The Settlement of Victoria
A Year 5 AusVELS: History Unit
S.T. Gill, Surveyors, in The Australian Sketchbook, Hamel & Ferguson (1864), Gold Museum Collection
Sovereign Hill Education 2012
Classroom Activities
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
2
Contents
The Settlement of Victoria ...................................................................................................................... 1
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 4
Navigator................................................................................................................................................. 5
The Research Project ........................................................................................................................... 6
Classroom Activities ................................................................................................................................ 7
Early Settlement of Victoria ................................................................................................................ 7
Sullivans Bay Settlement and The story of William Buckley ........................................................... 8
John Batman – Hero or Villain?..................................................................................................... 10
Map Analysis ................................................................................................................................. 12
Emigration ..................................................................................................................................... 13
The Gold Rushes ................................................................................................................................ 14
Shared Reading ............................................................................................................................. 15
Population Growth and Graphs .................................................................................................... 16
Goldfields Life: Who Said That? .................................................................................................... 17
The Ballarat Goldfields Diary......................................................................................................... 18
Sovereign Hill Excursion .................................................................................................................... 19
Gold Fever!.................................................................................................................................... 20
Put Yourself in the Eureka Story ................................................................................................... 21
The Good Life? .............................................................................................................................. 22
Sovereign Hill Favourites............................................................................................................... 23
After the Gold Rushes........................................................................................................................ 24
The Governors of Victoria ............................................................................................................. 25
John Scott’s Selection ................................................................................................................... 26
Bush Poets and Artists .................................................................................................................. 27
Victoria: The Lucky Country? ........................................................................................................ 29
Student Resources ................................................................................................................................ 30
William Buckley Research Race......................................................................................................... 31
William Buckley: The Wild White Man Evidence Map ...................................................................... 32
John Batman- Hero or Villain? .......................................................................................................... 34
Ideas Organiser ................................................................................................................................. 34
Batman’s Treaty Picture Analysis...................................................................................................... 35
Emigration......................................................................................................................................... 36
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
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Leaving Home.................................................................................................................................... 36
The Emigrant’s Departure: What is going on? .................................................................................. 37
Victorian Population ......................................................................................................................... 38
Who Said That? ................................................................................................................................. 39
Think, Wink, Decide Instructions ....................................................................................................... 45
THINK ................................................................................................................................................ 47
WINK ................................................................................................................................................. 47
Blank Timeline ................................................................................................................................... 48
John Scott’s Selection at Narmbool................................................................................................... 49
Mounted Constable’s Report. ........................................................................................................... 50
Research Project................................................................................................................................ 52
Research Project Ideas ...................................................................................................................... 53
Research Project Assessment Rubric ................................................................................................. 54
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
4
Introduction
Process
This unit provides a variety of teaching and learning activities to develop an interest in the topic of
the settlement of Victoria and develop history skills as prescribed in Level 5 AusVELS. The initial
activities will equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to undertake a major research
project investigating the role of a significant individual or group in shaping Victoria. The Teacher
Navigator section provides some suggestions about possible classroom organisation of the activities.
Personal Learning Agenda
All content and skill areas are covered in these activities but, in pursuing a personalised learning
agenda, teachers might allow students to make choices of which activities they complete. Teachers
might provide a rubric for students to tick off AusVELS content and skills as each activity is
completed. While the research project should be a compulsory part of the study (covering the
content of famous people and demonstrating skill development) teachers may choose other
activities as compulsory in order to develop skills within the class. Teachers should also carefully
guide students to activities they feel will extend individual students. The Teacher Navigator section
provides some suggestions about possible classroom organisation of the activities.
Ongoing Activities
Shared Reading
Ongoing timeline. As students complete individual activities, it is important that they share their
discoveries with the rest of the class. A good way to do this is to create a timeline that is filled in as
the unit progresses. This can be either a class timeline on the wall or an ongoing project for each
student. The task involves deciding and explaining the major point/event/occurrence for each
activity and describing it in a label form. This précising of information is an excellent way to
encourage students to analyse and synthesise, condense and distil information.
Assessment
Creating student digital portfolios in Evernote http://vimeo.com/42066807
Students have a page in Evernote for each Historical Knowledge and Historical Skill. They make
notes, recordings and paste examples of their work to show they have developed the knowledge /
skill. They share this with their teacher who can check their progress at each knowledge and skill
standard.
The major project also becomes a major assessment task being the culmination of the skills students
have developed. A sample assessment rubric is provided.
