Society and Environment - Student Workbook: Book F - Ages 10-11

F Name: Class:

RIC-1100 5.6/623

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Society and Environment F Published by R.I.C. Publications PO Box 332, Greenwood Western Australia 6924 © R.I.C. Publications 2000 ISBN 1 86311 664 8 Copyright Notice No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without written permission from the publisher.

Foreword Society and Environment will help to increase your knowledge and understanding about your local community and environment and compare them to others.

The seven books in the series look mainly at Australia—its people, its heritage, its political and legal systems, and its place in the world.

The aim of the book is to assist you to better understand the community you live in and to make sound decisions about local, national and worldwide issues.

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Gold in Australia ................................ 49–80 Studying the history and influence of the discovery of gold in Australia.

Gold Fever World Gold Rushes Australia Strikes Gold!

Dreaming The Chinese The Goldfields and Aboriginal People Gold Finds around Australia The Eureka Uprising Life on the Goldfields Women on the Goldfields Mining and the Environment

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Our Australian Identity ........................ 1–22 Studying different cultural groups in Australia and their contributions to the diversity of Australian life.

Australia’s Immigration Australia has Many Cultures Australian Personalities Australian Symbols The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Flags My Identity Images of Australia Racial Discrimination

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Antarctica .......................................... 81–108 A case study of human interaction in Antarctica.

Where is Antarctica and What is it? — 1 Where is Antarctica and What is it? — 2 The Discovery of Antarctica Sir Douglas Mawson The Animals—Penguins The Animals—Seals The Animals—Whales Antarctic Bases The Environment Antarctica—Did You Know?

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State and Federal Government ......... 23–48 Studying the people and processes of State and Federal governments.

What is Government?

Three Levels of Government Separation of Powers An Act of Parliament Elections Historical Facts Australian Political Leaders A Visit to Parliament House

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Our Australian Identity or e t

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Australia’s Immigration Lesson Focus:

You will understand the history of Australia’s immigration and its effect on our identity.

Keywords:

aliens, depression, migrants, settlers, colonies, policy, legislation, discrimination

Australia began with an almost totally Aboriginal population. We still do not have a date for the first human occupation of Australia, but we do have evidence that the Aboriginal people have been in Australia for at least 40 000 years. The Aboriginal people are regarded as Australia’s indigenous people.

The following time line summarises the history of Australia’s immigration.

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1 000 people from the British Isles are shipped to Australia. Most of these are convicts. Over the next 33 years, nearly 30 000 convicts arrive in Australia. The largest number of convicts are English, then Irish, then Scottish and Welsh. Only about a fifth of those transported are female.

1793

The first free settlers from England arrive in NSW.

1832

The first shipload of assisted migrants arrives in Australia.

1835

1838 1851

1904

Pacific Islanders from Queensland begin to be deported.

1905

Schemes to assist and encourage British immigration revived.

19141918 First World War reduces immigration.

Thousands of German–Australians interned as ‘enemy aliens’ under the War Precautions Act.

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1788

1922

Bounty system introduced. Free settlers receive a payment for each qualified person they encourage to immigrate.

Empire Settlement Act is passed. It provides assistance for over 200 000 British immigrants to Australia in the following ten years.

1929

German Lutheran settlers begin arriving in South Australia.

The Great Depression begins, bringing immigration to a standstill.

1938

Gold discovered in Victoria and NSW attracts large numbers of immigrants from Europe, China and the United States.

19391945 Second World War reduces immigration.

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Australia agrees to accept European refugees fleeing Nazi persecution.

1946

British immigrants are offered free and assisted passages to Australia.

1861

NSW passes legislation to limit the entry of Chinese.

1947

1863

Pacific Islanders brought to Australia as cheap labour.

Large numbers of European refugees and voluntary migrants arrive over the next decade.

1948

Immigration agreement made with Malta.

1949

Australian citizenship introduced.

1890

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Severe economic depression in the eastern colonies almost halts immigration to the area.

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The pearling industry in Western Australia attracts an increasing number of Japanese divers.

1892

1901

Western Australian goldrush brings immigrants from overseas as well as from the eastern colonies.

Federation: the six colonies come together to form the Commonwealth of Australia. The Constitution gives the Commonwealth the power to legislate on immigration but the selection of immigrants remains with the States.

The Immigration Restriction Act is introduced and a dictation test is used to exclude unwanted immigrants.

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Victoria passes legislation to limit the entry of Chinese.

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1951

Immigration agreement made with Italy and the Netherlands.

1952

Immigration agreement made with Austria, Belgium, Greece, West Germany and Spain.

1957

‘Bring out a Briton’ campaign introduced.

1958

Migration Act introduced. Entry system replaces dictation test.

1959

Britons offered assisted passages for £10.

1967

Immigration agreement made with Turkey.

1973

Policy of nondiscrimination on the grounds of race, colour or nationality adopted.

1975

First Vietnamese refugees arrive in Australia.

1976

First Indochinese arrive in Australia.

Naturalisation Act is introduced and means non-Europeans can apply for naturalisation.

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On this map rule lines from other parts of the world to Australia to show the origin of Australian migrants.

Use the information from the time line.

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The Alien Immigration Restriction Act, unofficially known as part of the ‘White Australia Policy’, was introduced in 1901. Anyone wishing to enter Australia was required to complete and sign a dictation test of fifty words in a European language in the presence of an officer. The officer could specify the language that the test had to be written in and therefore control who came into the country.

The use of the dictation test continued until 1958.

Today, the criteria for immigration are: • • • •

skills, qualifications and abilities in demand in Australia capital and business expertise close family ties refugees and humanitarian needs.

Who are regarded as Australia’s original inhabitants?

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What happened in 1851 and who arrived as a result?

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Why was the Alien Immigration Restriction Act known as the ‘White Australia Policy’?

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Why do you think the Alien Immigration Restriction Act was introduced?

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Write a diary entry from a non-European person applying for entry to Australia in the early 1900s.

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What incident caused a halt to immigration?

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What attracted the Japanese to Australia?

8.

Complete this retrieval chart.

Effect

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Under the following headings list examples where immigration has benefited Australian life today. (a)

Technology:

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Business:

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Money:

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Skills:

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Act Introduced

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Date

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Food:

(f)

Media:

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Entertainment:

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(e)

Local Study

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Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

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What should our basis for immigration be?

Research your own country or place of origin and track the history of your family’s movement.

Australian immigration; migration to Australia; the acts (by name)

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Australia has Many Cultures Lesson Focus:

You will examine the cultural diversity of Australia and understand that Australia always has been culturally diverse.

Keywords:

character, image, identity, personality, plight, strength with approximately 20 being used by large communities and as a first language.

Australia has approximately 18 million people from many different cultural backgrounds, who speak many different languages and follow many different religions or beliefs.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are made up of many groups. Each group has its own name relating to the land or language.

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Some of these group names are:

Group name

Area

Koorie

Southern New South Wales and Victoria

Murrie

Parts of Queensland

Goorie

Northern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland

Nunga

Southern South Australia

Yapa

Central Australia (Warlpiri people)

Yura

Flinders Ranges, South Australia (Adnyamathanha people)

Anangu

Northern South Australia, Central Australia (Pitjantjatjara people)

Nyungah

South-western Western Australia

Yamaji

Central Western Australia

Tiwi

Northern Territory - Top End

Yolnju

North-eastern Arnhem Land

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List four different cultures represented in your classroom.

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Even before the arrival of European people in the late 1700s Australia was already a culturally diverse country, with both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The basis of the cultural identity of both groups is similar, developed around kinship, their relationship with the land and the sea and their customs, laws and language. Each group traditionally belongs to, and has the responsibility of caring for, one area of land, which includes the waterways and the sea. However, they have many different actual histories and cultures, and one group’s language can be quite different from that of another.

At the time of British colonisation in Australia there were about 250 indigenous languages spoken in Australia and altogether about 500 language varieties.

Many of these languages are now almost nonexistent as a result of the massive change forced upon their lifestyle after European occupation. Today, about 100 indigenous languages altogether are used in Australia Our Australian Identity

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Aboriginal people map places and language areas using stories, songs and paintings. The boundaries between languages are often determined by local landforms such as trees or water sources and are therefore difficult to show on a geographic map of Australia.

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Use the information to complete these questions.

Use your dictionary to find the definition of culture.

2.

Approximately how many indigenous languages have been lost since European occupation?

3.

What types of changes have caused the loss of languages spoken by the Aboriginal people?

4.

Why is difficult to show Aboriginal language areas on a geographic map?

5.

How do the Aboriginal people map their language areas?

6.

What is the name of the Aboriginal group in your area?

7.

List four beliefs, customs or behaviours that make up part of your cultural identity.

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List four beliefs, customs or behaviours where your culture has overlapped with others.

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List some of the ways in which the Aboriginal culture has benefited the Australian way of life.

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Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

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Why is cultural identity so important to us?

Find out the name of and language(s) spoken by the Aboriginal group in your area.

Australian Aborigines; Australian prehistory; Aboriginal language groups; groups by name (e.g. Nyungah)

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Australian Personalities Lesson Focus:

You will examine the contribution of Australian personalities to Australian culture and identity.

Keywords:

personalities, contribution, achievements, recognition

Ned Kelly Following two bank robberies, this was increased to a staggering £8 000. For nearly two years, the Kelly gang dodged police with the help of Ned’s many supporters. Their robberies earned the gang the image of brave and bold bushrangers through their defiance of authority, only robbing the rich and sparing any more lives. During each robbery Ned gave one of his hostages a letter outlining to the government how he'd been persecuted by police. He explained that the killing of the police had been in self-defence and he asked for justice for the poor.

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Ned Kelly was born in Victoria in 1854 to Irish parents. His father was an ex-convict who died when Ned was 12 years old. Ned, his mother and seven younger siblings lived in Greta, 240 km north-east of Melbourne. Ned's family was poor and the only opportunity they had to own land was under a selection system; where areas of land were set aside by the government. Families could have the land and pay it off bit by bit. They had to improve the property by clearing it, building a house, putting up fences and growing a crop—and if they didn’t, the land could be taken away. Most families couldn’t make a living from this because the plots of land were too small and the soil was too poor. Faced with poverty they often stole horses and cattle from the wealthy squatters. When Ned was 16 he was convicted of stealing a horse and spent three years in jail.

The Glenrowan Hotel is where the Kelly gang made their last stand. They were surrounded by police but they were prepared to fight wearing ‘armour’ made of steel plate. Ned escaped through the police lines but came back to help his brother and friends. He was shot 28 times in his arms, legs, feet, groin and hands and eventually he collapsed and was captured. His brother and friends were killed in the fight. Ned was sentenced to death for the murder of one of the police officers, despite protests from thousands of supporters. He was hanged in Melbourne Gaol on 11 November 1880. He was just 25 years old.

Four years later, in April 1878, Ned and his mother were accused of attacking a policeman. Ned’s mother went to jail for three years and Ned disappeared into the bush with his brother Dan. A £100 reward was offered for the capture of Ned.

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Steve Hart and Joe Byrne joined the Kelly brothers and in October they came across three policemen at Stringy Bark Creek. A fight broke out and all the policemen were shot dead. The reward for Ned and his gang was raised to £2 000.

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What contributed to Ned becoming a bushranger?

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For some Australians Ned Kelly is no more than a criminal; while for others he is part of what makes up the image of Australia.

What inscription would you put on Ned’s gravestone?

Why do you think the reward for Ned Kelly’s capture was so high?

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Dawn Fraser swimming. She decided to continue and once again won the 100 metres freestyle. She ended up in trouble with officials, this time for pranks out of the pool and was forced into early retirement when she earned a 10-year ban from swimming for a prank she didn’t do.

Dawn Fraser is an Australian swimming hero. She was born in 1937 into a family with three brothers and four sisters. Dawn was always keen at many sports but swimming helped with her asthma. Her oldest brother, Don, would take her to the pool and encourage her to train. Sadly, Don died when Dawn was thirteen, but in his last words to her he encouraged her to keep training.

A short time after the Tokyo Olympics, Dawn married Gary Ware and they had a baby. Dawn had a number of jobs including swimming coaching and running a cheese shop and a hotel. In 1988, Dawn was elected to represent Balmain in the New South Wales parliament.

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Dawn has always maintained her association with swimming, the Olympic Games and sport in general, which meant so much to her. In 1967 she was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire). She has also been made an Officer of the Order of Australia, and declared one of Australia’s ‘Living National Treasures’ by the National Trust.

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Her successful swimming career began when Harry Gallagher saw Dawn swimming and offered to train her for nothing. When Harry moved to Adelaide, Dawn followed. She trained at the local pool with a group called ‘The Water Babes’. Here she trained against men, which further encouraged her competitive nature. Harry perfected Dawn's swimming style and in 1956 she qualified for the Melbourne Olympics and won gold in the 100 metres freestyle. She won two more gold medals at the 1958 Cardiff Commonwealth Games.

As a special guest at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, Dawn passed the Olympic Torch to Muhammad Ali for him to light the Olympic flame at the Opening Ceremony. At the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, she was one of the female athletes honoured to carry the Torch for its final lap before the cauldron was lit.

Dawn was fiercely independent and was often in trouble with the officials for standing up for what she believed in or knew to be true. At the Rome Olympics in 1960 she won the 100 metres freestyle and two years later she was the first woman to swim the 100 metres in under a minute. Just before the Tokyo Olympics her mother died and she nearly gave up

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C.Publ i cat i ons 4. List Dawn’s major achievements.

What were the three major factors that led toi Dawn’ s • f o r r e v e w p u r posesonl y• swimming career?

Use this information to answer these questions.

1.

(c)

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What odds did Dawn have to battle through her life?

3.

What ended Dawn’s successful swimming career?

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What five words do you think best describe Dawn Fraser’s character ?

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Sally Morgan After she learnt the truth, the family travelled to her grandmother’s place of birth in the Pilbara to learn more about their history. They met many of their relatives and realised they were part of a huge extended family. This was very significant for them because at last they had a sense of belonging and weren’t just part of an isolated group in a nonAboriginal community.

Sally Morgan, the oldest of five children, was born in Perth in 1951. Her family was very poor. Her father was often sick and her mother had to work as a cleaner to make ends meet. Sally’s grandmother and mother had a powerful influence on Sally’s life and, in particular, taught her respect for the environment.

School life was difficult for Sally as she didn’t do well in most subjects apart from English and art and the other students often questioned her on why she looked different. Her mother told her she was from India. At fifteen she learnt she was Aboriginal and couldn’t understand why her mother had lied and that their Aboriginality had been kept a secret. This made her determined to find out the family’s history.

Sally went on to write a book, based around her experiences, called ‘My Place’, which became a best-seller. Through her book she has brought the story of many Aboriginal people to the public. It tells of children taken from their mothers, the abuse and fear suffered by many Aboriginal people and their determination to keep the family together and their culture intact.

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Sally has also been very successful with her art, selling pictures worldwide. Her art and her writing have helped her and others understand the culture, the plight and the strength of the Aboriginal people.

Sally focuses on encouraging the young to follow their dreams and not to give up.

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Sally left school to get a job but later enrolled in university to improve her career path. At university she met Paul Morgan, whom she married and had three children with.

She continually questioned her mother on the truth about their lives and eventually her mother explained what had happened. When Sally’s grandmother was young she was taken away and made a servant for most of her life. As a result, her grandmother and her mother had a very hard life and were frightened that if Sally’s father died the children would be taken away just as Sally’s grandmother had been.

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Why do you think Sally might not have liked school?

3.

Why did Sally’s mother keep the truth from her?

4.

Why was it so important for Sally to find out her true family history?

5.

What events occurred as a result of Sally learning the truth about her family history?

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Answer the following questions.

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Complete the following chart. Add two Australian personalities of your own.

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Under the following areas list people who have become an Australian identity. Include both historical and contemporary Australians, male and female, who hold a special place in Australia's history.

Medicine

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Aboriginal

Pioneers

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Sports

War Heroes

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Science

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Politicians

Business Figures

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Social Justice

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(a)

Draw and label your own image of an Australian.

(b)

Explain your reasons for the image you have drawn.

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(c)

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Where do we get this image from? Make a list of things that influence the image we have of Australians.

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Brainstorm the images people from overseas might have of Australians and where they get them from.

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Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

Who would you want to represent Australia to the rest of the world?

Research other Australian identities and find common characteristics among them.

Search by name (e.g. Dawn Fraser)

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Australian Symbols Lesson Focus:

You will investigate the origins and meanings of the official Australian symbols.

Keywords:

symbol, represent, federal, national, origins, influences

A national competition was held to decide on the design of Australia’s first Federal flag. The winning design was announced by Australia’s first Prime Minister, Edmund Barton, in 1901.

The original design was similar to the current flag, except the Federation Star had only six points and the stars in the Southern Cross had five to nine points, depending on how bright they appeared in the night sky.

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The original flag has been changed three times since 1901. In 1903 the stars of the Southern Cross were changed so all, apart from the smallest one, had seven points. The change was made mainly to make manufacturing of the flag easier. In 1908 the number of points on the Federation star was changed to seven after Australia acquired the Territory of Papua. When the Northern Territory and ACT were created in 1911, the points of the star still remained at seven.

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There is a growing debate today about whether Australia should have a new flag as our ties with Britain have lessened since 1901. Many people think the inclusion of Australian symbols rather than the British flag or Union Jack would be more appropriate.

Explain the elements of the Australian flag.

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Union Jack

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The Southern Cross

Federation Star

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The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Flags The Aboriginal flag was designed by Harold Thomas in 1971.

He is an Luritja person from Central Australia. The yellow circle represents the sun as being the source of all life. The black represents all Aboriginal people and the red band is a symbol of the earth and people’s spirit relationship with it.

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Colour and label the flags to show the meaning of each part.

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The Torres Strait Island flag was designed by Bernard Namok in 1992. He is from Thursday Island. The blue represents the ocean and the green the land. Black represents all the Torres Strait Island people and the five-pointed star is a symbol of the five island groups. The white traditional headdress shape is a ‘dhari’, a symbol which unites all the people.

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2.

Colour the State and Territory flags correctly.

Western Australia

Victoria

New South Wales

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Tasmania

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Queensland

Northern Territory

South Australia

Match the flora and fauna symbols to the correct State or Territory.

