thursday Island (Weiban) during the Second World War. It opens with a long shot of barefoot uniformed men marching in formation, and passing behind a squad of stationary men. It then cuts to shots ...

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Image

The 'West Australian' polling board for the Federation referendum, 1900

  • TLF-IDR3045

This is a black-and-white photograph that shows a huge polling board with the results of the Federation referendum in Western Australia, which was held on 31 July 1900. The board shows that Western Australia voted to join the Commonwealth of Australia by 44,652 votes to 19,636. It also shows the results for each of the ...

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Image

'Gold digging in Australia 1852: bad results'

  • TLF-IDR3385

This is the first of a pair of oval watercolours, measuring 20.2 cm x 26.4 cm, painted by Samuel Thomas Gill (1818-80), a famous colonial artist. It shows two gold miners sitting dejectedly beside their mine, probably on the Victorian gold fields. Behind the men is a windlass, as well as their wheelbarrow, pick and spade. ...

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Image

Logging trucks blockade Parliament House, Canberra, 1995

  • TLF-IDR3031

This is a black-and-white photograph measuring 16 cm x 21 cm, taken by Reg Alder in January 1995, of logging trucks involved in a blockade of Parliament House in Canberra. The trucks are large articulated units and one has a banner attached referring to the timber industry. The protest was a reaction against the Australian ...

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Image

An exhibition home made of fibrolite, c1930s

  • TLF-IDR3048

This is a black-and-white photograph of the exterior of an exhibition home made of fibrolite (fibro-cement) that was constructed by James Hardie and Co Ltd (now known as James Hardie Industries). The street outside the home is crowded with people, some of whom have come to view the fibrolite home. The photograph measures ...

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Image

Sheet music cover for 'Australia draws her maiden sword', 1885

  • TLF-IDR3300

This is the damaged front cover of a three-page score for the song 'Australia Draws her Maiden Sword'. It depicts Australia as a maiden drawing her long sword and preparing for imminent conflict. Behind her, troops are shown marching out of their encampment. On the bottom of the cover in copperplate are the words 'WRITTEN ...

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Image

'Panorama of Challicum, No. III', c1850

  • TLF-IDR3257

This is a watercolour measuring 16 cm x 24.5 cm showing the Victorian squatting run Challicum, from a south-westerly viewpoint. A team of four bullocks, pulling a single-axle wagon loaded with fuel and rough bush timber, is centred in front of a large forest. Two unidentified mountains or hills are on the horizon. The artist, ...

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