Research websites
A Diigo bookmarking website provides an annotated bibliography of websites to help with
student research in this kit. Teachers and students are invited to add their own bookmarks
to help others. http://groups.diigo.com/group/settlement-of-victoria-kit
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
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Navigator Work with your teacher to make choices about which activities are right for you.
Early Settlement of Victoria
The Gold Rushes
Sovereign Hill Excursion
After the Gold Rushes
Sullivans Bay Settlement
and The story of William
Buckley
The exciting story of the first,
doomed official settlement
of Port Philip and an escaped
convict
Shared Reading
John Batman – Hero or
Villain?
Map Analysis
Emigration
Batman signed a ‘deed’ with
the Wurrundjeri people – but
was he stealing their land?
Two interesting maps have a
lot to tell us about the
settlement of the Port Phillip
district
Goldfields Life: Who Said
That?
Explore the tale of one
family leaving home and
those they left behind.
Share some great stories of
goldfields life and Eureka.
Join the ‘rush’ to One Eye
Gully to experience the joys
and frustrations of diggers,
troopers and gold buyers
How many people really
came to the gold rushes?
What is the best way to
show this?
Put Yourself in the Eureka
Story
Dress up as characters in the
Eureka story and take photos
to retell the fascinating story
of Eureka.
The Governors of Victoria
John Scott’s Selection
Research the web to make a
timeline of our Governors
Try to decipher a real
primary source document to
find out how a selector
changed his land
Gold Fever!
Population Growth and
Graphs
You have to match the
heading to the words to find
out Who Said That?
The Good Life?
Was the goldfields
experience good for
everyone? Make a short
audio visual show to tell a
different story.
Bush Poets and Artists
Explore how Banjo Patterson
and Henry Lawson argued in
poetry about bush life for
selectors and how artists
viewed the bush
The Ballarat Goldfields Diary
What happened when the
Bengal tiger escaped in Main
Road? Listen to excerpts
from a real goldfields diary
then interview the author
Sovereign Hill Favourites
Create your own short movie
about your favourite part of
Sovereign Hill
Victoria: The Lucky
Country?
Winners are grinners!
Compare photos of Thomas
Austin’s mansion with a part
of Ned Kelly’s Jerilderie
letter.
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
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The Research Project
The Research Project is designed to cover the AusVELS content of The role that a significant individual or group played in shaping a colony; for
example, explorers, farmers, entrepreneurs, artists, writers, humanitarians, religious and political leaders, and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait
Islander peoples. In doing so, students should demonstrate the skills developed in the initial activities. Students are asked to develop a list of questions to
define their topic, find relevant sources of information (particularly primary sources) , analyse their information and present it in a relevant manner
A sample assessment rubric is provided but teachers may wish to edit this to suit their own needs.
Project Presentation Idea: A Museum Display
In order to create an authentic reason and audience for student work, the project may culminate in a class museum display. Set up the classroom as a
museum to display student project work and invite the school community to view it. Museum exhibits are very different to long-winded projects. By their
very nature they are visual and use short, precise, easy to read language. Modern technologies are also a feature of museums whether they be iPads that
allow visitors to find out more, or short movies or audio presentations and guided tours.
Developing museum exhibits has a number of benefits for students
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A wide, authentic audience is defined for communication – the school community ranges from early years to parents and grandparents.
Students practice the difficult skill of summarising – students must analyse and evaluate information to distil it into its salient points
Writing is decreased
Creativity is encouraged
ICT skills are encouraged
If students are to be guides, they develop an understanding of all the projects and content covered.
Student work is celebrated
Visitors might be asked to evaluate displays, giving students authentic feedback.
Research Resources
A Diigo bookmarking website provides an annotated bibliography of websites to help with student research in this kit. Teachers and students
are invited to add their own bookmarks to help others. http://groups.diigo.com/group/settlement-of-victoria-kit
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
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Classroom Activities
Early Settlement of Victoria
S.T. Gill Wool Drays, in The Australian Sketchbook, Hamel & Ferguson (1864), Gold Museum Collection
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
8
Sullivans Bay Settlement and The story of William Buckley
Teacher Notes
History: In 1803, Lieutenant David Collins sailed into Port Phillip Bay to establish a convict settlement at Sullivan’s Bay, near what is now Sorrento. It is
generally believed that the British Government wanted to secure the south east corner of the continent from the French who had explored the south
coast. The settlement was abandoned because they could not find good water (they did not find the Yarra River) and they moved to Van Diemans Land
(Tasmania) to set up what is now Hobart as a penal settlement . Since this attempt, Victoria has had a history that did not include convicts! A number of
convicts escaped the doomed Sullivan’s Bay settlemet, trying to get to Sydney. William Buckley was one of them. He spent 22 years with the
Wathaurung Indigenous group. His survival is a wonderful story.