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C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Cooktown Orchid

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Common Heath

Sturt’s Desert Pea

Sturt’s Desert Rose

Northern Territory

Mangle’s Kangaroo Paw

Waratah

Royal Bluebell

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Tasmanian Blue Gum

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Queensland

South Australia

New South Wales Victoria

ACT

Tasmania Red Kangaroo

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Leadbeater’s Possum

Wombat

Black Swan

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Tasmanian Tiger (unofficial)

Platypus

Koala

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My Identity Use words cut from magazines or draw pictures to describe your self-image under the following headings.

Me My Beliefs

My Colours

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My Name

My Words

My Home

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My Songs

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Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

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Australia should have a new flag.

1. Study the influences on your identity and represent them in a collage.

Australian flag; Aboriginal flag; symbols of Australia; Harold Thomas; Bernard Namok

2. Design a flag that you think depicts the image of Australia.

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Images of Australia Lesson Focus:

You will explore different viewpoints about the nature of Australian identity including your own.

Keywords:

associated, events, beliefs, environs, political, personalities

Home

Clothing

Way of Life

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AUSTRALIA

Environs

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e.g. kangaroo

Spiritual Beliefs

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e.g. desert

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e.g. footy shorts

e.g. Dawn Fraser

Personalities

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Our image of Australia may differ from that of other people. Some believe football and flies are strong images of Australia; some believe the colours of the desert are. Complete the explosion chart below with images that you believe make up our Australian identity.

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Complete the chart below by listing and describing one Australian image, the music, poetry and words associated with it, and a comment on how you think the image originated.

Image

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Description

Music or Poetry

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Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

The image we portray to the rest of the world is important.

Present a report on the origins of a particular image including how and why it has changed.

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Search Engine Keywords

Australian animals and locations (by name); images of Australia; personalities (by name)

Our Australian Identity

Racial Discrimination Lesson Focus:

To develop an understanding of the rights of Australian citizens with regard to racial discrimination.

Keywords:

discriminate, ethnic, race, offensive

Living in a new country can be a daunting experience. Read the diary entry by a young Vietnamese girl and answer the questions below.

© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons Why do you think this girl’s mother was happy about 2. What acts of discrimination occurred in the living in Australia? entry?

•f orr evi ew pur pdiary os esonl y•

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Monday, 14 August Dear Diary Today was the worst day of my life! It was my first day at my new school, and I was very worried about meeting the other children. My mother said not to be silly. Australia was a great country and had allowed us to start a new life here after we left Vietnam. She was sure the other students would be friendly.

At lunchtime I saw some of the girls from my class sitting under a tree. I took my lunch box and went and sat near them. One of the girls giggled when she saw me and whispered to her friends.

Then she said, in a loud voice, ‘Hey, what have you got for lunch?’.

I held out my new lunch box for her to see. There was some cold chicken and rice balls my mother had made me.

‘Oh, gross!’ the girl shouted. ‘Look!’ she said to the others. ‘The new kid’s eating maggots! Maggots and cat!’

I tried to explain, but they wouldn’t listen. They all started chanting ‘Maggots and cat! Maggots and cat!’.

Tears filled my eyes and I ran away. Even from the other side of the playground I could still hear them laughing. I threw my rice and chicken into the rubbish bin.

As I was leaving school, the girl who had started the trouble said to me, ‘See you tomorrow, Maggots’.

I don’t know what to do. I couldn’t tell my parents—Mother is so happy to be living here, and Father has a good job, too. But I hate school! I just want to go home again to Vietnam.

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3.

Make a list of words to describe how the new girl felt.

4.

Why was the girl in the playground mean?

5.

Describe a situation where you or a friend have felt uncomfortable in a new situation.

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The Racial Discrimination Act was passed in 1975 and aims to ensure that everyone is treated equally, regardless of their race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin. This legislation covers all of Australia. In addition there is also anti-discrimination legislation operating in all States and Territories except Tasmania.

The Racial Hatred Act allows people to complain about offensive or abusive behaviour based on racial hatred. These are public acts based on the race, colour, national or ethnic origin of a person or group of people which are likely to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate.

It is against the law to discriminate in areas such as:

Unlawful offensive behaviour might include:

• employment;

• writing racist graffiti in a public place;

• land, housing or accommodation;

• wearing Nazi insignia in a public place;

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• provision of goods and services;

• making racist speeches at a public rally;

• access to places and facilities for use by the public;

• placing racist posters or stickers in a public place; • racist abuse in a public place such as shops, workplaces, parks, public transport;

• joining a trade union.

• offensive racist comments in a publication.

A law against offensive behaviour based on racial hatred was added to the Racial Discrimination Act on 13 October, 1995. This law is called the Racial Hatred Act 1995.

1.

How many years ago was the Racial Discrimination Act passed?

2.

Who does the law apply to?

3.

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• advertising;

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C.Publ i cat i ons Give specific examples of how it is against the law to discriminate in these areas.

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Employment:

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Land, housing or accommodation:

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Provision of goods and services:

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Access to places and facilities for use by the public:

Advertising:

Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

What are the causes of racial discrimination in our society?

1. Conduct an interview with a migrant recently arrived in Australia on why they chose to live in Australia and any positive or negative experiences they have encountered.

Racial Discrimination Act; Racial Hatred Act

2. Collect newspaper articles on racial discrimination issues and record incidents on a matrix including date, people involved, brief description of event and possible causes.

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Our Australian Identity

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Bo ok

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State and Federal Government or e t

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State Our Australian and Federal Identity Government

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What is Government?

Lesson Focus:

You will learn of the origins of Australian government.

Keywords:

organised, dictate, govern, community, rules, system, regulations, represented, Federation

Teac he r

When you go home from school today, your life will be organised by the rules of your family. These rules may control who you play with and when and where you play. They may dictate what tasks you need to perform around the house. They may indicate what you can or can not say to certain members of your family and so on.

These rules are the method used by your family group to ‘govern’ the conduct and activities of each family member.

As the population grew with the arrival of convicts and settlers the demand for a better system of government grew. This became reality when in 1823, New South Wales was allowed to create a Legislative Council to advise the governor. In 1850 the British parliament passed an act that allowed the colonies to establish their own governments. By 1890, the colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland and Western Australia had all established colonial governments. These governments were still very strongly controlled by the British government. The need for government had been driven by an increasing population and rapid expansion of the small colonies—just as the need for rules in your family increases with the number of people and their age.

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Some families may discuss rules and agree among themselves as to what is right and wrong. Other families may have rules passed on from previous generations. Other families may have the rules decided by the head of the family, with no discussion. Different groups in the community may have family rules dictated by religion or beliefs. The mix is great, but the common link is that all the families have rules so that their family will act in a way they are satisfied and happy with. This is a simple form of government.

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On Tuesday, 1 January 1901, Australia became a Federation, which meant it was a country in its own right. Added to the system of government was a federal government which, with the States, would govern Australia, providing the rules and regulations to guide our community. In addition, there are nearly 1 000 local government bodies in Australia.

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Other groups in our society have a need for rules. Sporting teams, religious groups, schools, clubs and others have rules which govern how their members behave and act.

These are more simple examples of government.

When we speak of government we normally speak of a more public and formal system. This is the system of government that provides the rules, laws and regulations that control and guide our society.

Australia has always had systems of government.

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Before the arrival of Europeans in 1788, over 300 Aboriginal groups existed in Australia. Each had its own identity, spoke a different language and had different regulations and laws which governed its existence. These laws were administered by the group of elders who represented the wisdom and experience of the group. Australian Aboriginal people still use this system of tribal law/government.

After the arrival of Europeans, the system of government was based on Governors who represented the English government and monarchy.

The first Governor of Australia was Captain Arthur Phillip. This form of government often relied on laws and decisions being communicated from England, which took a long time. Most decisions and laws were based entirely on the Governor’s opinion or ideas.

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State and OurFederal Australian Government Identity

Use the information to complete these questions.

1.

List some groups in society which have rules.

2.

List two rules for each section below. State why the rule is important.

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Teac he r

HOME

SCHOOL

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YOUR CLASSROOM

YOUR FAVOURITE SPORT

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3.

4.

Who makes the rules …

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(a)

in your family?

(b)

in your classroom?

(c)

in your school?

(d)

in your group of friends?

Who makes the laws for an Aboriginal group?

Explain why you think they are responsible for making the laws.

State Our Australian and Federal Identity Government

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5.

Write one rule for each section below that you disagree with. State why you disagree with the rule and offer an alternative.

HOME

YOUR CLASSROOM

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SCHOOL

YOUR FAVOURITE SPORT

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7.

Explain the disadvantages of the government relying on the leaders of England to make decisions for Australia.

(b)

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Explain the disadvantages of having a government making decisions based on the opinions or ideas of one person.

Explain the benefit of Australia becoming a Federation in 1901.

Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

Discuss how you feel when one person in your group of friends makes all the decisions based only on their likes/dislikes and feelings. How can this be overcome?

Research to begin a list of local government bodies. There are nearly 1 000. Add to this list as you find out more about the government.

Australian government; Commonwealth of Australia; State or local government (by name)

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State and Federal Government

Three Levels of Government Lesson Focus:

You will learn about the three levels of government and how they operate.

Keywords:

constitution, referendum, majority, monarchy, republic, representatives, municipality, compulsory Prior to Federation, a system of government was created whereby towns and cities with over 2 000 residents could establish their own local government.

It is the role of the local government to govern in local matters.

With three separate levels of government there are times when duties and responsibilities overlap and services or a regulation becomes the responsibility of more than one government. This means that the roles of governments are always changing and being refined to improve the system of government.

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There are three levels of government in Australia.

Each has a specific role to play in the government of Australian society. Federation in 1901 created the federal government, which is controlled by the federal Constitution. It is the role of the federal government to govern in matters that affect the nation and all Australians.

The second level of government is State and Territory.

Each of the six States and two Territories has a government which governs in matters specific to that State and Territory and its citizens.

The third level of government is local government.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

The Australian Federal Government is based in Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory. Elections for the federal government are held approximately every three years and all Australians are represented by members of Parliament for their geographic area.

The Constitution

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The federal Constitution is the set of guidelines created for Federation in 1901 which outline the powers and responsibilities of the federal government. To change, alter or add to the federal Constitution there must be a national referendum. A referendum must achieve a majority of votes in four of the six States, as well as a majority in the total national vote. A referendum must be passed by both houses of parliament or presented by the Governor-General before it can be voted on.

The Federal Government

in Australia. The party with the most elected members forms the government, while the other parties form the opposition (sometimes referred to as the shadow Parliament). A coalition is where two or more parties combine to form a majority government.

The federal and most State governments in Australia are ‘bicameral’. This means that there are two chambers—the House of Representatives (the lower house) and the Senate (the upper house). The House of Representatives is traditionally where laws are introduced while the Senate is traditionally a house of review to ensure that the law is one that is needed by the community and represents the needs of all States.

The constitution requires that a new law must be passed by both houses of Parliament before it becomes law.

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The federal government takes responsibility for many services. These services are controlled by federal departments which have a Minister in the federal government as their head. The areas of responsibility are those affecting all Australians and include:

The Governor-General represents the Crown and is the figurehead of the federal Parliament. Australia is a constitutional monarchy; however, there is a growing push for Australia to become a republic. This means our government would be headed by an Australian President, who would be a symbolic figure.

The Prime Minister is the leader of the government. He or she is supported by an executive council which is normally called the cabinet. The House of Representatives and the Senate are made up of the elected representatives of the various political parties State and Federal Government

• employment

• income tax

• telecommunications

• defence

• welfare

• immigration/customs

• airports

• education

• and many more

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Crown Governor-General

Prime Minister

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House of Representatives

Senate

Use the information about federal government to complete these.

What is … (a)

(b)

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C.Publ i cat i ons the constitution?

•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

a monarchy?

(c)

federation?

(d)

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1.

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Cabinet

a referendum?

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2.

Draw a simple flow diagram to show the steps in passing a law.

3.

Write a law you think should be passed and explain why.

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State and Federal Government

4.

Complete the table below. Who is the federal …

Minister for …

Shadow Minister for …

employment? education? defence? welfare? health?

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immigration?

Here are the results of the republic issue.

State/ Territory

Enrolment

Yes Vote %

No Vote %

Formality Vote %

NSW

4 145 650

46.43

53.57

99.12

Vic.

3 163 934

49.84

50.16

99.07

Qld

2 225 835

37.44

62.56

99.31

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The Australian public were given the opportunity to vote in a referendum on 6 November 1999. The referendum was to decide whether or not Australia was to become a republic and to vote on a change to the preamble of the constitution.

Informality Total Vote % Vote %

00.88

95.25

00.93

95.35

00.69

94.74

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C. Publ i cat i o ns 00.91 1 027 535 43.57 56.43 99.09 Tas. 729 59.63 99.09 00.91 •f or327 r e vi ew40.37 pur p oses onl y • 1 176 311

WA

41.48

58.52

99.15

00.85

94.73 96.00

SA

63.27

36.73

99.23

00.77

95.31

NT

108 149

48.77

51.23

99.07

00.93

84.96

Totals

12 387 729

45.13

54.87

99.14

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6.

‘yes’ vote?

(b)

‘no’ vote?

00.86

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95.13

NO

51.23%

Which State/Territory had a majority … (a)

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ACT

Use the results of the republic issue to answer the questions below.

5.

96.31

NO

62.56%

NO

58.52%

Did Australia become a republic as a result of this referendum?

Yes

NO 56.43%

NO 53.57%

NO

YES

50.16%

No

63.27%

NO 59.63%

What information in the table tells you this?

Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

Discuss your feelings about whether or not Australia should become a republic or remain a monarchy.

1. Research to find the results of the change to the preamble of the constitution.

http://www.austemb.org/gov.htm; Australian constitution; Australian Federal government; Australian referendum

State and Federal Government

2. Create a graph to represent the results of the 1999 referendum.

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STATE GOVERNMENT These areas are controlled by government departments whose job it is to implement the laws passed by government.

There are six State governments that make laws which affect the people of that State. Since Federation in 1901, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory have been admitted to the Federation, with reduced levels of government.

State governments make laws to complement those of the federal government and which are important to the needs of the residents of that State. There are some areas where both State and federal governments make laws and, in these cases, the federal law prevails.

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The areas in which State governments make laws include: • housing

• public transport

• tourism

• education

• water

• law and order

• the environment

• agriculture

• emergency services

• sport and recreation

• local government

In 1823, New South Wales was allowed to create a Legislative Council to advise the governor (making New South Wales our oldest government). In 1850 the British parliament passed an act that allowed the colonies to establish their own governments. By 1890, the colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland and Western Australia had all established their own colonial governments.

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State governments pass laws in a similar way to the federal process. The leader of the State government is called the Premier, while the leader of a Territory government is called the Chief Minister. State elections are held every three years. Residents over the age of 18 of a State or Territory are required by law to vote in an election.

Use the information above and your own knowledge about your State or Territory to answer these questions.

(b)

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C.Publ i cat i ons What type of government heads your State/Territory?

•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• What is the leader of your State/Territory’s government called?

(c)

In which year was your State/Territory’s government established?

(d)

Who is the leader of your State/Territory’s government?

Use brief answers for these. (a)

2.

(a)

(b)

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(e)

Who is the opposition leader of your State/Territory?

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Explain why you think the federal laws prevail over each State/Territory’s laws.

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Do you agree or disagree with this approach? Explain.

3.

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Why do you think the two Territories have ‘reduced levels’ of government?

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State and Federal Government

4.

Complete the table below. Who is your State/Territory’s …

Minister for …

Shadow Minister for …

health? housing? public transport? tourism? education?

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water?

law and order?

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the environment? agriculture?

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emergency services?

sport and recreation?

5.

Cut out some headlines of issues which are being managed by your State/Territory government. Select two which appeal to you and glue them in the space below. Under each, write why it appeals to you and what outcome you think should occur.

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Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

Discuss some of the headlines the students in your class selected. Do you all agree? Why/Why not? Is it important for everyone to agree? Is it OK to have your own opinion?

As a class group, research to develop a list of all government leaders in your State or Territory from the beginning of the government to today. Include how long they led.

http://www.nla.gov.au/oz/gov/state.html; State or Territory government (by name)

State and Federal Government

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT For example, Brisbane City Council looks after the largest municipality in Australia. It is their responsibility to ensure the community of Brisbane is developed to its full potential and that its citizens have a safe and healthy environment to live in.

All Australians live in an area managed by a local authority; this is called a municipality. These geographic areas vary in size and are created to look after the needs of local people.

The State government has laws which govern the way local government works. Each local government can then create its own laws—called bylaws—which govern their locality. Local government has control over many areas, including: • recreation • refuse collection • town planning • buildings • entertainment

Brisbane has more than 200 suburbs which are divided into 26 wards. This map shows each ward.

Some of the wards include: Acacia Ridge; Chandler; Dutton Park; Grange; Jamboree; Moorooka; and Pullenvale.

• community health • libraries • parks and gardens • community services

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Local government representatives are elected to government but provide their services voluntarily.

Elections for local government are open to residents of the area and are non-compulsory.

The leader of the council is called the Mayor or, in the case of a capital city, the Lord Mayor. Council meetings are held regularly and are open to the public. The Council raises funds to pay for its services by charging landowners an annual fee.

The area of a local government is broken into smaller sections called wards, with one councillor elected to Council from each ward.

List 10 wards in your city council. Write the name of the Councillor representing each ward.

Write your ward and Councillor first.

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2.

Ward

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Councillor

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C.Publ i cat i ons Use the information above and your own knowledge about your local government to answer these questions.

•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• 1. Who is the Mayor or Lord Mayor of your municipality?

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State and Federal Government

3.

Select and write five facilities that fit under the headings below which are run by your local government and can be found in your ward.

Recreation

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(a)

When is the next local council meeting in your area?

(b)

Where will it be held?

(c)

How much is the annual fee that landowners pay?

(a)

Write two issues which relate directly to your ward.

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5.

Parks and Gardens

Use brief answers for these.

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4.

Health

(i)

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(ii)

What suggestions can you offer to develop a suitable solution to the problems?

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(c)

6.

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(b)

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Who can you tell about your ideas?

Move into groups. Each group is to appoint a councillor. The teacher is the Mayor. Each group must discuss issues within their class. Select the issue most important to the majority of the group. The councillor will take this issue to the next meeting with other councillors and the Mayor who will then make decisions based on what everyone wants.

Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

Discuss the importance of having a local councillor representing your immediate community at the local government level. What are the benefits of this?

1. Research to find the difference between a local council and a local shire.

Local government (by name); Australian local government

State and Federal Government

2. Go to the next council meeting with an adult and table your views from question 5.

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Separation of Powers Lesson Focus:

You will develop an understanding of the three governing bodies which work to ensure the constitution is being followed.

Keywords:

separation, legislative, executive, judicial, bodies

The Constitution of Australia, established in 1901, allows for the separation of the legislative, executive and judicial powers of the Commonwealth. This system distributes powers between a federal government and the six States. Three bodies were developed by the Constitution to carry out these powers. They are: the Parliament (the legislative power to make laws)

2.

the Commonwealth Executive (the executive power to administer laws and carry out the business of government)

3.

the federal Judicature (the judicial power exercised by the courts).

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S The Constitution

1. Legislative

Power

2.

Executive Power

Governor-General

3.

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1.

Judicial Power

High Court

The Ministry Senate

1.

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Each of these roles is vital in making the process of government work for the people of Australia and is carried out by different groups of people.

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Legislative: this is the process of creating laws. The role of a government is to create laws that reflect the interests and needs of the citizens and are in the best interests of the country. With so many different groups within the Australian community, this can be difficult and results in regular changes of government over the years.

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House of Representatives

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At the federal level this task is performed by the Legislative Council, including the Prime Minister, the House of Representatives and the Senate. At State level it is the Legislative Councils and Assemblies and at local government level it is the Council. All three levels contain people who are elected by their community.

2.

Executive: this body is responsible for making sure that laws passed in parliament are carried out.

This role is performed at the federal level by the Governor-General, the Cabinet and all ministers and Commonwealth Departments. A similar arrangement occurs at State level and at local government level it is the responsibility of local council staff.

3.

Judicial: the role of the court system is to interpret and apply the law. When disagreement occurs, individuals and groups can apply to have the court make a decision based on its interpretation of the constitution and laws.

At the federal level, the High Court and federal Court perform this task. At State level, this task is performed by the Supreme Court, District Court and local court.

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State and Federal Government

Use the information to answer these.

1.

Complete this matrix. Who is responsible for …

Legislative

Executive

Judiciary

Federal Level State Level Local Level Match these.

Teac he r

2.

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•

Its role is to administer laws and carry out the business of the government.

(b) Parliament

•

•

Its role is to determine the meaning of the law and carry it out.

(c) Commonwealth Executive

•

•

Its role is to make the laws.

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(a) Federal Judicature

Use the website ‘Parliament of Australia’ <http://www.aph.gov.au/parl.htm#seppow> to answer these questions.

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What is involved in appointing the Governor-General?

4.

There are

Senators in the Senate. Each State is

represented by

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Senators, while each Territory is

represented by

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3.

. This way, each State is

represented fairly regardless of their

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5.

The 148 members of the House of Representatives represent what?

6.

Explain the role of the Cabinet.

.

Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

Discuss the importance of having an independent body (the judiciary) to oversee any disagreements which may occur in Parliament or the Executive.

Use newspaper clippings to demonstrate the responsibilities of the three bodies of government.

Sort the clippings according to who is responsible for that area.

http://www.austemb.org/gov.htm; Australian constitution; Australian federal government

State and Federal Government

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R.I.C. Publications

An Act of Parliament Lesson Focus:

You will learn the process of making a law.

Keywords:

act, policy, mandate, bill, amend, legislation

An act of Parliament, if passed by both houses of government, becomes law. For this to happen, many processes need to occur. The Australian constitution only allows the federal Parliament to make laws on certain matters. Some of these include international trade, foreign affairs, defence, immigration, taxation, banking, currency and telecommunications among others, while the States and Territories of Australia are able to make changes in other areas.

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• electoral mandate • party policy

• community needs

• administrative needs • group pressure

These processes allow Australian citizens to influence the members of Parliament to change existing laws and make new laws so the needs of the community can be met.

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1. Policy An act of Parliament is where the government puts its policy into practice. Policy can be created as a response to many things, including:

The government is put under pressure by environmental groups to fight air pollution by banning wood-burning stoves in the metropolitan area. A petition with 58 000 signatures is presented to the minister responsible for the environment.

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3. House of Representatives The bill is introduced into the House of Representatives and follows this process:

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2. Draft Bill Cabinet must approve a draft bill before it can be introduced into Parliament. Different political parties also require levels of ‘party room’ support for a bill to be introduced.

A draft bill called ‘The Domestic Clean Air Bill’ is introduced into parliament by the minister. It calls for an immediate, total ban on wood-burning stoves.

In the Committee Stage, the Bill is amended to allow people 12 months in which to buy new heaters. A one-off government payment of $200 to help people afford new heaters is also added.

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First Reading—a formal reading of the title of the bill.

Second Reading—the minister responsible reads the content of the bill and presents arguments for its acceptance. Debate occurs on the bill until a motion is passed that the bill be read a second time.

Committee Stage—is where the bill is broken down into parts and investigated, debated and amended if necessary. With urgent and simple bills this stage can be passed over.

Third Reading—the bill is voted on and formally agreed to. The bill is sent to the Senate.

4. Senate A similar procedure occurs when the bill reaches the Senate. As a house of review the Senate represents the States and Territories and has a role to review and question legislation which it believes is not in the best interest of all Australians.

R.I.C. Publications

36

In the Senate, two new amendments are proposed: • People on a pension be allowed five years to change.

• People wanting to use gas to heat their homes be given lower rates for their gas.

State and Federal Government

5.

The proposed amendments are accepted by both houses of Parliament.

Governor-General

Once the bill has passed both houses of Parliament it is proclaimed law by the Governor (State) or the Governor-General (federal).

The new ‘Domestic Clean Air Act 2000’ is proclaimed as law.

The passage of legislation is similar for both State and federal governments, although the Senate is called the Legislative Council in most State parliaments. Queensland State parliament has only a Legislative Assembly as do the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.

Use the information to answer these questions.

1.

List five matters which can be altered by the federal government. (a) (b)

(d)

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(c)

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

(e)

3.

(a)

Why do you think the person presenting the bill needs to support his or her idea with arguments?

(b)

Do you think this is necessary? Why/Why not?

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Explain the importance of investigating a bill thoroughly before it is passed.

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4.

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2.

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Make a list of ‘community needs’ which directly affect your community. Choose two needs that are important to you.

Explain why each is important to you. (a)

(b)

State and Federal Government

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R.I.C. Publications

D BOAR E T A K S RK

PA

Select one community need which is important to you. Write it below.

6.

What should be done to address the need (in your opinion)?

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S For Against

Write arguments for and against to support your opinion.

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7.

5.

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What is your concluding argument?

Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

Discuss your ideas about the community needs with other class members. Debate the topic and form a suitable solution for any issues discussed.

Research to find out what laws have been passed in your local area in recent months. How do they affect you?

http://law.gov.au/ http://www.fed.gov.au/ http://www.aph.gov.au/index.htm

R.I.C. Publications

38

State and Federal Government

Elections Lesson Focus:

You will learn what happens on election day and how candidates are chosen to represent the public.

Keywords:

eligible, term, candidate, campaign, absentee, preferential, elector arranged for people who are unable to attend their polling booth.

All Australians 18 or older are eligible to enrol and vote in State and federal elections and referendums.

Landowners are also eligible to vote in local government elections.

On voting day, the polling booths are open from 8.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. The voting slips (papers) are carried in sealed boxes to the ‘tally room’, where they are counted by Electoral Commission workers.

Thanks to computers, the results of most elections are known that same Saturday night!

r o e t s Bo r e p ok Preferential Voting u S

In Australia, elections for the House of Representatives and the Senate use a preferential voting system. This gives a fairer result in elections with more than two candidates.

What happens in an election?

The government calls a general election for one of two reasons:

Here is how it works.

(a) the three-year (federal) or four-year (State) term of government has run out

1.

or

For example:

(b) the government has decided to call an ‘early’ election; i.e. before its term is completed.

2.

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Political candidates use the time leading up to election day to ‘campaign’. This is telling the voters where they stand on important issues such as taxes, education or health. By doing this, they hope people will vote for them.

Candidates may represent the major political parties (Liberal, Labor, Democrat or National Party) or be ‘independent’ (not a member of any party).

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3.

Electors vote by giving their first vote to the person they want most to win, and their last vote to the person they want least to win.

On voting day, polling booths (places to vote) are set up in public places, such as schools, libraries or halls, across the State or the country.

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For the House of Representatives, only the first vote of each elector is counted. If one of the candidates has more than 50% of the votes (a clear majority), that candidate is the winner.

3.

For the Senate, a candidate has to receive a ‘quota’ of votes to win. This quota is worked out mathematically by dividing the total number of ballot (voting) papers by one more than the number of candidates in the elections. For example, if there are 6 senators running, the number of ballots is divided by 7.

4.

If no-one gets more than 50% of the votes, the person who has the least votes is eliminated.

This person’s second preferences are then counted and distributed to the remaining candidates. The totals are then compared again to see if a candidate has an absolute majority. If so, that person is the winner. If not, the process is repeated until there is a clear winner.

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Enrolled people 18 or over have to attend a polling booth to cast their vote. If enrolled voters don’t attend and have their name ruled off in the electoral roll, they may be fined. The exception is that postal or ‘absentee’ votes can be

State and Federal Government

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Voting for elections is always held on a Saturday. In the case of State and federal elections and referendums, Australians 18 and over are required to enrol and then attend a polling booth. If an enrolled voter moves house, he or she must tell the Electoral Commission so his or her name can be transferred to the roll for the correct area.

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R.I.C. Publications

Use the information to answer these questions.

1.

(a)

Senators need 50% of the vote to have a clear majority.

True

False

(b)

State terms are three years.

True

False

(c)

Elections are always held on a Saturday.

True

False

(d)

Polling booths are open from 6.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m.

True

False

(e)

Electors may be fined if their name is not ruled off the electoral roll.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S True

False

On the community map below, shade the places people could go to vote on election day.

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Teac he r

2.

Tick true or false.

School

Gymnasium

Park

Bank

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C.Publ i cat i ons Office Community •f orr ev i e w pur posesonl yCouncil • Hall Office

3.

In what year …

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Service Station

Shopping Centre

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(a)

will you be eligible to enrol to vote?

(b)

was the last federal election held?

(c)

will the next federal election be held (if it runs full term)?

4.

Explain why you think preferential voting is fairer when there are more than two candidates to vote for.

5.

Why do you think voting is always held on a Saturday?

R.I.C. Publications

40

State and Federal Government

Hold a class election using the preferential voting system. Use this page to help you keep track of the election process.

Names of candidates.

2.

Issues relating to our class.

3.

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Select three candidates and complete this table.

Candidate

Issues Presented

Promises Made

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1.

Your Opinion

Ranking

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4.

Who won the election?

5.

Why do you think he or she won?

Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

Discuss how well each candidate in your class election handled the issues.

Survey your family and friends to find out what issues are important to them. Record and present your findings.

Australian Electoral Commission

State and Federal Government

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R.I.C. Publications

Historical Facts Lesson Focus:

You will learn some historical milestones in Australian government.

Keywords:

honourable, right, member, serve

Did you know Australia’s first Prime Minister was the Right Honourable Sir Edmund Barton, PC, GCMG, KC?

Did you know Neville Bonner was the first Aboriginal person in Parliament? He served in the Senate from 1971 until 1983.

Who was the first leader of your State/Territory?

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Who was the first Aboriginal person in government in your State/Territory?

Who was the first woman in the Legislative Council in your State/Territory?

What position did he/she hold?

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Did you know Senator Dorothy Tangney was the first woman member of the Senate in 1943?

When was he/she elected to that position?

When was she elected?

Did you know South Australia was the first State to give women the right to vote in 1894?

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Did you know George Houston Reid was the first leader of the opposition at a federal parliamentary level?

When were women given the right to vote in your State/Territory?

Who was the first leader of the opposition in your State/Territory?

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Did you know Labor became a federal party when the colonies of Australia federated in 1901?

Did you know the Honourable Dame Enid Lyons was the first woman member of the House of Representatives in 1943?

When was the Liberal Party first formed?

Who was the first woman in the Legislative Assembly in your State/ Territory?

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Did you know the first parliamentary elections in Australia were in 1843?

When was she elected?

When were the first elections held in your State/Territory?

Did you know federal Parliament first met in Canberra on 9 May 1927? It was previously held in Melbourne.

Did you know all male British subjects over the age of 21 were given the right to vote in 1894 in South Australia?

When was Parliament held in its current location for the first time in your State/Territory?

When were male British subjects over the age of 21 given the right to vote in your State/Territory?

R.I.C. Publications

Where was it previously held?

42

State and Federal Government

Use the historical information to answer these.

1.

(a)

he was first elected to represent Queensland in the Senate?

(b)

he no longer represented his people in the Senate?

Explain why it was such a significant breakthrough to have women representing the people in parliament.

Teac he r

2.

Neville Bonner was born in 1922. How old was he when …

Why do you think British males over the age of 21 were given the right to vote before Aboriginal people and women?

Brainstorm your ideas below.

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3.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

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What can you find out about Sir Edmund Barton? Write five facts below. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e)

Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

Debate the issue: ‘Every person living in Australia should have been given the right to vote in 1894’.

Complete a profile of Neville Bonner. You can get some information from <http://www.abc.net.au/ btn/australians/bonner.htm>

Personalities (by name); Australian government facts; Australian government history

State and Federal Government

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R.I.C. Publications

Australian Political Leaders Lesson Focus:

You will learn the leaders of Australian government and how long they were in office.

Prime Minister

Period in Office 01/01/1901–24/09/1903

Alfred Deakin

24/09/1903–27/04/1904

John Watson

27/04/1904–17/08/1904

George Reid

18/08/1904–05/07/1905

Alfred Deakin

05/07/1905–13/11/1908

Andrew Fisher

13/11/1908–02/06/1909

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Alfred Deakin

02/06/1909–29/04/1910

Andrew Fisher

29/04/1910–24/06/1913

Joseph Cook

24/06/1913–17/09/1914

Andrew Fisher

17/09/1914–27/10/1915

William Hughes

27/10/1915–09/02/1923

James Scullin Joseph Lyons

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C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• 09/02/1923–22/10/1929 11/10/1929–06/01/1932

06/01/1932–07/04/1939 07/04/1939–26/04/1939

Robert Menzies (Sir)

26/04/1939–29/08/1941

Arthur Fadden

29/08/1941–07/10/1941

John Curtin

07/10/1941–05/07/1945

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Earle Page

Francis Forde

Joseph Chifley

Robert Menzies (Sir)

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06/07/1945–13/07/1945

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13/07/1945–19/12/1949

19/12/1949–26/01/1966

Harold Holt

26/01/1966–19/12/1967

John McEwen

19/12/1967–10/01/1968

John Gorton

10/01/1968–10/03/1971

William McMahon

10/03/1971–05/12/1972

Gough Whitlam

05/12/1972–11/11/1975

Malcolm Fraser

11/11/1975–11/03/1983

Robert Hawke

11/03/1983–20/12/1991

Paul Keating

20/12/1991–11/03/1996

John Howard

11/03/1996–

R.I.C. Publications

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Stanley Bruce

Period in Office

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Sir Edmund Barton

State/Territory Leader

44

State and Federal Government

Complete the table on the previous page to include the historical time line of leaders of your State or Territory.

Use the information on the previous page to answer these.

1.

2.

In total, how long did each of these people spend as leaders of the Australian government? (a)

Andrew Fisher

(b)

Alfred Deakin

(c)

Robert Menzies (Sir)

Were there any people who led your State or Territory more than once?

Yes

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

No

Teac he r

If so, who were they and how long were they in office in total?

Work out how long each person was the leader of the federal government. Write them in order from the shortest term in office to the longest term in office.

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3.

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4.

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(a)

Some people only led the government for a short time. Why do you think this was so?

(b)

Do you think it is more or less beneficial to the community if a person remains leader for a long period?

o c . che e r o t r s super

Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

Discuss why you think some leaders were in and out of government more than once.

1. Find out who each leader of the federal opposition was. Record in the form of a time line.

http://vcepolitics.com/data.shtml

2. Do the same for your State or Territory.

State and Federal Government

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R.I.C. Publications

A Visit to Parliament House Lesson Focus:

You will learn some basic information about Parliament House.

Keywords:

Senate, Opposition, Hansard, MInisters, Cabinet

When visiting Parliament House, you need to know some basic facts. These next pages are a combination of information and activities you will need to complete.

Women

You will notice that the House of Representatives (federal) or the Legislative Assembly or House of Assembly (State) is green and that the Senate (federal) or the Legislative Council (State) is red. These colours were taken directly from the colours used in British Parliament.

The colours of the British Parliament were selected as this was the origin of our Australian government.

There are currently 24 women holding seats in the Senate.

Opening Times

Costs

Parliament House in Canberra is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week for visitors.

Did you know that Parliament House in Canberra cost almost $1.1 billion to build?

What are the opening times for your Parliament House?

Can you find out how much Parliament House in your State or Territory cost to build?

© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• The Chamber

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If the Senators of your State or Territory are not present in the Chamber during the sitting, they could be listening to proceedings from their office or attending to parliamentary work elsewhere.

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The Ministers in power sit to the right of the Speaker (House of Representatives) or the President (Senate), while the Opposition sits to the left. Any minor parties or independents sit between the two.

Name the Senators who represent your State or Territory.

R.I.C. Publications

How many women hold seats in the Legislative Assembly in your State or Territory?

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Senators

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Colours

The central table is where the leaders of each party sit. Near this table is a recording station called ‘The Hansard’. This is where the discussions of the parties are recorded.

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State and Federal Government

Governor-General

Prime Minister

The Governor-General represents the Queen in government. He makes the final decisions as to whether a bill becomes law, when an election is held, as well as many others.

Who is the current Governor-General?

The Prime Minister is the leader of the party that has the most seats in the House of Representatives. This person is the head of the government and is responsible for leading the Cabinet.

Who is the current Prime Minister?

What is his/her party?

Who is the current leader of your State or Territory?

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Who is the current Governor or Administrator in your State or Territory?

Ministers and Shadow Ministers

Opposition Leader

The Opposition leader is the leader of the opposing government. He or she is responsible for leading the Shadow Ministers in the Shadow Cabinet.

Who is the current leader of the Opposition?

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Teac he r

What is his/her party?

Ministers represent the government in power while Shadow Ministers represent the opposing government.

Ministers and Shadow Ministers sit in the front seats of the chamber and are called ‘frontbenchers’.

What is his/her party?

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Who is the current leader of the Opposition in your State or Territory?

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What is his/her party?

Officers of Parliament

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Any members of Parliament who are not Ministers or Shadow Ministers sit at the back of the chamber and are called ‘backbenchers’.