Specific Teaching/Instruction/Aims: This is a chance to explore the political motives behind the first settlement of Victoria and to practise the skill of
developing appropriate historical questions and to explore possible ways of finding the answers. Teachers can model how students can develop suitable
questions and research possibilities in their major project. When watching The Extraordinary Tale of William Buckley do not allow students to watch the
end. This will hopefully provoke questions from the students, particularly about his fate. You should brainstorm and record questions and discuss which
are the most powerful/analytical. This will then lead on to the Research Race designed to quickly find sources of information and rate them according to
their relevance to the questions students have brainstormed. This is also a chance to teach about referencing- e.g.where will someone else find this
information? Some students may wish to follow up Buckley’s story in the major research project.
The video William Buckley The Wild White Man explores what evidence is available concerning the Buckley story. Teachers may need to explain the
difference between primary and secondary sources. http://history1900s.about.com/od/people/a/primsecsources.htm. Discussion of reliability of
evidence is based on who produced the evidence and what motives they may have had in doing so.
Settlement of the Port Phillip District
Sullivans Bay Settlement and The story of William Buckley
AusVELS
Historical knowledge and Understanding
Reasons (economic, political and social)
for the establishment of British colonies
in Australia after 1800
Resources
Ergo Sullivans Bay
http://ergo.slv.vic.gov.au/explore-history/colonialmelbourne/convicts/settlement-sullivan-bay
Ergo William Buckley’s escape
Activities
Focus questions:
Why did the British want to settle Sullivan’s Bay in the Port
Phillip District?
Why did the venture fail? How would Victoria be different
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
Skills
Historical questions and research
Identify questions to inform an historical
inquiry
Analysis and use of sources
Locate information related to inquiry
questions in a range of sources
The Settlement of Victoria
http://ergo.slv.vic.gov.au/explore-history/colonialmelbourne/convicts/william-buckleys-escape
The Extraordinary Tale of William Buckley YouTube
ABC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGzqHprymsY
William Buckley: The Wild White Man Culture Victoria
http://www.cv.vic.gov.au/stories/williambuckley/6298/william-buckley-the-wild-white-man/
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if this group had stayed?
Develop a list of class questions about The Sullivan’s Bay
Settlement and William Buckley. How would you go about
answering these questions?
Research Race. Spend 15 minutes trying to find
information about William Buckley. Fill in the William
Buckley Evidence Usefulness sheet
Des Cowley describes the evidence relating to the story of
William Buckley. Complete the William Buckley: The Wild
White Man Evidence map
Compare information from a range of
sources
Navigator
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
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John Batman – Hero or Villain?
Teacher Notes
History: In the 1830s, land was becoming scarce in Van Diemans Land. Those who could get it were growing wool for the hungry woollen mills in Yorkshire
and making a good profit. The only available land was expensive or too difficult to clear. Many, including John Batman and his associates, were aware of
large grasslands across Bass Strait in the Port Phillip region. In 1682, William Penn, a Quaker, famously purchased land from Delaware Indians to establish
what is now Pennsylvania in the USA. Following this example, Batman, representing the Port Phillip Association created a treaty or deed with the
Wurundjeri people of the Port Phillip District. Some historians think the Wurundjeri believed this to be tandarrum –a traditional practice of accepting gifts
for the temporary use of land. The Treaty makes for interesting reading because it offers an annual tribute to the local indigenous groups for the land.
Governor Burke in NSW rejected the deed on the grounds that the land belonged to the Crown rather than Indigenous groups. The historical question
remains … was Batman ahead of his times by recognising Indigenous land ownership or was he simply a greedy man stealing land from the Wurundjeri?
Specific Teaching/Instruction/Aims: This is a chance to explore the economic reasons behind the settlement of Port Phillip and to find out that many
historical events have different interpretations. In this exercise students have to decide whether they think that John Batman was a friend of the Indigenous
people or a thief of their lands. A wonderful resource for more able students is the National Museum of Australia’s Batmania website. (This is very text
based and could be difficult for less able readers.) Some students may use the Ideas Organiser to explore whether they believe Batman was a hero or villain.