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The Speaker runs the sessions in the House of Representatives. It is the Speaker’s role to make sure that proceedings run smoothly, debates are controlled and that the rules are followed.

Who is the current Speaker at the federal level?

Who does this job in your State or Territory?

The President runs the sessions in the Senate. The President sits in the Chair and runs the Senate sessions.

The President, along with the Speaker, is responsible for the general running of Parliament House.

Who is the current President at the federal level?

Who does this job in your State or Territory?

The Clerk is the most senior officer in the House of Representatives. The Clerk wears a wig and gown while in the Chamber and sits at the table in front of the Speaker. The Clerk is responsible for making sure that all official minutes of the meetings are recorded and safely kept.

Who is the current Clerk at the federal level?

Who does this job in your State or Territory?

State and Federal Government

47

R.I.C. Publications

Find the following details about your State or Territory’s Parliament House.

1.

Address:

2.

Telephone Number:

3.

Email:

4.

Website:

Find the following details about your local government.

6.

What is the name of the ward you are in?

7.

What is the name of the council you are in?

8.

For your local council, what is the …

Teac he r

Who is the local Council Member?

(a)

address?

(b)

telephone number?

(c)

email address?

After your visit to Parliament, or Council House, complete these.

9.

10.

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Did you have to be quiet while you were there?

Why/Why not?

Did you meet any members of government?

Yes

No

Yes

No

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11.

What was your general impression of the building?

12.

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Would you like to work there?

Why/Why not?

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If so, who?

13.

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5.

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Did you see a meeting in the Chamber?

Yes

No

Yes

No

If so, how did you feel about it?

Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

View a Chamber sitting and discuss the behaviour of the Members of Parliament. Do you think they are a good role model for others?

1. Draw a plan of the building you visited.

Label it clearly.

http://www.aph.gov.au; State government (by name); local government (by name)

R.I.C. Publications

2. Design a brochure informing people of what they might expect from a visit to Parliament or Council House.

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State and Federal Government

s r e p u S

Bo ok ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Gold in Australia or e t

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State Gold in and Australia Federal Government

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R.I.C. Publications

Gold Fever Lesson Focus:

You will learn about the history of gold.

Keywords:

precious, valuable, commodity, lustre, malleable, carat unique. These are: • an attractive colour; • a high lustre; • gold is very heavy;

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

• gold is malleable and is therefore easy to work with; and • gold does not rust.

Gold in its natural form is often too soft to use and needs to be mixed with other metals. For example, pure gold is 24 carats while 18 carat gold is 18 parts gold and 6 parts of other metal. This combination of metals is called an ‘alloy’.

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Gold is thought to have been one of the first known metals. No-one is certain when gold was first discovered. Some archaeologists and scientists believe it may have been discovered earlier than 3500BC, as gold cups and jewellery dating back to this time have been found in Iraq (formerly Mesopotamia) and Egypt. The records of the ancient Egyptians show that gold was treated as a valuable commodity. Tombs of Egyptian pharaohs display excellent examples of finely crafted gold jewellery and other items of value. The Egyptians had found ways to create ‘gold leaf’ which is a sheet of gold pounded so thinly that it takes 120 000 leaves to make a pile 1 cm high.

The words ‘gold fever’ have been used for thousands of years to describe the reaction humans have at the thought of owning large quantities of this precious metal. ‘Eureka’ is also a word largely associated with the discovery of gold. After Archimedes had made an important discovery, he ran into the street naked shouting ‘Eureka!’. Since then, whenever an exciting discovery is made, people shout the same word— ‘Eureka!’—to express their excitement. The word has been used a great deal throughout Australia’s ‘golden’ history.

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Because of its value and high human demand, gold has played a great part in the history of the world.

The high value of gold has also led to many unsavoury incidents in history, largely brought about by the greed of humans—which for that matter continues today!

During the Middle Ages (late 500s to 1300s), people called ‘alchemists’ spent a great deal of time and energy trying change other metals into gold. Had they succeeded, it would have meant that gold could have been produced at a greater rate than mining it from the ground, which was not always successful.

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During the 1500s, a legend grew about a land rich in gold; it was said that gold was as common as sand. It was called ‘El Dorado’, meaning ‘the gilded’. Spanish conquerors set sail to discover El Dorado, thought to be in Mexico and Peru. Many early gold finds were thought to be that of El Dorado, but this place has never been discovered.

The value humans placed on gold continues today, where gold is still classed as a precious metal.

So why is gold such a valuable commodity?

The main reason is that the demand for gold exceeds the supply, which creates a high value. Gold also possesses some special characteristics which make it R.I.C. Publications

50

State and Federal GoldGovernment in Australia

Use the text ‘Gold Fever’ to answer these questions.

1.

Describe, in your own words, the meaning of ‘gold fever’.

2.

Explain these terms in relation to gold. gilded

(b)

malleable

(c)

alloy

(a)

What was the role of the ‘alchemist’?

(b)

Explain the long-term benefits if these people had been successful.

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4.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

What evidence is there that Egyptians used and valued gold?

Teac he r

3.

(a)

List four special characteristics of gold. (a)

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6.

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5.

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C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Explain how high demand and low supply of gold creates its high value. Give an example to illustrate your answer.

o c . che e r o t r s super (b) (d)

What does ‘9 carat’ gold mean?

8.

Gold in Australia

If granite was in short supply and high demand, do you think it would be as valuable as gold?

Explain.

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R.I.C. Publications

Use reference material to complete the following.

9.

Archimedes was a great inventor and mathematician. Research to find the role gold played in one of Archimedes’ great discoveries. Use this report format to provide your answer.

Name: Archimedes Employer at the time:

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S The discovery:

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Events leading to the discovery:

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Importance of the discovery to the world:

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Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

1. ‘The world would be a better place without gold!’ Debate this topic in relation to human greed.

1. Research and write brief descriptions of five ways gold is used. Develop a brochure to inform others of what you have found.

alchemy; El Dorado; properties of gold; Archimedes

2. ‘Fresh air and water should be considered more valuable than gold.’ Discuss this statement and debate the positive and negative aspects.

2. Research and write the process for making ‘gold leaf’, using today’s processes. Present your information in the form of an instruction booklet. Include diagrams wherever possible.

3. Discover whether alchemists have succeeded in being able to make gold using other metals.

Write a brief report.

R.I.C. Publications

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Gold in Australia

World Gold Rushes Lesson Focus:

You will learn about the history of gold discoveries around the world.

Keywords:

persecution, plunder, ancient, treasures, deposits, devastation, fortune, alluvial

When we think of gold rushes, our first thoughts centre around the rushes of the 1800s in America and Australia. While these were significant events, there were previous gold rushes that show how humans are drawn like magnets to the promise of great wealth and the riches of gold.

r o e t s Bo r e 1490s p ok u S

Teac he r

1530s

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Christopher Columbus is best known for proving to the world that people would not fall off the edge when they sailed beyond the horizon. Columbus received funding for his expedition because he promised the King and Queen of Spain that his search was for gold. Indeed, on his successful return to Spain, he carried a small amount of gold, which was enough to convince the King and Queen to fund his next trip in 1493. This time he returned with a large amount of gold and the world’s first gold rush began. Unfortunately, this was also the first time gold fever caused the killing and persecution of a race of people—the South American Indians.

Francisco Pizarro, a Spaniard, captured the ruler of the Incas. He used the capture to gain gold as a ransom. Over four months, almost 8 tonnes of gold was collected. Pizarro was supposed to let the ruler of the Incas free once he got his gold, but instead had him strangled in public. The Europeans continued to plunder the South American people of their ancient treasures to make themselves wealthy. Western Europe was now considered a wealthy country at the expense of 3 000 years of achievements of an ancient civilisation.

© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• 1600s

m . u

w ww

Two hundred years after Columbus, the Portuguese in their explorations found large gold deposits in the country now called Brazil. This was the next big gold rush and again led to the devastation of the local native tribes.

Spanish and Portuguese explorers and pioneers continued to search for riches throughout middle and South America, on most occasions showing little regard for the native inhabitants and intent only on gaining wealth and returning to their home countries.

. te

o c . che e r o t r s super 1848

The discovery of gold in California was to start the first modern-day gold rush. The discovery was made by accident when workers were constructing a water-powered sawmill. During construction of the mill beside a minor river, small amounts of gold had been deposited within the machine by the flowing water.

This find was to start a massive gold rush that saw the population of California grow from 15 000 to over 250 000 in less than ten years. People travelled from within America and from Europe, Asia and Australia to seek their fortune.

After the alluvial gold supply began to dwindle, goldmining became the realm of large companies. Prospectors looked elsewhere for the next goldfield. Many chased new opportunities within the USA and Canada, while many had heard of new gold strikes in Australia.

Gold in Australia

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R.I.C. Publications

Use the information from the time line to answer these.

1.

On the time line below, write keywords and phrases to describe the events of the time.

1490s

1600s

1848

Which gold rush mentioned on the previous page had the greatest negative impact? Explain.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

1530s

2.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

Tick true or false.

(b) (c)

4.

Francisco Pizarro was a Spaniard.

w ww

(a)

The Australian goldfields were discovered before those in California.

. te

People searching for gold were careful to preserve the environment and not disturb the native people.

m . u

3.

True

False

True

False

o c . che e r o t r s super True

False

(d)

Christopher Columbus travelled to the Americas looking for gold.

True

False

(e)

The population in California was unaffected during the gold rush.

True

False

What short-term and long-term effects did goldmining have on the native inhabitants of an area? Complete the table below.

Short-term Effects

R.I.C. Publications

Long-term Effects

54

Gold in Australia

On this map of the world show: (a)

the different areas of the Americas where gold was discovered.

(b)

the different parts of the world people travelled from to search for gold in the Americas.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

5.

© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons Use reference material to complete the following.

•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• 6.

Complete this brief profile on the Inca civilisation.

m . u

Where was this civilisation based?

w ww

When did it exist?

When did the Inca civilisation cease?

Why?

. te

o c . che e r o t r s super

What famous landmark still survives today?

What was the leader of the Incas called?

How did he become leader?

What inventions were the Incas famous for?

Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

1. People should not be able to exploit resources from areas outside their own territory.

1. Complete a brief profile on the South American Indian civilisation.

Christopher Columbus; Francisco Pizarro; California gold rush; Inca gold

2. Francisco Pizarro was fair to hold the ruler of the Incas to ransom in order to collect gold for Europe.

2. Research and present a biography of Christopher Columbus and his contributions to history.

Gold in Australia

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R.I.C. Publications

Australia Strikes Gold!

Lesson Focus:

You will learn about the significant events of the Australian gold rush period.

Keywords:

official, discouraged, surveyor, prospecting, terrain, suppressing

seized upon the chance to make his fortune and left for the Californian fields.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

On reaching Sydney, Hargreaves bought a horse and travelled to Bathurst, where he convinced John Lister to guide him to Lewis Ponds Creek. They arrived there on 12 February 1851 and washed six pans of gravel, finding traces of gold in five of them. Joined

by William Tom, the three continued to prospect for gold, with a small amount of success. Hargreaves left for Sydney at this stage where he tried unsuccessfully to convince the government of his find. Meanwhile, his companions moved their search to a place later to become the town of Ophir. It was there they made their first significant find of gold (4 oz) and sent news of this to Hargreaves in Sydney. Against the wishes of his companions, Hargreaves announced the find at a special meeting and the Australian gold rush had begun.

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Teac he r

In California, Hargreaves spent a long twelve months prospecting with a group of companions without any great success. What Hargreaves did find was knowledge. During this time, he became convinced that the terrain and soil were similar to conditions he had seen in Australia and therefore there must be gold to be found at home. When he and his companions decided to go their own ways, Hargreaves headed straight for Australia.

© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

Edward Hargreaves

. te

Hargreaves went on to become a land commissioner and was richly rewarded for his find. William Tom and John Lister protested his reward and eventually were rewarded for their part in the discovery.

Other significant discoveries:

o c . che e r o t r s super

However, this approach backfired. When news of the Californian gold rush of 1849 reached Australia it created a rush to the American goldfields—exactly the problem the government had been trying to avoid by suppressing the news of local finds. The result was that many men did leave. However, many were discouraged by the government or their employers.

In a reversal of attitude, the Governor requested a surveyor be sent from England to locate Australian goldfields and confirm previous finds. At this time, a local farmer, Edward Hargreaves had R.I.C. Publications

m . u

w ww

Gold was found in Australia well before the recognised gold rush commencement in 1851. As early as 1823 reports of gold finds filtered through to government officers. The first official record of gold discovered in Australia was by James McBrain near Bathurst in February 1823. Previous to this, in 1816, a convict who lived in the Bathurst area was punished for the possession of gold. It is thought that there were many gold finds, but they were kept secret.

People kept their finds secret because, under British law at the time, any gold or silver found in the land belonged to the Crown. The government also chose to keep the information secret as the colony was still very new. They feared that a gold rush would create labour shortages and set back the development of the colony, which at that stage was only 400 000 people strong.

56

Who

Where

When

Count Strzelecki

Hartley (NSW)

1839

WB Clarke

Hartley (NSW)

1841

McGregor

Wellington (NSW)

1848

James Esmond

Clunes (Vic.)

1851

James Grant

Fingal (Tas.)

1852

FH Litchfield

Finniss River (NT)

1865

R Hann

Palmer River (Qld)

1872

Arthur Bayley

Coolgardie (WA)

1892

Gold in Australia

Use the text ‘Australia Strikes Gold!’ to answer these questions.

1.

List the benefits of keeping any discovery of gold a secret from these points of view.

Individual

3.

What important knowledge did Hargreaves bring back to Australia?

ew i ev Pr

4.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Why do you think people were discouraged to leave for the American goldfields by the government or their employers?

Teac he r

2.

Government

© R. I .

C.Publ i c(b)at i ons 12 ounces •f orr evi ew pur po se sonl y• 8 ounces (d) 15 ounces

1 troy ounce (oz) equals 31 grams (g). Convert these gold measurements to grams. (a) 4 ounces

(c)

55 ounces

On the map of Australia, locate and mark the site of each significant find listed in the text and table on the previous page. Use an atlas to help you if necessary.

w ww

5.

(f)

m . u

(e) 28 ounces

. te

o c . che e r o t r s super

Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

1. Hargreaves should not have been rewarded for the find near Ophir, as he was not with Lister and Tom at the time of the find.

1. As a class group, complete a time line of gold discovery in Australia, from the very first find through to the most recent finds recorded.

Include maps to show each location.

Discoverers (by name); Australian goldfields (by name)

2. Did the gold or silver deposits really belong to the Crown, or did they belong to the Aboriginal people of the area?

Gold in Australia

2. Select one of the miners mentioned on the previous page and complete a biography of his life.

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R.I.C. Publications

Dreaming Lesson Focus:

You will study a ballad which outlines the life of a digger and the trials of working on the goldfields.

Keywords:

padded, discern, kin, plague, toff, dejected, hoards, merchant

Dreaming The dog it padded slowly, with an ageing head held lowly For the road was rough along its winding way.

The man was no more sprightly; a pair to all unsightly As they trudged the weary miles night and day.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Teac he r

The dust and mud alternate, his weary eyes discern it As it stretches far beyond the scrubby hills.

But the promised gold lies gleaming and fires his every dreaming And the pockets of his threadbare coat he fills.

A query for his kin caused the constable to grin ‘You’ve not been here long’ he heard him say.

‘A thousand men and more—we’re here to be the law Not look for them that’s lost their bloomin’ way’.

ew i ev Pr

The days pass into weeks before he spies the ground he seeks The canvas rows before him all unfold.

And he read again the letter that was sent for worse or better— ‘Come brother help me win Coolgardie’s gold’.

© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• ‘We work with no relief—the Chinese cause us grief And the plague is killing men for miles around.

Alike we sees ’em off, transported tough and toff, Don’t bother us with them that can’t be found’.

m . u

Man and dog dejected, lacking news that they’d expected Slept rough another night on cold hard ground. ’Twas the next day when he heard (for a mate had passed the word) His brother to a further field was bound.

w ww

So he scratched a meagre living till he had the means of giving A service to the hoards of men that passed.

He sold them water by the can, picks and shovels every man And made a golden fortune that would last.

. te

© Roger Palmer

o c . che e r o t r s super

A merchant he became, now buried without fame But his like are those that walked the golden mile.

The dream was not of metal, but a land he came to settle His gold was won surviving every trial.

Use the ballad to answer these questions.

1.

Do you think this ballad accurately portrays the life of a digger? Explain.

2.

List the aspects of life on the goldfields mentioned in the ballad.

R.I.C. Publications

58

Gold in Australia

What do you think the author means by the following? (a)

‘The canvas rows before him all unfold.’

(b)

‘And the plague is killing men for miles around.’

(c)

‘… both transported tough and toff,’

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

4.

Do you think the author worked on the goldfields?

Why/Why not?

5.

Select one verse and draw a picture depicting it.

w ww

m . u

© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

. te

6.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

3.

o c . che e r o t r s super

Select another ballad or poem written about life on the goldfields. For example, The Roaring Days, Henry Lawson; Look Out Below!, Charles Thatcher. Complete a profile using these headings: Title, Author, Key Descriptive Words and Phrases, Events, Positive or Negative View, Your Feelings.

Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

Life on the goldfields was tough. Imagine you are on the goldfields. Discuss in small groups how you would manage without your ‘creature comforts’.

Write your own poem or ballad depicting life on the goldfields as if you were there.

Present your completed poem after you have written, edited, proofread and presented your material in a professional format.

Poems and poets (by name); goldfields poetry

Gold in Australia

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R.I.C. Publications

The Chinese Lesson Focus:

You will learn about significant individuals and groups and their impact on the Australian gold rushes.

Keywords:

emigrate, immigrate, migrant, descent, racist, resentment

Chinese people played a major role in the Victorian goldfields. Along with many other people from different parts of the world, the Chinese rushed to the Victorian goldfields to find their fortune. The Chinese were very experienced gold prospectors. They could generally live on less, withstand poor conditions and were more patient than other prospectors. The table below shows the significant number of Chinese people.

European miners. The success they achieved with these methods made them very unpopular. Their unpopularity also grew with the resentment attached to their different ways of dressing, eating and living in general. The Europeans did not understand their customs and the Chinese did not understand the customs of the European miners.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

The resentment of the European miners grew and a Royal Commission looked at the issues. The result was the ‘White Australia Policy’—a perfect example of the attitudes which would now be considered racist. Chinese arriving in Australia had to pay a £10 entry fee at Victorian ports—no other migrant group was charged this fee. The Chinese got around this by landing in South Australia and walking to Victoria. The Chinese also had to pay a Protection Fee, a Miner’s Right and a Residence Ticket; then a ‘Protector’ was appointed to keep the Chinese separate from the European population.

Chinese Arrivals and Departures—Victoria Departures

1855

11 493

1 576

1856

1 217

2 257

1857

816

3 661

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Teac he r

Arrivals

When news of the discovery of gold in Victoria reached China in 1853, many Chinese hurried to the Victorian Goldfields. They were able to do this as they could get a loan from local Chinese traders. The loan would be repaid with the gold they sent back from Australia. If the loan was unpaid, the man’s family would become slaves to the trader who had lent him the money.

© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

Violence between European and Chinese miners was common, often initiated by the Europeans. As alluvial gold began to run out in 1857, many Chinese returned home. However, a few stayed to settle permanently in Australia.

. te

Along with the persecution of native Aboriginal people, the treatment of Chinese gold prospectors presented a clear example of the attitudes and beliefs of the time. People of non-European descent were considered to be inferior and were treated accordingly.

m . u

w ww

When the Chinese arrived on the goldfields, they presented a very different culture from that of the mining population. They had their own camps and tended to keep to themselves. Most Chinese migrants could not speak English. They worked in teams and often on ground previously worked by the

o c . che e r o t r s super

Use the information to answer these questions.

1.

2.

Tick true or false. (a)

The Chinese caused a lot of violence on the goldfields.

True

False

(b)

The Europeans discriminated against people who were not of European descent.

True

False

(c)

All migrants were charged an entry fee to Australia.

True

False

(d)

A protector cared for and looked after the Chinese.

True

False

What were the strengths of the Chinese people searching for gold?

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Gold in Australia

3.

On this map, show the likely path the Chinese took to travel to the Victorian goldfields to avoid the entry fee.

4.

(a)

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S (b)

Do you think their treatment of the Chinese was fair? Explain.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Why did the European people dislike the Chinese?

Significant Individuals

© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons Ben Hall (1837–1865) Peter Lalor (1827–1889) •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

Below are four brief profiles of people who made an impact during the gold rush period.

. te

Gold in Australia

m . u

w ww

Ben was born in NSW and was an infamous bushranger.

Peter emigrated to Australia from Ireland to Just after his wife left him, Ben was arrested and charged seek his fortune. Miners were unhappy on for highway robbery. This shocked local residents, as they the goldfields because they had to pay held him in high regard. He was part of a gang that robbed large fees for the right to mine gold and gold diggers at Lambing Flat in NSW. He later became the had no say in what happened in leader and caused havoc over a period of three years. He parliament. The miners appointed Peter was reported to have committed many hold-ups of towns, Lalor as their leader. They formed the 10 mail robberies and 20 raids on settlers’ homes. He was Ballarat Reform League and built the a vicious leader and is said to have killed several troopers, Eureka Stockade. Peter was shot in the some in cold blood. He was finally shot dead. arm during the attack at the Eureka Stockade. As a result, the government granted the miners a voice in parliament Caroline Chisholm and replaced the miner’s licence with a (1808 –1877) Miner’s Right, which cost only 20 shillings per year.

Caroline, born in England, devoted a great part of her life to helping immigrants settle in Paddy Hannan (1843 –1925) Australia. She encouraged Paddy was an Irishman who had people to set up their own emigrated to Victoria in 1863. farms and to move out of He was responsible for discovering crowded city areas to find gold nuggets north-east of Coolgardie in work in rural areas. During Western Australia. Paddy was very quick the gold rush she set up to report his find and to claim a portion of shelters for the miners and the land. Prospectors heard of the find and their families. These shelters rushed to the site now known as were known as Chisholm’s Kalgoorlie. As it turned out, he did not Shakedowns and were greatly secure the best land for himself and appreciated by the people. missed out on a fortune.

o c . che e r o t r s super

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R.I.C. Publications

Use the profiles to complete the questions below.

5.

Complete the semantic grid below.

helped others Irish descent

was honest

was shot

prospector

Peter Lalor Ben Hall Paddy Hannan Caroline Chisholm

the Eureka Stockade was important to gold miners.

(b)

the people greatly appreciated Chisolm’s Shakedowns.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

(a)

7.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Use the information and your own knowledge to explain why …

© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons What was Ben Hall like …

•f orr evi ew pu(b)r pafter os esonl y• (a) before his wife left him? his wife left him?

w ww

(c)

. te

m . u

6.

o c . che e r o t r s super

Why do you think he changed?

Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

1. All migrants should have been charged a fee to enter all areas of Australia.

1. Research another group of people involved in the gold rush. What was their contribution?

Where did they come from? How did they cope with the harsh lifestyle? Write your report in the form of a newspaper article.

Lalor, Hall, Hannan and Chisholm (by full name); goldfields and Chinese

2. Complete this sentence with the name of a significant individual and discuss in a small group. because ‘I would like to meet …’

2. Broaden your knowledge of Australian bushrangers. Select one bushranger who was around during the time of the gold rush, and write a detailed biography of his life.

3. Research to find out more about ‘The White Australia’ policy. Present your findings to your class as a live interview with a partner.

R.I.C. Publications

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Gold in Australia

The Goldfields and Aboriginal People Lesson Focus:

You will develop an understanding of the effects of the gold rushes on the Aboriginal people.

Keywords:

devastating, rife, diseases, disrupted, stripped, Corps

Victoria’s Aboriginal Population

1836

226

11 500

1857

400 000

1 700

1861

540 000

2 300

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Traditional Aboriginal ways also were often disrupted. Many Aboriginal people, like the diggers, abused alcohol that was consumed on the diggings. The land where Aboriginal people hunted and gathered food was often stripped of trees for the gold prospectors’ benefit.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Victoria’s European Population

Aboriginal men were recruited into the Native Police Corps on the goldfields in Victoria, which began with two divisions of 25 men each. The size of the force grew to a total of 60 in 1851. They were often called upon to deal with aggressive Aboriginal people and to recover stolen property. Although some people were impressed with the efficiency of the Corps, many white people were not and resented the Corps’ work.

The Aboriginal people had been living in harmony with the land for many years without causing a great deal of change to the natural environment. They made all their tools out of stone, bone, shell and wood and therefore placed no value on gold.

© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

. te

The Corps in Victoria was eventually turned against

by Billibellary, a member of the Wurundjeri tribe. He claimed it was being used to kill and capture other Koori people. As a result, many men in the Corps deserted, while others were unfit to continue due to alcohol abuse.

m . u

w ww

The impact of European settlement had a major effect on the native people of this continent. The new settlers took their land, ate their food, depleted their supplies, introduced illness and forced their ways on the Aboriginal people. The land was sacred to the Aboriginal people. The diggers did not care, they dug it up in their search for wealth and left the area in a mess. The native way of life would never again be the same. The European people settled in Australia with a total disregard for the people who already inhabited the area.

o c . che e r o t r s super

To make matters worse, the gold rushes had a devastating effect on Aboriginal people for a number of reasons. Diseases such as smallpox and measles were rife because of the poor conditions in which people lived on the goldfields. These diseases were passed onto the Aboriginal people and caused many deaths. This was often due to contact between diggers and Aboriginal people, when they came to the goldfields seeking food. Unfortunately, diggers sometimes would also deliberately poison the food the Aboriginal people took.

More alarmingly, many Aboriginal people were shot by diggers. Although actual numbers are unknown, in Queensland, by the end of the 19th century, approximately 1 000 settlers were killed by Murris. In the same period, at least 10 000 people from the Koori tribe were shot dead. This was not the only State to suffer great loss of life. The table above shows the approximate numbers of the European and Aboriginal populations between 1836 and 1861.

Gold in Australia

As gold was discovered across Australia, more immigrants arrived in search of wealth and more Aboriginal communities were affected by the European ways. Devastation began to occur on an even greater scale.

63

R.I.C. Publications

Use the information to answer these questions.

1.

Write the similarities and differences between the Aboriginal people and the European people on the goldfields.

Differences

Similarities

Write a word from the text which means: (a)

destruction

(b)

common

(c)

reduced

(d)

usual

(e)

happen

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

2.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

4.

What were the effects of goldmining on the land?

. te

m . u

What were the main causes of death for the Aboriginal people?

w ww

3.

o c . che e r o t r s super

5.

What information can you gain from looking at the table on the previous page?

6.

There is not a lot of written information about the Aboriginal people during the gold rush. (a)

R.I.C. Publications

Why do you think this is so?

(b)

64

What could be done to improve this?

Gold in Australia

Some goldmining towns in Australia were named using Aboriginal words.

For example, Kalgoorlie—kulgoolah (silky pear); Ballarat—balaarat (a camping or resting place); Gympie—gimpi-gimpi (stinging bush). These are just a few. (a) (b)

Locate the places listed above on the map below and write their Aboriginal name.

Can you find any more? Include them on the map with their meaning.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

7.

© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

w ww

8.

Select one disease mentioned in the text. Research to complete this table.

Name:

Symptoms:

. te

Remedy:

m . u

Use reference material to complete the following.

o c . che e r o t r s super

Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

1. Today, Australian Customs controls the importation of certain products into the country to help prevent new diseases being introduced. Do you think this is too little, too late?

1. Research to find and report on the role of the Native Police Corps. Include its beginnings, laws, roles, uniforms, weapons and any interesting facts. You can select your own style of presentation format.

gold rushes Australia; Native Police Corps; http://www.dola.wa.gov.au/lotl/names/index.html (examples from WA only)

2. What is your opinion of the decline in the Aboriginal population? What could have been done to prevent this?

2. Draw up a positive/minus/idea (PMI) chart in relation to the events on the goldfields and the effects on both the Europeans and Aboriginal people.

Gold in Australia

65

R.I.C. Publications

Gold Finds around Australia Lesson Focus:

You will learn about the significant gold finds in each State and Territory of Australia.

Keywords:

period, productive, valuable, prospectors, region, foundation

The years 1851 to 1900 saw an exciting period of growth and development in Australia as goldfields mushroomed around Australia. While the first discoveries were in New South Wales (1851), Victorian goldfields soon developed and proved to be extremely productive also in 1851. Smaller finds occurred in Queensland in 1861, Tasmania in 1852 and 1862 saw significant fields developed in Western Australia.

NORTHERN TERRITORY

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

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Teac he r

The first payable gold found in the Northern Territory was discovered by GC McLachlan in 1871, approximately 200 km south-east of Darwin. The area became known as Pine Creek and reached its peak in 1894, with 800 miners working the area. Several other finds were discovered around the central areas of the Northern Territory. The biggest problem was a lack of water for the men. Eight men died of thirst and the government decided to sink wells to encourage more people to the area.

© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons WESTERN AUSTRALIA •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

m . u

w ww

. te

After the valuable gold finds in the eastern States, the Western Australian government offered a reward in 1862 to those who could find gold. Traces of gold had been identified by surveyors and small finds had been made in the Pilbara and Murchison areas. In 1892, the more substantial find at Coolgardie started the State’s biggest gold rush. The find by Arthur Bayley and William Ford was significant and what started as an alluvial field turned into a large gold reef named ‘Bayley’s Reward’.

o c . che e r o t r s super

In the following year, Patrick (Paddy) Hannan made a find at Kalgoorlie which was to become one of the richest goldfields in the world (the Golden Mile). Further goldfields in the region followed, some of which are still actively mined using much more sophisticated methods.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA William Chapman first discovered gold south-east of Adelaide in 1852.

He received a £500 reward from the government for the first gold found in South Australia. Ten thousand prospectors flocked to the area and soon excavated all the alluvial gold.

The next major gold find was near the Barossa Valley in 1868, when Job Harris and his party discovered gold at Spikes Gully.

The last major gold discovery was north-east of Adelaide at Teetulpa.

Alluvial gold deposits were found by Thomas Brady and Thomas Smith in 1886. They received a £1 000 government reward for their find.

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Gold in Australia

QUEENSLAND In 1858, a small find was located at the Fitzroy River in north Queensland.

The field was short-lived and many diggers returned south with little or no reward.

Gympie on the Mary River was the first major goldfield in Queensland.

James Nash discovered gold there in 1867. Within a very short time, approximately 16 000 men were working in Gympie to find their fortune.

The alluvial gold soon ran out and larger mining companies moved in with heavy machinery to mine the deeper reefs. A similar story occurred at Charters Towers in 1872.

The most famous of all was the rush to Palmer River after J Mulligan found gold in 1873. Being closer to Hong Kong, it attracted many Chinese prospectors.

By the end of the 1880s, all the gold was mined and the town became a ghost town.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

After the find of Lister and Toms at Ophir, prospectors flooded into New South Wales searching for their fortune. Other finds were made but these were soon to be overshadowed.

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Teac he r

NEW SOUTH WALES

In February 1860, diggers headed for the Snowy River, to Kiandra near Mount Kosciuszko. Within six months of the news of gold, 15 000 diggers had moved to the area to seek their fortune. It was a very difficult area to reach, as there were no roads and supplies had to be brought in by packhorse. Winter was harsh and many diggers left the fields and headed to Lambing Flat in 1861.

© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons VICTORIA •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

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Ballarat and Bendigo were to become some of the greatest goldfields in Australia’s history—with Ballarat fields being recognised as the richest alluvial goldfield in the world. These finds led to massive population growth and the opening of new fields at Bendigo. The rush occurred between the years of 1851 and 1860, after which the diggers left in search of other fields in other States. It is this 10-year period that saw massive growth in Australia’s population and was the foundation of many Australian traditions, language and culture.

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Cobar was probably the most productive goldfield in New South Wales. Gold was mined there from 1887 using the water mining method.

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It was also a period when Australia was guilty of the persecution and poor treatment of Aboriginal people who held ownership of the goldfields. This ownership was never recognised and Aboriginal people were treated no better than slaves.

TASMANIA The goldfields of Tasmania have never attracted the large numbers of prospectors that were instantly attracted to other finds.

In 1852, James Grant discovered alluvial gold at The Nook. This discovery attracted 500 miners and was the location of Tasmania’s first reef mine. The most productive mine in Tasmania was at Lisle, discovered by the Bessell brothers in 1878. Within one year, 2 500 miners worked the mines.

Beaconsfield became the main mining centre when William Dally found a quartz reef in 1877. In a short space of time, 53 mining companies began operating in the area. This made Beaconsfield the third largest town in Tasmania.

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Use the information to answer these questions.

1.

Shade the areas on each map (previous pages) where gold was found. You may need the help of an atlas.

2.

Complete the time line using keywords and brief facts.

1850—1855 1855—1860

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Teac he r

1860—1865

1865—1870

1870—1875

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1875—1880

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1880—1885

o c . che e r o t r s super 1885—1890

1890—1895 1895—1900

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3.

Explain why some goldfields were short-lived, while others are still being mined today.

4.

Explain the differences between ‘alluvial’ mining and ‘deep reef’ mining.

Alluvial

Deep Reef

Manpower

r o e t s Bo r e p o u k Amount of Gold S

5.

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Teac he r

Equipment

In your opinion, which areas would have been the biggest challenge for the gold diggers? Explain your answer.

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C.Publ i cat i ons Name of goldfield •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

Use reference material to complete the activities below.

6.

Select one goldfield in your State. Research to complete the table below.

Location

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Size Amount of gold mined Total worth

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Equipment used

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Number of working miners When discovered

Who discovered the field When was mining ceased Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

‘It was also a period when Australia was guilty of the persecution and poor treatment of Aboriginal people who held ownership of the goldfields. This ownership was never recognised and Aboriginal people were treated no better than slaves.’ Discuss.

‘By the end of the 1880s, all the gold was mined and the town became a ghost town.’ This was a regular occurrence. Develop a plan, on your own or with a partner, to prevent towns becoming ghost towns once people have taken all they can from the land. How could you encourage people to stay? Should the land be regenerated and used in another way?

gold finds in Australia; Australian gold rushes; goldfields (by name); discoverers (by name)

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The Eureka Uprising Lesson Focus:

You will learn about the Eureka Stockade and its effects on the diggers.

Keywords:

elements, amenities, licence, intrusion, rebellion, allegiance, abolish

Dearest Mother, I hope this letter finds you well and coping since the passing of Father. You must ensure that you look after yourself, eating properly, keeping warm and staying away from any illness.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Working on the goldfields here at Ballarat is difficult. The dirt is hard, there is hardly any water and the weather is brutal. More and more people arrive here every day to seek their fortune.

The canvas city grows and grows and is becoming more and more crowded. It is called a canvas city, because most people live in canvas tents. The tents do not really protect us from the elements, but it is not often we are there. We spend long hours in the fields seeking our fortune and only go to the tents to sleep.

Teac he r

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I have had some success in my search for gold but not enough to consider that I have made my fortune.

The government of our colony decided to charge each miner 30 shillings every month to purchase a licence to dig for gold. As you can imagine, this is a lot of money if we do not actually find any gold. It is already difficult enough to support ourselves. The government said they needed the money to build more roads, transport water and build amenities for the growing population.

The police were given the right to ask to see our licences whenever they felt, we resented this intrusion and lack of trust. Those diggers without a licence usually hid during the inspections—some were unsuccessful and got caught, copping a fine of £5 for not having a licence.

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C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

We tried to meet with Governor Hotham to tell him what we thought of the licence. Because we were miners, we had no say in government, the politicians did not feel that what we had to say was of any value to them or the community. The governor did not listen to us on our visit and sent more troops to the fields for licence inspections. We saw red! We couldn’t believe the government could be so blind and narrow in its thinking.

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We decided it was time to take action. I and several other men became the leaders of a rebellion against the government. Maybe they would listen then. We raised the flag of the Southern Cross and burnt our mining licences on 29 November at Bakery Hill. A group of men gathered and swore their allegiance to the Southern Cross and made a promise to fight for everyone’s rights. After this we went to work building a stockade. We used logs, rocks, broken carts, rope and stakes—anything we could find. We gathered together as many miners (about 150 men) as we could to fight the soldiers. We were ready!

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At about 4 a.m. on Sunday, 3 December 1854, 182 soldiers and 94 police officers stormed the stockade. The battle was a bloody and furious one which seemed to last forever, but in actual fact only lasted 15 minutes. When all was quiet and things had settled, we discovered we had lost about 30 miners and we had killed about six soldiers and police officers. What had we done? The leaders felt responsible for the deaths, but if life had to be lost to improve our situation, then so be it!

The government put out a warrant for the arrest of as many of the leaders as possible. I and twelve other men were taken to trial. Luckily for us, most of us were acquitted.