They may need some help to sort their ideas out.
Settlement of the Port Phillip District
John Batman- Hero of Villain?
AusVELS
Resources
Activities
Historical knowledge and Understanding Batmania website (National Museum of Australia)
Was John Batman a Hero or a Villain?
Reasons (economic, political and social)
http://www.nma.gov.au/educationMore able students might be asked to use this website to
for the establishment of British colonies
kids/classroom_learning/multimedia/interactives/ answer the title question for themselves. They can use the
in Australia after 1800
batmania_html_version/home
Ideas Organiser to help record information.
Skills
Historical questions and research
Identify questions to inform an historical
inquiry
Batmania – Prior History (National Museum of
Australia)
http://www.nma.gov.au/educationkids/classroom_learning/multimedia/interactives/
batmania_html_version/prior_history
Focus question: Why did John Batman and the Port Phillip
Association want to settle in Victoria?
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
Analysis and use of sources
Locate information related to inquiry
questions in a range of sources
Compare information from a range of
sources
The Settlement of Victoria
Batman’s actual Treaty with the Wurrundjeri
(State Library of Victoria)
http://ergo.slv.vic.gov.au/image/batmandeed-melbourne
Transcript of John Batman’s Treaty (State Library of
Victoria)
http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/portphillip/0/0/1/tdoc/
pp0018-001-0.shtml
Artists impression of John Batman signing the
treaty
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Batman_signs_tr
eaty_artist_impression.jpg
11
The Wurrundjeri people communicated with pictures rather
than with writing. What do you notice about the Elders
‘signatures in the right hand side of Batman’s Treaty? Do you
think the elders would have understood what they were
signing?
List the items Batman gave the Wurrundjeri for the deed.
List the items they promised to give as a Yearly Rent or
Tribute.
Some historians suggest Batman promised around £200 per
year. This would have been around two and a half teachers’
annual wage. Is that enough?
What date was this signed?
When was this drawing done? When was the treaty signed?
Are the Wurrundjeri people wearing suitable clothes for that
time of year?
Put thought bubbles on the drawing to show what the
people may have been thinking. (This is a good way to get
students to think through different points of view) You might
use an iPad app like Halftone to add thought bubbles.
Navigator
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
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Map Analysis
Teacher Notes
History: By 1851, the white population of Victoria was near 80,000. That is less people than you can fit into the MCG. Our economy was based on
agriculture and the population was divided into the squatters who controlled the land and those who worked for them. There was a demand for workers in
the new area and many settlers from the United kingdom came on a ‘bounty’ system which provided free passage. Caroline Chisholm was important in
encouraging women to come to a predominantly male Australia. There was a terrible drought and depression during the early 1840s which broke some
squatters who did not have enough capital to get through. Squatters leased ‘the waste lands of Portland’ from the government and consistently asked for
the land to be granted to them to no avail.
Specific Teaching/Instruction/Aims: The specific knowledge is about the speed of colonisation and the impact of farming on the indigenous population.
Students analyse the information from two maps to look at change over 16 years and describe the change from both indigenous and white settler
perspectives.
Settlement of the Port Phillip District
Map Analysis
AusVELS
Resources
Activities
Historical knowledge and Understanding Map of Indigenous language areas in Victoria
Focus Questions: Who made this map and where did they
Reasons (economic, political and social)
before White settlement.
get their information? Do you trust this map? Can you see
for the establishment of British colonies
any straight lines? Why not? (These language areas roughly
in Australia after 1800
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map_Vict follow natural features like rivers or hills or vegetation types
oria_Aboriginal_tribes.svg
– there are no straight lines in nature)
The impact of a significant development
or event on a colony; for example,
frontier conflict…
Skills
Analysis and use of sources
Locate information related to inquiry
questions in a range of sources
Compare information from a range of
sources
Perspectives and interpretations
Identify points of view in the past and present
Pastoral holdings of the Port Phillip District 1835 1851
http://ergo.slv.vic.gov.au/image/mapshowing-pastoral-holdings-port-phillip-district1835-51-now-victoria
Focus Questions: How many years are there between 1835
and 1851? How is this map similar/ different to the
Indigenous languages map? How has Victoria changed over
these years?