We felt that we had gained nothing from the battle, or so it seemed. Several months later, the government decided to abolish the licence fee and brought in a £1 per year Miner’s Right fee.

This also meant we had the right to vote. For the first time, we could have our say. We all feel we have come a long way.

I will try to write more regularly—the past year has been a very difficult one. Hopefully the situation on the goldfields will improve and I will soon find my fortune.

Faithfully your son, Peter

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Use the letter from Peter to his mother to answer these questions.

1.

Why do you think the leaders of the uprising were acquitted?

(b)

Do you think they deserved to be acquitted? Why/Why not?

What did Peter mean by the following? (a)

‘We saw red!’

(b)

‘What had we done?’

Teac he r

2.

(a)

‘We all feel we have come a long way.’

3.

(a)

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(c)

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What were the men trying to achieve by burning their licences?

What may have been the consequences of this action? ©(b)R. I .

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5.

Explain what you think about ‘The leaders felt responsible for the deaths, but if life had to be lost to improve our situation, then so be it!’.

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Do you think the battle between the miners and the soldiers and police was fair? Explain.

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4.

Complete the design to show the flag of the Southern Cross.

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Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

View a copy of a Miner’s Licence. The conditions outlined on the licence were deemed unfair by the miners. Do you think they were fair or unfair? Discuss.

1. Write a letter to a loved one in Britain about your experiences during the Eureka Uprising.

Remember to share with them aspects of life on the goldfields.

Eureka uprising; Eureka Stockade; Peter Lalor; Ballarat

2. Create a mural of the events of the Eureka Uprising. Use brief statements to explain the events and present to your class or school.

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Life on the Goldfields Lesson Focus:

You will learn about different aspects of life on the goldfields.

Keywords:

establishment, represent, immigration, contributed, illegal, lawlessness

The period between 1850 and 1900 was the time of the Australian gold rushes. Gold was responsible for opening up many parts of Australia and for the establishment of many country towns and communities. When gold ran out, people left to look for the next goldfield. Often, a community stayed to establish other industries or to support underground mining.

such as Chinese immigrants and women were also poorly treated and represent parts of Australian history we are only recently learning about.

Life on the goldfields, no matter in what part of Australia, had many things in common. Tales of success and fortune were often countered with greater stories of poverty and tragedy. This is a summary of the different aspects of life on the goldfields.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

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During these 50 years, the gold rushes contributed greatly to Australia’s history and culture in many ways.

In some ways the culture of the ‘Aussie Digger’ created the image of the hardworking, hard-playing Australian who would never say die. In other ways the happenings of this period are things we should feel less proud of. The poor treatment of the Aboriginal people was rarely reported but was something that greatly reduced the Aboriginal population as well as disrupting their culture and traditions. Other groups

Use the information about the goldfields to complete these.

1.

© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons Positive contributions tof • orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Australian society Complete the table below.

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Long-term effects Negative contributions to Australian society

Long-term effects

The People

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Gold rushes had the ability to attract a wide collection of people from all races and parts of society.

On the goldfields, the wealthy and the poor would work next to each other, each with the common goal of finding their fortune. The Australian gold rushes attracted people from all over the world. This table of immigration to Victoria in the 1850s shows this. The majority of these people were attracted by the promise of gold!

R.I.C. Publications

British Isles

82.3%

Europe

7.5%

China

5.4%

America

1.2%

India

0.4%

Others

1.2%

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During this 10-year period, Australia underwent a huge increase in population, as can be seen from this graph.

1 200 000 1 100 000 1 000 000

POPULATION

900 000 800 000 700 000 600 000 500 000

50

51

52

53

54

55 56 YEAR

57

58

59

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Teac he r

400 000

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Use the information in the graph to complete these.

3.

Why do you think more British immigrated to Victoria?

© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons People tend to think the Europeans and Chinese are new to Australia. Is this true? Explain.

•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

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Transport

Once new settlers had arrived they had to find their way to the goldfields, which were all inland from the ports. The roads to the diggings were in poor condition as they had been carved out of the bush by the volume of traffic rushing to the goldfields. Most diggers travelled by foot, carrying their belongings in wheelbarrows or on their backs. Horses were very expensive and the tracks were often too poor for horses and carts.

Bullocks were used to pull supply wagons. This was a slow process but more reliable than traditional horse-drawn vehicles. As a goldfield developed, so did the transport. American-made coaches (Cobb and Co) were imported to provide transport. These coaches were a sturdier than European coaches, which were unable to survive the harsh conditions.

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Use the information about transport to complete question four.

4.

Why do you think bullocks were more reliable than horses and carts as a form of transportation?

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Food Most goldfields were some distance from settled towns and had to develop their own food supply.

This meant that in the early stages of a goldfield, food supplies were very basic and consisted mainly of damper, mutton and tea.

Most of these supplied the basic needs—food, clothing and alcohol. If the field proved successful, the quality of food would improve. Of course, what each individual digger ate depended very much on how successful he was at prospecting.

As the goldfield grew and more diggers arrived, opportunity developed for businesses to be established.

A food store at the diggings would generally provide the following food.

• meat (mutton)

• tea

• biscuits

• flour

• butter

• eggs

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S • sugar

• potatoes

• salt

• coffee

• milk

Use the information provided and your knowledge to complete the following.

5.

What is your opinion about alcohol being classed as a ‘basic need’?

6.

Using only the food available at the goldfield store, develop a menu for one day.

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C. P u l i cat i ons Dinner hb nc Lu •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

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Health

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Breakfast

vegetables and fruit were rare, especially in the early days of a goldfield.

There was little or no medical help on the goldfields and diggers needed to care for their own health and wellbeing. Health problems were directly related to the environment. Damp, cold conditions in Victorian and New South Wales’ goldfields created constant medical problems, as did the hot, dry conditions of the Western Australian goldfields. Diggers also contributed to their own poor health. Showering and bathing were not common occurrences and fresh

7.

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Teac he r

Food was cooked on campfires on a digger’s claim.

Thieving was always a problem on the goldfields and diggers needed to protect their food supplies as well as their gold.

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This mix of conditions and attitudes created an environment where disease spread quickly. Diseases such as whooping cough, scarlet fever and measles resulted in consistent illness and large numbers of deaths. As a goldfield grew and conditions improved, so did the health of the diggers.

What could have been done by: (a) the diggers to improve their health?

(b) the government to improve the situation on the goldfields?

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Education Formal education did not exist on the goldfields. Any children were educated by their parents and were expected to work hard on the family claim. As towns established in the diggings, schools were started, often by the churches, to provide a basic education.

8.

Do you think education was valued at this time? Explain.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

A digger’s needs were very basic. Working long hours in the diggings was extremely tough on clothes.

The most important pieces of clothing were a digger’s hat and boots. A standard clothing outfit for a digger would include:

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Teac he r

Clothing

• hat (2) • cotton shirts (2) • socks (4) • boots • underclothes (2 sets) • hard-wearing pants (2) • rain protection (oil skin) • woollen shirt (2) • handkerchief (2)

Law and Order

Law and order was always going to be a problem on the goldfields. Large numbers of men, including exconvicts, thieves, bushrangers and others, were all grouped in one place with the common goal of finding gold—anyway they could. It was difficult to get police to go to the goldfields as they too would often leave their job and head to the diggings to find gold. Adding alcohol to this mix created a recipe for lawlessness. The government banned alcohol in the goldfields between 1851 and 1853 but this only served to establish an illegal supply business (called ‘sly grog’). This situation fuelled a lot of violence, thieving, bribery and other illegal activities on the goldfields. The government added to this problem by demanding a licence fee from each miner. This created a situation where the police were more intent on collecting licence fees than maintaining law and order. The law and order issue reached a head with an uprising at Eureka in 1854, which was one of Australia’s most famous historical incidents.

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10.

9.

Compare the digger’s set of clothes to your own by completing the table.

m . u

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A digger would often wear one set of clothes until they fell off and then replace them with a new set.

Some had more than this list of clothes, while many had less.

The Digger hat

Me

o c . che e r o t r s super shirts

socks

shoes

Do you think the government managed law and order on the goldfields properly? Explain.

underclothes trousers wet-weather gear jumper handkerchief pyjamas

sports clothes

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Water In the early days of the gold rushes in New South Wales and Victoria, the search for gold was centred on alluvial gold, which was found in riverbeds. This meant that water supplies for most of the year were good.

It did mean that in the summer months, water became very precious, both for drinking and also for washing soil in the search for gold. The later goldfields in Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie had severe water shortages.

This created many problems which eventually saw the building of a massive pipeline from Perth to Kalgoorlie, just to service the goldmining industry.

How could water have been stored for the summer months? Write your idea and draw a diagram complete with labels.

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Teac he r

11.

Housing

Housing on the goldfields was directly related to the age of the particular goldfield. The style of housing followed three basic stages.

Stage 1

Tents were the first form of shelter. Often the tent was constructed by the digger and was a simple dwelling of poles and cloth. Beds were often soft branches placed on the ground. In dryer areas, diggers would sleep under the stars until there was reason to establish a more permanent dwelling.

Stage 2

Once a digger had established a profitable claim, his tent would develop into a hut. This was achieved by using logs, mud bricks, bark and other materials to make the hut stronger and waterproof. This transformation from tent to hut often occurred over time, as materials became available.

Stage 3

A house was the next stage, but it resembled nothing like what we would call a house today.

The house was the development of a hut. It had a solid floor, rather than dirt, a pitched roof and was normally one large room with a veranda. Furniture was often recycled boxes and barrels.

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C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

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Draw a diagram complete with labels to show each housing stage.

Stage 1

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Like most things, a digger’s needs for housing were simple. The home had to provide a place to sleep and to shelter from the elements of the weather. It was only when a digger’s family joined him that a need for better housing arose.

o c . che e r o t r s super Stage 2

Stage 3

Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

Discuss the plight of the digger. How would things have been different on the goldfields with the technology that is available today?

Using the headings from the text, prepare a comparison between life in Australia today and life on the goldfields during the gold rush period.

Life on the goldfields; discovery+gold+Australia

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Women on the Goldfields Lesson Focus:

You will learn about the role of women on the goldfields and explore family life.

Keywords:

majority, dominated, established, contribution, nonexistent

Most reports on the Australian goldrushes focus on the roles of men. Indeed, males did form the majority of the population on most goldfields; however, women played an important part in many ways. One reason for the lack of information in this area is that society in those times was largely male-dominated and women were thought ‘to have their place’—which was to support their husband and raise a family.

gold rushes, over one-quarter of deaths were children under 12 months of age.

Due to a lack of supplies, a woman was required to make things such as candles, butter, jam, bread and soap, as well as to repair clothes and tents regularly. These tasks were in addition to normal washing, ironing, cooking and cleaning tasks—as well as helping out on the claim!

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Other women came to work at the goldfields in businesses and hotels. This group included ‘fallen angels’ (prostitutes). Despite all the hardship, women made major contributions to life on the goldfields. It was their influence and hard work that saw improvements in housing, health, education, law and order and life in general. This is largely an unrecorded contribution in history but a major one in the development of communities on the goldfields.

Conditions were extremely harsh, with cramped living quarters and a lack of food and drinking water. Due to the lack of medical assistance, many women died in childbirth and from other diseases such as measles and scarlet fever. In the early days of the Victorian

© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons Compare women in today’s society with women on the goldfields.

•f orr evi e w pur poseso nl y• Today Goldfields

Use the information about women on the goldfields to complete the following.

1.

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Teac he r

Despite this attitude, many women played important roles on the goldfields. After the men had established claims, many women travelled to the fields to join them. They would work a claim alongside their husbands and there are also records showing women who worked their own claims. Even though women worked the claims, they did not have the right to vote as the men did.

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Role

Work

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Chores

Income

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Family

Rights

2.

Do you think women have a ‘better’ life today than they did on the goldfields? Explain.

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3.

Why do you think women wanted to join their husbands on the goldfields and live in such harsh conditions?

4.

Draw a woman completing a typical task for her day.

Woman from today

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Teac he r

Woman from the goldfields

Family Life on the Goldfields

educated by his or her mother and helping on the plot.

Families were not common on the goldfields as early prospectors left them behind to search for gold. They always promised to send for their families once they had achieved success. As the work on the goldfield became more long term, the women would bring their children and join their husbands.

The days were long and family time was short. The men, after a long day in the field, would often go to the ‘sly-grog’ tents to be with their mates, dance, drink and be merry. They would generally only go home to sleep.

© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

The tent would be made to look more like a home and the wife would spend her day doing household duties, teaching their children to read and write and helping her husband on their plot.

5.

6.

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Education in schools was nonexistent on the goldfields and the child’s day was spent being

Do you think the men sent for their families if they were not successful on the fields? Explain.

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Sunday was observed as a day of rest and most people spent the day catching up on chores and other duties. Families didn’t really spend time together as we might expect them to do today.

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Would you like to have been a child on the goldfields? Why/Why not?

Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

Discuss how the roles of women, children and the family in general have changed since times on the goldfields.

1. Draw up a timetable of what you and your family might do on a typical weekend. Create a timetable of what a family on the goldfields might do on their weekend. Compare the two.

Women on the goldfields; life on the goldfields

2. Make a list of all the things you like to do with your family.

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Mining and the Environment Lesson Focus:

You will learn about the impact of mining on the environment and the steps which are now being taken to ensure the environment is protected.

Keywords:

plundered, residue, felled, stringent, restoration, ecosystem, biodiversity involves deciding what the future use of the land will be—as a wetland, for tree farming, grazing or perhaps natural restoration. Mining companies now discuss and sign agreements with local Aboriginal communities outlining how an area is to be restored after mining is complete.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Throughout the mining process, teams of biologists are responsible for researching and monitoring the effect of the mine on the environment. They must ensure that the ecosystem of the area is kept in balance. The mine is also strictly monitored for any chemicals dispersed into the air, lakes and streams.

Any dangerous chemicals which are used in the mining process must be disposed of correctly under very strict supervision.

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Teac he r

In the early days of mining, prospectors plundered the land without any regard for the future in their quest for wealth. Alluvial miners would dig up the countryside, collect as much gold as they could find, muddy-up the waters and then move on to a new area to continue mining. Deep-reef miners would dig their shafts, removing trees in the area to support their tunnels, clear the shaft of gold, leave large piles of ‘mullock’ (the waste rock from the shaft) and move on to a new area, without even filling in the hole.

Many animals and people fell down shafts that had been left open. Cyanide (a deadly poison), which was used to separate the gold from the rock, produced a fine powder. This fine powder, containing the residue of cyanide, was left behind. When it rained, the cyanide was washed into nearby rivers, polluting the water and killing the wildlife. Many trees were felled in the process of early mining—used to hold up the miners’ tents, to support the shafts and for fuel. This process devastated many areas and reduced the amount of trees in any given area.

After the mining of an area is complete, a team moves in to begin the restoration process. Anything to do with the mining of the land is removed, such as pegs used to mark out areas, plugging all holes which have been caused by drilling and taking away any plastic items. Plants are then brought in to be established.

As these plants become established, more fauna moves back into the area, often bringing with them new flora as well. The area is monitored for a set time to ensure its biodiversity is at a suitable level for sustainability.

© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

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Today, the government is much more stringent in enforcing policies to protect the environment as much as possible throughout the mining process. All mining companies are required to complete an Environmental Impact Statement before they are even allowed to begin work in an area. They must also prove to the government that they have the funds to complete the proposals in their Environmental Impact Statement. Part of this process

Use the information to complete these.

1.

(a)

(b) (c) 2.

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List three negative effects of mining on the environment.

o c . che e r o t r s super

After mining is finished, three ways land can be restored are … (a)

(b)

(c)

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3.

Explain why you think it is important for mining companies to include local Aboriginal communities in the decision-making process.

4.

List three reasons why mining companies should be responsible for restoring the land. (a)

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Teac he r

(b)

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(c)

5.

Most human activity affects the environment. Mining is one. List four others and explain their effect on the environment.

Activity

Effect on Environment

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6.

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© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

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State why you think it is so important to have laws to protect the environment.

Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

‘All mining should be stopped to preserve the environment.’ Discuss what you think about this statement. Consider the pros and cons.

Research to find how a mine, closest to your local area, has restored or intends to restore the environment after the mine is closed. Record the approaches they intend to use and write a report.

Include your suggestions for the type of flora and fauna which you believe should be returned to the area.

Australia+mining+environment

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r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

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Teac he r

Antarctica

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Gold Antarctica in Australia

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Where is Antarctica and What is it? — 1 Lesson Focus:

You will be able to locate Antarctica and understand its general geological features.

Keywords:

desert, factor, constellation, mass, barren

A QUIZ … WHAT AM I? I am actually a desert; I get about the same amount of rain as the Sahara Desert (less than 50 mm a year).

•

I hold 70 per cent of the earth’s fresh water and over 90 per cent of its ice.

•

If all my ice was to melt, it would raise the earth’s sea levels almost 70 metres.

Teac he r

•

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I am one of the windiest places, with coastal winds up to 300 km/h.

•

My lowest recorded temperatures in winter have reached –89°C … and that’s without the wind chill factor!

•

I lie mostly south of 60°S latitude.

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•

© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

I am, of course, Antarctica. My name comes from the Greek ‘Antarktikos’, which means ‘opposite the bear’. ‘Arktos’ is the Great Bear (or Big Dipper), the constellation of stars above the North Pole.

South Atlantic Ocean

Queen Maud Land

m . u East Antarctica

South Pole

x

Tra ns an ta r

Ross Sea

es il k

ins unta Mo

i

ice shelf

ic ct

ct

ca

W

Marie Byrd Land

Land

ice shelf

Amundsen Sea

AUSTRALIAN CLAIM

Victoria Land

South Pacific Ocean

0

Indian Ocean

400 km 800 km 1 200 km

About 98 per cent of my surface is covered in ice; the rest is just barren rock! I have no forests, no woods, no grasslands—not even a sandy beach. My ice averages 2.3 kilometres thick. But my thickest ice is over twice that, at about 4.8 kilometres. In fact, although I have mountain ranges that are almost the size of the North American Rocky Mountains, only the very tips show through the ice!

UNCLAIMED

BRITISH CLAIM ARGENTINE CLAIM

R.I.C. Publications

nins ul

o c . che e r o t r s super N FRENCH CLAIM

CHILEAN CLAIM

Chile

Weddell Sea

W

BRITISH CLAIM

Argentina

Pe

Gra h

NEW ZEALAND CLAIM

ARGENTINE CLAIM

ic

tar

NORWEGIAN CLAIM

rct

t An es

AUSTRALIAN CLAIM

ta

L am a n d

. te

An

a

w ww

I am a continent, and the fifth largest land mass on earth, being nearly 14 000 000 square kilometres in size. (That also makes me the second smallest continent, after Australia.)

2 000 km

Indian Ocean

South Orkney Islands

CHILEAN CLAIM

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Gold inAntarctica Australia

Use the information together with a dictionary to answer these.

What is … (a)

a desert?

(b)

the chill factor?

(c)

latitude?

(d)

a constellation?

(e)

2.

a continent?

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

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Teac he r

1.

Name the continents in order from largest to smallest.

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3.

(a)

(b) (c) 4.

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Write three differences between the Sahara Desert and Antarctica.

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C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

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When you think of Antarctica, what comes into your mind? Brainstorm the words below.

ANTARCTICA

Gold Antarctica in Australia

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5.

Compare Antarctica with your community.

Antarctica

My Community

Annual Rainfall Average Wind Speed Lowest Recorded Temperature

Longitude/Latitude Position Origin of Name

Area

Natural Features

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C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

On this map, shade the continent of Antarctica as well as the location of your community.

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6.

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Teac he r

Vegetation

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Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

1. Discuss what Antarctica means to you.

1. Research to find the constellation called the Big Dipper. Draw it. Research to find other constellations and draw them.

Antarctica, Big Dipper, continents

2. Describe Antarctica as if you were talking with an alien from another planet.

2. Write a list of the effects on the rest of the world which would be caused by the ice on Antarctica melting. What needs to be done to prevent this from happening?

R.I.C. Publications

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Antarctica

Where is Antarctica and What is it? — 2 Lesson Focus:

You will understand the difference between the Antarctic and the Arctic and learn more about the geography of Antarctica.

Keywords:

hemisphere, Pole, calved, drift, peninsula

We think of the Arctic and the Antarctic as being the same: cold, covered in ice, and one at each ‘end’ of the Earth. But in fact, there are many differences between the two, even though they are roughly the same size.

The Arctic

The Antarctic

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Located in the Southern Hemisphere, around the South Pole

Made up of sea covered by ice

Made up of land covered by ice

Has polar bears

Has no polar bears

Teac he r

Located in the Northern Hemisphere, around the North Pole

Summer: June/Winter: December

Summer: December/Winter: June

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The ice that covers Antarctica is made up of two thick sheets, the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (the larger) and the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (the smaller). They are separated by the Transantarctic Mountains. The other main feature is the Antarctic Peninsula, to the northwest.

Shelf is the largest and best known. It is about the same size as the entire state of Texas in the United States.

Icebergs are formed (or ‘calved’) when they break off from the main floating ice mass. Some of these can be huge—one was reported to be the same size as the country of Belgium in Europe! As they drift into warmer seas, they break into smaller icebergs and eventually melt.

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C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

On the edges of the continent are found floating masses of ice called ‘ice shelves’. The Ross Ice

South Atlantic Ocean

Indian Ocean

w ww Pe

Weddell Sea

. te a

nins ul

Gra h

L am a n d

ice shelf

o c . chex e r o t r s super East Antarctica

South Pole

W

ct

i

ca

South Pacific Ocean

ice shelf

ins unta Mo

tar

Amundsen Sea

Tra ns an ta r

ic ct

t An es

Marie Byrd Land

Land

ic

Ross Sea

es

rct

il k

ta

Queen Maud Land

W

An

m . u

South Orkney Islands

Victoria Land

Indian Ocean

N 0

Antarctica

Each winter, much of the sea around Antarctica freezes into ‘sea ice’, making the continent almost twice as big as in summer.

Powerful ships called ‘icebreakers’ are needed to force a way through the sea ice.

400 km 800 km 1 200 km

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Use the map to answer these.

1.

Antarctica is surrounded by three seas and three oceans. Name them.

Seas

2.

Oceans

(a)

(a)

(b)

(b)

(c)

(c)

Name the five land areas. (a) (b)

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Teac he r

(c)

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(d) (e) 3.

What natural feature separates the east from the west?

Use the text to answer these.

4.

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C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

Write three similarities between the Arctic and Antarctica. (a) (b) (c) What is …

(b)

(c)

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(a)

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5.

an ice sheet?

an ice shelf?

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an iceberg?

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Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

Discuss the use of icebreakers to break the sea ice. Do you think this could have a negative effect on Antarctica? Explain why or why not.

1. Try melting sheets of ice. Begin by floating a piece of ice in iced water, a piece of ice in cold water and a piece of ice in warm water. Observe the ice to see how slowly or quickly each piece of ice melts in the different temperatures.

Record your findings.

2. On a map of the world, shade Texas and Belgium to compare the sizes of the Ross Ice Shelf and the iceberg reported to be the size of Belgium. (The most interesting thing about icebergs is that you can only see one-tenth of the iceberg above the water, so imagine how big this iceberg actually was.)

Antarctica, the Arctic, Ross Ice Shelf, icebreakers, icebergs

R.I.C. Publications

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Antarctica

The Discovery of Antarctica Lesson Focus:

You will have a basic understanding of how and when Antarctica was discovered.

Keywords:

existed, reasoned, crossing, locate, magnetic, geographic

sighting in January, followed by a British officer, Edward Bransfield, in February, and an American sealer, Nathaniel Palmer, in November. However, it would be another 75 years before men would step foot on the main Antarctic continent. That landing, at Cape Adare, was by three men from the well-named ship, Antarctic.

The ancient Greeks, who gave Antarctica its name (Antarktikos—‘opposite the bear’), only imagined the great white land to the south. They had no way of knowing if it really existed because they couldn’t travel there. For hundreds of years, mapmakers drew a large make-believe land to the south, calling it ‘Terra Australis Incognita’ (‘The Unknown Southern Land’). They reasoned it had to be there to ‘balance’ the Earth and stop it from being ‘top-heavy’!

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

During the late 1830s, exploration teams set out to try to locate the South Magnetic Pole. This is the point where the Earth’s magnetic lines all meet and enter the Earth, and a compass needle will try to stand up and down!

Teac he r

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No-one will know for sure who was the first to discover Antarctica, but it is said that an explorer from the small nation of Raratonga sailed south and discovered a cold white land surrounded by frozen sea.

While the North Magnetic Pole had been located in 1831, it wasn’t until 1841 that the Englishman James Clark Ross sailed into what we now call the Ross Sea. From there, he was able to work out the approximate location of the South Magnetic Pole, even if he was unable to reach it. In 1908 a party that included the Australian, Douglas Mawson, finally raised a flag over the South Magnetic Pole. In 1911, the Norwegian, Roald Amundsen, became the first person to reach the South Geographic Pole.

The first recorded crossing of the Antarctic Circle (an imaginary line about 66.5° south of the equator) was

by Captain James Cook in 1773. However, he was never able to sail far enough south to actually sight Antarctica.

It wasn’t until 1820, however, that the first recorded sightings of the Antarctic continent were made—by three separate men in the same year! A Russian Admiral, Fabian von Bellinghausen, made the first

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C.Publ i cat i ons Magnetic •f orr eGeographic v i e w p u r p osesonl y• North Pole North Pole

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Antarctica

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Use the information to complete these.

1.

Fill in the correct details on this time line.

1773

2.

1820

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1841

1908

(a)

Roald Amundsen?

(b)

Captain James Cook?

(c)

Fabian von Bellinghausen?

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Teac he r

1830s

Who was …

© R. I .

C.Pu bl i cat i ons 3. The Greeks were pretty clever to think there must be a land mass in the south to balance the Earth. What do you •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• think would happen to the planet if there was no southern

4.

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1911

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land mass?

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(a)

Why do you think a compass needle tries to stand up and down when it is at the South Magnetic Pole?

(b)

Do you think it would do the same at the North Magnetic Pole? Explain.

Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

Discuss people’s fascination with Antarctica.

Include what it is about Antarctica that interests you.

1. Research to find the difference between a ‘geographic pole’ and a ‘magnetic pole’. Use any means (talk, diagrams, examples) to explain the differences to your classmates.

Antarctica and exploration and discovery; Amundsen, Bellinghausen, Mawson

2. The Geographic South Pole is actually moving.

Can you find out why? Share your findings with your class.

3. Select one of the men who made the first recorded sightings of Antarctica. Complete a brief profile and present to your class.

R.I.C. Publications

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Antarctica

Sir Douglas Mawson Lesson Focus:

You will learn about Douglas Mawson and his work in Antarctica.

Keywords:

engineering, geology, glaciers, expedition, crevasse, blizzard, trek

Although Douglas Mawson was born in England in 1882, he came to Australia with his family when he was just two years old.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

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Teac he r

By the time he went to school, people were aware he was very intelligent. In fact, he started at the University of Sydney when he was just 16, studying engineering and science. By 1905 he had been appointed as a lecturer at Adelaide University.

His study of rocks around the Flinders Ranges, caused by ancient glaciers, led him to dream about going to Antarctica, where glaciers still existed.

In 1908, his chance came when he joined an expedition led by British explorer Ernest Shackleton. He was part of the team that became the first to climb Mount Erebus (an active volcano) and the first to reach the South Magnetic Pole.

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C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

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m . u

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After this trip, he just knew he had to go back. And he did. In 1911 he led the very first Australian expedition to Antarctica, to explore and map more than 3 000 kilometres of the coastline. It was an amazing expedition. Money first had to be raised—some came from the Australian and British governments, some from State governments, and some from the Royal Geographical Society. But a large amount of money came direct from the Australian public.

a crevasse in the ice and was killed. Unfortunately, the tent, most of the food and the spare clothing went with him. Mawson and the remaining team member, Dr Mertz, began the trek back—more than 500 kilometres. Dr Mertz became very ill and died, still 160 kilometres from the main base, but Mawson managed to drag himself on to safety, although starving and badly frostbitten. He arrived back at camp in time to see the Aurora disappear over the horizon. With the six others who had stayed on at the main base to search for him, Mawson had to wait until December 1913 until the ship could return and take them back to Australia.

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He chose a team of scientists from universities in both Australia and New Zealand. The ship that was to carry them on their voyage was named the Aurora. Originally built in Scotland, the Aurora had been part of the Canadian sealing fleet. Powered by steam and sail, the ship was built very strongly, with a reinforced wooden hull and steel armour on the bow.

Aboard the Aurora, the expedition left Hobart on 2 December 1911. They first sailed through 1 500 kilometres of ice and a full gale to reach Antarctica.

There they had to build their ‘home’ on the ice—a hut they called ‘Home of the Blizzard’, because of the winds. In May 1912, for example, the wind averaged 100 km/h every day of the month.

In 1914, he was made Sir Douglas Mawson for his contribution to the scientific understanding of Antarctica, as well as for his courage and great leadership.

In 1929 and 1931, Mawson made two more trips to the land he loved so much. Back in Australia, he finished his working life as Professor of Geology at the University of Adelaide. Sir Douglas Mawson died in 1958. A portrait of this courageous man was printed on the Australian $100 note.

When the weather permitted, teams were sent out to investigate and map the ice. In November 1912, Mawson and two others set out on an expedition. But it was to be a tragedy. One of his team fell down Antarctica

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Use the text to answer these.

1.

2.

What was Douglas Mawson’s … (a)

dream?

(b)

nationality?

(c)

vessel?

(d)

claim to fame?

(e)

final profession?

died?

(b)

mapped part of Antarctica’s coastline?

(c)

climbed Mount Erebus?

(d)

made two more trips back to Antarctica?

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Teac he r

(a)

3.

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How old was Douglas Mawson when he …

Douglas Mawson wanted to travel to Antarctica. What led him to this?

© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons Use an atlas to help you with these.

•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• 5. On the map, show: (a) the Flinders Ranges

m . u

Australia

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(b) Mount Erebus

(c) South Magnetic Pole (d) Adelaide (e) Sydney

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Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

1. Discuss the strength of character required to do what Sir Douglas Mawson did in his lifetime.

1. Write a report card on Sir Douglas Mawson.

Sir Douglas Mawson, Antarctic exploration

2. Discuss your goals, dreams and interests.

Where do you hope they will take you one day?

R.I.C. Publications

2. Present a news report (either oral or written) to the class reporting on Sir Douglas Mawson’s return after the death of his team members.

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Antarctica

The Animals—Penguins Lesson Focus:

You will learn about some of the penguins of Antarctica.

Keywords:

modified, blubber, frigid, rookeries, incubate, hatch, krill, Adelie, Emperor

Unlike the Arctic, no large animals live permanently on Antarctica.

Most of the land animals are insects, although there are also tiny, single-celled animals that you need a microscope to see. Other land animals are more like visitors, returning on an annual basis.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

With their streamlined bodies, penguins are very efficient underwater swimmers. They cruise underwater at about 8 km/h, though if they are chasing food—or being chased—they can reach 12 km/h in short bursts. When they are in a hurry, they will leap clear of the water every few metres. This action is called ‘porpoising’, and it allows them to take a new breath of air very quickly.

This is handy if they are being chased by a predator! But it’s a different picture on land. Because of their short legs, penguins are awkward walkers, waddling along. On ice, they often find it easier to lie on their stomachs and push themselves along. The Rockhopper penguin, however, travels by jumping athletically from rock to rock.

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Teac he r

Mention Antarctica and most people will immediately think of penguins. But there’s more than just one kind—in fact, there are at least 17 species of penguins to be found. Penguins can’t fly, even though they are birds. Once upon a time it is thought their wings were larger and they actually did fly—but that was some 50 000 000 years ago. Today, they spend up to 75% of their lives in the water, coming onto the land or ice to breed. In the water, their modified wings act like flippers and their feet and tails are used to steer. Short, thick feathers, which are packed very closely together, and a layer of blubber (fat) help to keep them warm in the frigid conditions. Unlike flying birds, which have light hollow bones, penguins’ bones are solid and heavy. Why? To help them to dive underwater for their food.

Emperor Penguin

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C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

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Penguins breed in large colonies called ‘rookeries’. They take turns to keep their eggs warm, by holding them on their feet above the ice and settling their warm, fat stomach over them! Once the chicks are hatched, the parents take turns in feeding them and keeping them warm until they are old enough to join other chicks in a sort of ‘day care’ centre, while their parents hunt for food. Penguins eat fish, squid and small crustaceans called krill—a type of mini-prawn.

The most common penguin, and the one everyone thinks of, is the Adelie penguin (pronounced ah-day-lee). Scientists estimate there are as many as 5 000 000 of these cute little creatures in Antarctica.

Adelies make ‘nests’ in the rocks in which to lay their eggs. One of their favourite tricks is to steal pebbles from the nest beside them— as long as the owner isn’t looking! The male looks after the eggs for the first few days. After that, they take turns until the eggs hatch. On land, large seabirds such as the skua attempt to steal the Adelie’s eggs. In the sea, their main enemy is the leopard seal.

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Another famous type, and the largest of the species, are the Emperor penguins. These can stand up to 130 cm tall and may weigh around 33 kg. They are incredible divers, and have been recorded diving to 450 metres and staying there for almost 20 minutes! Unlike the other penguins, they lay their eggs during the cold winter months. The male Emperor incubates the egg while the female is at sea, hunting. Once the chick is hatched, the female returns and takes over and the male can have his first meal in nine weeks!

By the way, if you see pictures of Santa Claus with penguins, just remember—there are no penguins at the North Pole!

Rockhopper Penguin Antarctica

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Use the text to answer these.

1.

How does a penguin … (a)

keep warm?

(b)

swim?

(c)

incubate its eggs?

2.

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‘Locomotion’ is how something moves. Explain the locomotion of penguins: in the sea

(b)

on land

(c)

in the snow

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C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

4.

List the words or phrases which tell you that penguin societies work together.

5.

Tick true or false.

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What characteristics do penguins have which help them to survive in Antarctica?

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3.

6.

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Teac he r

(a)

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(a)

Adelie penguins can grow to 130 cm in height.

True

False

(b)

Emperor penguins are the most common.

True

False

(c)

Penguins spend approximately 25% of their life on land.

True

False

(d)

Penguins are not birds because they can not fly.

True

False

(e)

Penguins also live in the Arctic.

True

False

Write six words you would use to describe a penguin.

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Antarctica

Use the Internet address <http://www.terraquest.com/va/science/penguins/penguins.html> to answer these questions.

7.

Complete this table.

8.

Height Weight

Distinguishing Features

Colouring

Main Breeding Areas

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Draw and correctly colour your favourite penguin. Explain why it is your favourite.

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Teac he r

Name of Penguin

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C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

The penguin is considered to be the mascot for Antarctica. Design a logo for Antarctica which incorporates its mascot.

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Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

1. Discuss what human society could learn from observing penguin societies.

Select one penguin and write a report. Present your penguin report to the class in any chosen format. It could be a magazine article, news report or television report/documentary.

penguins, Antarctica, wildlife, Adelie, penguin and Emperor

2. Discuss the role of penguins in Antarctica.

Antarctica

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The Animals—Seals Lesson Focus:

You will learn about the seals of Antarctica.

Keywords:

ferocious, warm-blooded, sonar, predators, extinction

sharp teeth are specially adapted to catching and tearing their prey.

The Fur Seal is the only seal which has external ears.

It is also aggressive and considered dangerous to humans. Fur seals were hunted by British and American sealers for their skins; at one time in the 1800s, approximately 80 000 seals were killed each year.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Seals are mammals, which means they are warmblooded and feed their young on milk from the mother. To keep warm in the icy conditions, seals have a thick layer of blubber beneath their skin. Seals eat a wide variety of food, from squid, to fish, to shellfish and penguins. Although they look clumsy on land, seals are excellent swimmers, and some can dive to great depths—up to 400 metres—in search of food. They locate their food by using inbuilt sonar, like dolphins, bouncing soundwaves off their target.

They also have large eyes, which help them to see in the dark depths of the ocean.

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Teac he r

Southern Elephant Seal

Because Antarctic seals have no natural land predators, their pups are born with dark fur. In the Arctic, seal pups are born with white fur, so they can hide in the snow and ice from Polar bears. However, even Antarctic seals have some predators; namely, humans and killer whales (Orca). Killer whales have been known to leap out of the water and drag off unsuspecting seals from the edge of the ice.

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C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

There are many different types of seals in Antarctica, but only one species—the Weddell seal—lives there all year round. The Weddell is probably the best known of the seals. It’s the one with the big, brown eyes, whiskers and a ‘smile’.

. te

But the biggest predator has been humans. People hunted seals for their fur, which was used in clothing.