Brainstorm a list of words to describe the changes the maps
show. Use two headings: Indigenous view and Settler’s view
Navigator
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
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Emigration
Teacher Notes
History: There was a demand for workers in the Port Phillip district of NSW and many settlers from the United kingdom came on a ‘bounty’ system which
provided free passage. Caroline Chisholm was important in encouraging women to come to a predominantly male Australia. Many of them were escaping
poor living conditions in the United Kingdom. http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exilesandemigrants/ed_leaving.html
Specific Teaching/Instruction/Aims: The specific knowledge is about the reasons why people migrated to Australia in this era. In analysing artworks
teachers might adopt a Visual Thinking Strategy (http://www.vtshome.org/what-is-vts) of three questions 1. What is happening in this picture? 2. How
do you know? 3. What else is happening? This encourages students to make observations and back them up with evidence.
AusVELS
Resources
Activities
Historical knowledge and Understanding Exiles and Emigrants Education Resource – NGV
Read Leaving Home from the NGV Exiles and Emigrants
The reasons people migrated to Australia
http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/
Learning Resource and fill in the table
from Europe and Asia, and the
exilesandemigrants/ed_leaving.html
experiences and contributions of a
Which of the six paintings was created before the gold
particular migrant group within a colony.
rushes. (1851)?
Analyse this painting (Click on it to make it bigger). Complete
Skills
What is going on? Add your own arrows. You might use an
Analysis and use of sources
iPad app like Halftone to annotate the painting.
Locate information related to inquiry
questions in a range of sources
Explanation and communication
Develop texts, particularly narratives and
descriptions, which incorporate source
materials
Use a range of communication forms
(oral, graphic, written) and digital
technologies
Film short interviews with some of the characters from this
painting. Brainstorm some questions and conduct interviews
with your classmates pretending to be the characters in the
painting.
Navigator
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
14
Classroom Activities
The Gold Rushes
S.T. Gill, Prospecting, in The Australian Sketchbook, Hamel & Ferguson (1864), Gold Museum Collection
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
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Shared Reading
Teacher Notes
History: While digging was often regarded as a masculine pursuit, records show that women and children were represented on the diggings. Dogs were also a
common feature of diggings life for their company and as guards against thieves.
Specific Teaching/Instruction/Aims: To make this a truly integrated unit, teachers may wish to undertake shared reading activities. A Banner Bold and The
Night We Made The Flag are both contemporary novels about goldfields life and Eureka from a child’s point of view. A Banner Bold is 150 pages of children’s
fiction written as diary entries while The Night We Made The Flag is a picture story book. The Loaded Dog is Henry Lawson’s famous humorous poem about
three miners, a ‘plan’ involving blasting powder and a silly retriever. Jack Thompson’s audio version can be purchased via ithe Fine Poets website
AusVELS
Resources
Activities
English
Nadia Wheatley, A Banner Bold: The Diary of Rosa
A Blooms Taxonomy Literacy Unit for A Banner Bold from
Reading and Viewing
Aarons Ballarat Goldfield, 1854 Scholastic Press 2001
the Sovereign Hill website.
Literature
Recognise that ideas in literary texts can
be conveyed from different viewpoints,
which can lead to different kinds of
interpretations and responses
Identify aspects of literary texts that
convey details or information about
particular social, cultural and historical
contexts
Carole Wilkinson, The Night We Made the Flag: A Eureka
Story, Walker Books
Henry Lawson The Loaded Dog
http://alldownunder.com/australian-authors/henrylawson/loaded-dog.htm
An easier read is Carole Wilkinson’s The Night we Made
the Flag. Walker Books provides online classroom
activities
An audio recording of Jack Thompson reading The Loaded
Dog can be purchased online at
http://www.finepoets.com/?page=products&product=Th
e-Campfire-Yarns-of-Henry-Lawson
Navigator
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
16
Population Growth and Graphs
Teacher Notes
History: Just after Victoria became a colony, gold was discovered. Within 10 years the population had exploded as emigrants came for the chance of riches.
Victoria became the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the British empire and incredible wealth generated new industry and prosperity. The incredible injection of wealth,
population and industry was
Specific Teaching/Instruction/Aims: This activity incorporates maths and ICT to tell the story of the growth of population during the first 10 years of the gold
rush. It involves analysing a different source of information – statistics. Teachers familiar with Microsoft Excel might use this as an opportunity to teach the
skills of constructing formulae.