Other seals were killed and their thick blubber melted down to make oil. This oil was used in oil lamps and for heating. In the 1800s, so many seals were killed that some species came close to extinction.

Fortunately, seals are now protected from hunting throughout Antarctica and their numbers are increasing.

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Crabeater seals somehow got the wrong name, because they don’t eat crabs. They eat mainly krill— the small, shrimp-like creatures—as well as small fish. They have special overlocking teeth which act as a strainer to filter the krill from the water. There are more Crabeater seals than any other type. Scientists estimate there are anywhere between 15 000 000 to 30 000 000 of them! Strangely enough, they are rarely seen on land, preferring to spend their time offshore on the pack ice.

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The largest of the seals is the well-named Southern Elephant seal. A fullygrown male may be 6 or 7 metres long and weigh 4 tonnes! The female is much smaller, perhaps only 25% of the size of the male. The males are also notable for having a large ‘nose’ (proboscis), which they can inflate during mating season.

Despite their size, their diet consists of fish and squid like most of their smaller relatives.

Not all seals are likeable, however. The Leopard seal is a ferocious hunter, constantly on the lookout for its favourite food—penguins—although they even eat other seals. A large male can weigh up to 350 kg and is considered dangerous to humans. Their long, R.I.C. Publications

Weddell Seal 94

Antarctica

Use the information to answer these questions.

1.

Brainstorm everything you know about seals, under the following headings.

2.

Food

Physical Characteristics

Predators

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

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Teac he r

Types

Answer yes or no. (Y is for yes, N is for no). (a)

All seals are likeable.

(b)

Arctic seals are born with black fur.

(c)

Antarctic seals have no natural land predators.

4.

What physical characteristics of seals make them suited to the Antarctic climate?

Antarctic seals are protected from hunters.

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5.

Explain in your own words what a predator is.

6.

What is the meaning of ‘extinction’?

7.

Write how you feel about people hunting seals for oil and fur.

Antarctica

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3.

© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons (e) Seals locate their food using dolphins.

•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Name four mammals mentioned in the text. (d)

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Antarctic

Antarctic

Arctic

Arctic

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

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9.

Where were these babies born?

Teac he r

8.

Seals were once hunted, almost to extinction. Develop a set of rules designed to protect the seals that live in Antarctica. Write them in order of importance. Provide a brief explanation why the rule is so important.

1.

4.

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3.

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5.

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2.

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Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

Discuss whether it is important or not to protect seals from humans.

1. Use the Internet to research your favourite Antarctic seal. Design a brochure which informs others about your seal. Remember to include its name, where it lives, what it eats, its special characteristics and what you like about it.

Seals by name; e.g. Weddell seal; Antarctic animals (or fauna)

2. Sonar is also called ‘echolocation’. Find out more about this and make a list of other animals that use this method to find their food.

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The Animals—Whales Lesson Focus:

You will learn about the whales of Antarctica.

Keywords:

ferocious, warm-blooded, sonar, predators, extinction

Like seals, some whales were hunted almost to extinction in the early 1900s—especially the Blue whale, Southern Right whale and the Humpback.

Today, whaling is heavily regulated and many of these beautiful creatures have been saved. As far as Antarctica goes, the entire sea around the continent has been made into an international whale sanctuary, where no commercial hunting is allowed at all.

However, some countries are still hunting whales in the sanctuary, claiming that it is for ‘scientific’ purposes.

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Despite looking like fish, whales are mammals, the same as humans. They breathe air, are warmblooded, and their young are born alive. Baby whales are fed on their mother’s milk, just the same as human babies—except they drink a lot more!

Blue Whale

The largest of the whales is the Blue Whale. It is also the largest animal ever to have lived on earth. Blue Whales up to 30 metres in length have been reported, and although a large whale may weigh 90 tonnes, some have been estimated at almost double that weight. Despite its huge size, Blue Whales feed almost totally on krill—tiny prawn-like animals just 2 to 3 centimetres long. They catch these by straining water through their giant mouths; the krill are trapped in special fringed plates called ‘baleen’. Blue whales are a declared endangered species right around the world. Before it was illegal to hunt them, it was estimated there might have been only 11 000 left!

While it is hard to get an accurate count because they travel great distances, it is believed their numbers are now increasing.

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Humpback whales are well known due to their habit of passing close to land in their migrations north and south. They feed on small fish and have a novel method of capturing them. First, they circle a school, venting air and making a ‘bubble net’. This forces the fish into a tight group. The whales then suddenly charge through the middle of the dense school of fish—with their mouths wide open!

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Sperm whales are the largest of the whales with proper teeth. They were once much sought after by whalers because of the large store of oil in their head.

They eat fish, octopuses and squid. Some whales show scars on their bodies from fighting with giant squid, which are only found at great depths. To reach them, a sperm whale can stay underwater on one breath for up to an hour and dive to a depth of two or even three kilometres; deeper than a modern military submarine can go!

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Probably the best known of the toothed whales is the so-called ‘Killer’ whale, or Orca. Compared to the other whales, Orca is quite small, generally only up to eight metres in length. But they are extremely intelligent and very well-organised hunters. Though their diet is, generally, fish and squid, they also attack their larger cousins. To do this, they hunt in packs, not unlike the way wild dogs in Africa will hunt down much larger prey.

All Antarctic whales are summer ‘tourists’. They travel to Antarctica to feed in the immensely food-rich oceans and seas, before returning north once more to breed in the warmer waters of the subtropics.

Whale watching has become an extremely popular tourist attraction, with boats taking people out to see the whales’ annual migration. Strict rules are in place to make sure these magnificent creatures are not harmed or disturbed by the whale watchers.

Humpback Whale

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Use the text to answer these.

3.

Answer fact or opinion.

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(a)

Whales migrate on an annual basis.

(b)

Baby whales are like human babies.

(c)

Whales are warm-blooded.

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2.

Name these whales.

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1.

© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Whales travel from the subtropics to the polar regions every year. On the map below, shade these areas.

(d)

The oceans of Antarctica are a rich food source.

(e)

Whales breed in the Antarctic oceans.

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ARCTIC CIRCLE

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EQUATOR

TROPIC OF CAPRICORN

ANTARCTIC CIRCLE

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4.

Whale hunting is monitored by the International Whaling Commission. This group is made up of former and current whaling nations. (a)

Explain why you think it is important to have the International Whaling Commission.

(b)

What do you think would happen if this group did not exist?

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5.

Which three whales were nearly hunted to extinction earlier this century?

6.

Sort the Antarctic whales from the information provided on the website.

ANTARCTIC WHALES

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Use the Internet site <http://www.terraquest.com/va/science/whales/whales.html> to complete these questions.

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Rorqual Whales

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Right Whales

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Select one whale from each group and complete the table below.

Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

Discuss your view about some countries hunting whales for ‘scientific’ purposes. Support your ideas for or against.

Research to find out more about the IWC and its regulations. Present your findings in the form of a report.

Whales by name

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Antarctic Bases Lesson Focus:

You will learn about the main scientific bases in Antarctica.

Keywords:

indigenous, research, flora, atmospheric, contamination, recreation

Australia

South Africa

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FRENCH CLAIM

BRITISH CLAIM

AUSTRALIAN CLAIM

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AUSTRALIAN CLAIM

New Zealand

NORWEGIAN CLAIM NEW ZEALAND CLAIM BRITISH CLAIM ARGENTINE CLAIM

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CHILEAN CLAIM

ARGENTINE CLAIM

2 000 km

CHILEAN CLAIM

Chile

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Antarctica has no indigenous population, and no-one lives there permanently. However, there are some 100 research stations which have people living there either year round or for part of the year. The most popular part of the year is summer (when weather conditions are not as severe). Then, Antarctica has a population of about 4 000 people representing almost 30 different countries. In the unfriendly winter months, the population drops to about 1 000. There are also about another 1 000 scientists and crew on board research ships in the waters around Antarctica.

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What do they do?

lie in Australian Antarctic Territory, an area of almost six million square kilometres (about 42% of Antarctica) which has been claimed by Australia.

Of the three, Mawson is the oldest; on 13 February 2004, it will celebrate its 50th birthday! Of course, the station has grown in size since its beginning, and new buildings have been erected to cater for increased numbers of scientists.

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There are many areas being researched by scientists in Antarctica. Some of these include: weather; the hole in the ozone layer (which is over Antarctica); world pollution; fisheries; whales; other Antarctic animals; flora; general exploration; deep-ice drilling; seismological (earthquakes) studies; general atmospheric research.

Because Antarctica is one of the world’s most unspoilt regions, everything feasible is done to ensure that as little human pollution or contamination of the continent as possible takes place. Everything that is taken in is carted out again—no rubbish is dumped anywhere.

While in the past, huskies may have been used by explorers, these days no non-native animals are allowed on the bases or anywhere else.

Conditions are more comfortable than in the past, but living in an Antarctic base can still be difficult. To help make life easier, bases now have recreational facilities for their staff, such as videotapes, gymnasiums, sports equipment, Internet access— and some even have their own TV station!

Does Australia have any bases?

In Antarctica itself, Australia has three permanent bases: Mawson, Davis and Casey. These stations R.I.C. Publications

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Use the information to answer these.

1.

(a)

research stations does Australia have on Antarctica?

(b)

research stations are there altogether on Antarctica?

(c)

people live there in December?

(d)

scientists and crew are on board research ships?

(e)

countries are represented on Antarctica?

(f)

people live there in July?

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Name the Australian bases on Antarctica.

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2.

How many …

If the oldest Australian station is 50 in 2004, when was it first established?

4.

Select three areas of research studied on Antarctica and give your own explanation of why you think each is an important area of research. (a)

Area of Research: Why it is important:

(b)

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Why it is important:

Why it is important:

5.

6.

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(a)

Why do you think Australia has claimed such a large portion of Antarctica?

(b)

Do you think it is fair for Australia to have so much? Explain.

Explain, in your own words, the importance of recreational facilities on Antarctic bases.

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Why do you think non-native animals are not allowed on Antarctica?

8.

Use the scale to shade the area of Antarctica on this map of Australia.

Remember: Australia’s area is approximately 7 682 000 km2.

9.

Approximately, what proportion of Australia has been shaded?

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7.

Use an atlas to help you with these.

10.

Write the approximate longitude and latitude for the Australian bases.

Longitude

(a)

Mawson

(b)

Davis

(c)

Casey

Latitude

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(b) (c)

Heard Island

Latitude

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Use a dictionary to help you with these.

1.

What type of scientist studies … (a)

flora?

(b)

weather?

(c)

earthquakes?

(d)

fisheries?

Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

1. Discuss the importance of ensuring little or no contamination of Antarctica takes place. What types of things need to be taken into consideration?

Research and complete a profile on Mawson, Davis or Casey. Who were they? What did they do?

Where did they come from? Why did they travel to Antarctica? What is their claim to fame?

Bases by name

2. Discuss why and how human interaction with Antarctica has changed. What has influenced these changes?

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The Environment You will be introduced to the main environmental issues concerning Antarctica.

Keywords:

unspoilt, habitation, environment, treaty, hazardous, impact

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Lesson Focus:

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this agreement was followed, all members who signed it agreed to let international observers inspect their research stations at any time. More than 40 countries have signed the Treaty.

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• Whales and seals have been hunted ruthlessly in the past—almost to the point of extinction in some cases.

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• Rubbish dumps were used, until the present

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systems were put into place.

• No concern was paid to the environment when locating buildings or runways for aircraft.

• Fuel and oil spills and chemical contamination

The protocol also formalised the rules for disposing of waste:

• Waste which can be burnt safely may be burnt

were accepted as ‘accidents’ that would happen.

Scientists soon discovered, however, that whatever happened in Antarctica could have an effect on life in the rest of the world. In the same way, whatever happened in the rest of the world could affect Antarctica, such as the formation of the hole in the ozone layer.

In 1959, countries from around the world came together to write and sign an agreement called the Antarctic Treaty. This treaty formally made Antarctica an area of peaceful scientific research only, where military and nuclear activity is prohibited. To ensure Antarctica

In 1991, another agreement called the Madrid Protocol was signed. This banned mining for 50 years and offered much greater protection to Antarctica, listing many ‘rules’ to protect its natural environment as well as the flora and fauna. Before any development or research can take place, a written ‘environmental impact statement’ must be prepared, which shows how harmful effects on Antarctica will be minimised.

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However, people actually had quite a bad impact on the natural environment.

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in a high-temperature incinerator; the ashes have to be transported out of Antarctica.

Anything non-burnable, recyclable or hazardous (such as chemicals, old batteries etc.) must be taken away. ‘Safe’ domestic liquids (shower water, sewage) may be treated and then pumped into the ocean.

Tourists are also a concern, because research shows that they have a great impact on natural environments if not controlled. With some 10 000 tourists already visiting Antarctica each year, guidelines have been put in place to ensure the natural environment suffers as little as possible.

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Use the information on the previous page and your knowledge to answer these questions.

1.

(a)

Why was it important to protect the whales and seals?

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Why was this such an important step?

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C.Publ i cat i ons Yes No •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Explain your response.

Is it acceptable that ‘fuel and oil spills and chemical contamination’ were regarded as ‘accidents’ that would happen?

(b)

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(b)

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(b)

What has been done to protect whales and seals from hunters?

What has been done to reduce rubbish disposal on Antarctica?

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2.

(a)

Discuss this issue with others in your class. What were the general feelings towards this issue?

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Fuel and oil spills and chemical contamination were accepted as 'accidents' that would happen.

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4.

The Antarctic Treaty is a unique agreement among a number of nations.

Research, using <http://www.terraquest.com/va/history/treaty.html> to list six nations involved.

5.

(a)

How many articles make up the Treaty?

(b)

Rank the three that you think are the most important. (i) (ii) (iii)

How does the Treaty protect the native flora and fauna of Antarctica?

7.

In your opinion, does the Treaty go far enough to protect Antarctica? Explain.

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6.

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C.Publ i cat i ons Using <http://www.terraquest.com/va/ecology/ecology.html>, list and briefly describe the three ecological issues •thef orregion. r evi ew pur posesonl y• surrounding Antarctic

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Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

‘All tourism should cease to protect Antarctica.’

Discuss this statement. Is this a suitable solution?

1. Select one issue surrounding Antarctica.

Design and develop a poster which alerts the general public to the issue and informs them how they can help.

Antarctica environment; Antarctic treaty, Greenpeace, Madrid Protocol

2. Greenpeace is actively involved in a number of projects to help Antarctica. View the website <http://www.greenpeace.org/> and develop a pamphlet informing others about Greenpeace and its role.

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Antarctica—Did You Know?

You will learn some amazing facts about Antarctica.

Keywords:

glacier, krill, antifreeze, fossil, icebreaker

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Lesson Focus:

There is so much fascinating and unusual information about Antarctica it is impossible to cover it all. However, here are some of the more interesting facts about this amazing continent.

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• Lambert Glacier, found in the Australian Antarctic

Territory, is the world’s largest glacier; it is about 40 kilometres wide and 400 kilometres long. (A glacier may be thought of as a ‘river of ice’.)

• Some people are convinced that in 1956 an

• Australia has its own icebreaker, Aurora Australis.

American, Admiral Richard Byrd, flew over the South Pole and discovered a land with subtropical vegetation, rivers and lakes. They believe that this secret land has been kept from the public by the world’s governments.

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Icebreakers don’t smash their way through the ice; they break it by riding up on top and then breaking down through the ice with their own weight. They have a specially strengthened and shaped bow to do this.

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fuel left! But these were not the first motorised vehicles in Antarctica—in 1907 Ernest Shackleton took a motorcar to Antarctica! They built a ‘garage’ for it from old packing cases.

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• To stop themselves freezing solid, some Antarctic

• The average temperature in Antarctica is never

fish have ‘antifreeze’ chemicals in their bloodstream.

above freezing point, even in summer.

• In 1973, Donna Muchmore and E Nan Scott were

• In 1908, New Zealand produced the first postage

the first women to go to Antarctica for scientific research.

stamp ever made specially for use in the Antarctic.

It was used on mail sent by members of the Shackleton Antarctic expedition.

• A dinosaur fossil was discovered on Vega Island, • Since the 1970s, over 5 000 000 tonnes of krill have been harvested from the oceans. Krill is used for human food, as animal feed, and for feeding fish on fish farms. Scientists estimate, however, that there could be as much as 500 000 000 tonnes of krill in the oceans.

just off the Antarctic Peninsula. At some time, many millions of years in the past, Antarctica must have been covered with plants, which is what this dinosaur ate.

• Antarctica’s annual precipitation is about 5 cm— this is less than the Sahara Desert!

• The first wheeled vehicles to arrive at the South Pole were tractors. In 1957, Sir Edmund Hillary reached the South Pole in his specially-adapted tractors. When he arrived, they had only 90 litres of R.I.C. Publications

• The dry valleys of Antarctica are believed to have not received rain for approximately 1 million years.

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Antarctica

Use the facts to complete this quiz.

Which country produced the first postage stamp for Antarctica?

2.

How many tonnes of krill are thought to be in the Antarctic ocean?

3.

What chemical do some Antarctic fish have in their bloodstream?

4.

Which glacier is found in the Australian Antarctic Territory?

5.

In which year did the first women travel to Antarctica?

6.

Who took the first motorcar to Antarctica?

7.

In which year was the first Antarctic postage stamp developed?

8.

Where is Vega Island?

9.

What was used to build a garage for the first car on Antarctica?

10.

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What is used to break the ice?

Use the information on the previous page and your knowledge to answer these.

11.

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1.

Do you think it is possible for Admiral Richard Byrd to have seen land with subtropical vegetation near the South Pole?

Explain your answer.

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13.

Do you think it is okay to keep harvesting krill from the Antarctic Oceans? Why/Why not?

14.

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Why do you think it took so long for women to travel to the Antarctic region for scientific purposes?

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Design your own postage stamp for use on Antarctica.

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15.

(a)

Make your own list of 10 key facts you think people should know about Antarctica.

1 2 3 4 5 6 8 10

(b)

Why did you choose these facts? What makes them important to you?

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What were the two most interesting things you have learnt about Antarctica? Explain why you thought them to be interesting. (a)

(b)

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Topics for Discussion/Debate

Additional Activities

Search Engine Keywords

Complete this sentence: ‘I would like to preserve Antarctica because …’ Discuss this with your classmates and explain your choice.

Create a class-size time line which spans the time of human interaction on Antarctica. Include any special events (positive or negative) that have taken place. Everyone in your class should contribute something to the time line.

Antarctica did you know; Antarctica interesting facts; try www.theice.org

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