AusVELS
Resources
Activities
Historical knowledge and Understanding Source: Geoffrey Searle, The Golden Age: A History of the Complete Victorian Population
The impact of a significant development
colony of Victoria 1851 -1861, Melbourne University
or event on a colony; for example, …, the Press, 1977, (Appendix 1 Page 382)
gold rushes,
Skills
Chronology, terms and concepts
Sequence historical people and events (
Historical questions and research
Analysis and use of sources
This activity is part of student activities associated with
the Goldrush Immigration education session at Sovereign
Hill
http://sheducationcom.ascetinteractive.biz/?id=goldrushi
mmigration
Navigator
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
17
Goldfields Life: Who Said That?
Teacher Notes
History: New immigrants to the goldfields found the goldfields experience challenging, confronting and sometimes incredibly interesting. Attitudes were
influenced by luck and outlook and sometimes by the audience of the writer. Some enjoyed the freedom of working for themselves while others were
fascinated by strange flora and fauna. Others only saw chaos and despair.
Specific Teaching/Instruction/Aims: The aim of this exercise is to analyse primary source quotes to explore aspects of life on the goldfields. Students are
asked to pair short quotes with their headings as a comprehension exercise. Some pairings are obvious and others a little difficult. Some students may find it
easier to have the quotes and heading cut up so they can physically pair them while others might be happy to cut and paste digitally.
The discussion of ’Stretching the truth” is interesting. For example it might be in John Richard Hardy’s interest in his Commissioner’s Report to suggest he is
doing a good job on the diggings and Ellen Clacy might have exaggerated a bit to make her book more interesting. To her readers.
Grouping quotes under headings is an analysis exercise leading to students drawing conclusions about conditions on the goldfields.
AusVELS
Historical knowledge and Understanding
The nature of a … colonial settlement in
Australia, including … aspects of the daily
life of its different inhabitants, and how
they changed the environment
Skills
Analysis and use of sources
Locate information related to inquiry
questions in a range of sources
Resources
Sovereign Hill Education Audio Library. This page contains
the quotes with audio recordings.
http://sheducationcom.ascetinteractive.biz/?id=audiolibr
ary
Activities
Complete the Who Said That? Activity
Teachers can refer students to the Sovereign Hill website
to check.
http://sheducationcom.ascetinteractive.biz/?id=audiolibr
ary and to listen to recordings of the quotes.
Compare information from a range of
sources
Perspectives and interpretations
Identify points of view in the past and
present
Navigator
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
18
The Ballarat Goldfields Diary
Teacher Notes
History: After the Eureka affair life changed on the goldfields. Miners could buy bigger claims and companies started to form. Many diggers had shares in a
number of mines. In Ballarat new businesses flourished in Main Road including doctors, photographers, hotels, theatres and even a circus. 1855 was a heady
year in Ballarat with weather to match. The diary of an unknown Scottish digger was purchased by the State Library of Victoria in 2009. It covers life in Ballarat
in the latter half of 1855, starting six months after Eureka and paints a picture of a vibrant town springing up around turbulent diggings.
Specific Teaching/Instruction/Aims: Diaries are great primary sources of information but sometimes they are difficult to decipher as they are written in
shorthand. The Sovereign Hill website provides audio files of some excerpts from the Ballarat Goldfields diary. The excerpts we have chosen are what we think
are the most interesting so, to some extent they present a biased view of diggings life – we have left out the boring bits. There is a lot we don’t know about
this diarist – we don’t know who he was, his name, where he came from and what happened to him. One reality of the study of history is that sometimes we
can’t find out the answers, but we can let our imagination roam!
AusVELS
Resources
Activities
Historical knowledge and Understanding
Listen to some of the Ballarat Goldfields Diary Excerpts on the Sovereign Hill
The nature of a … colonial settlement in
The Ballarat Goldfields Diary.
Education website
Australia, including … aspects of the daily
Excerpts on the Sovereign Hill
http://sheducationcom.ascetinteractive.biz/?id=untitled_2
life of its different inhabitants, and how
Education website.
they changed the environment
http://sheducationcom.ascetint Focus Questions:
eractive.biz/?id=untitled_2
Which excerpt shows
Skills
1. The most extraordinary event?/ The most normal day?/ The strangest
Historical questions and research
event?
Identify questions to inform an historical
inquiry
Analysis and use of sources
Locate information related to inquiry
questions in a range of sources
Explanation and communication
Use a range of communication forms (oral,
graphic, written) and digital technologies
This diary has many more entries than you will find on the Sovereign Hill site.
Why do you think Sovereign Hill chose to record these excerpts in particular?
Which ones do you think were left out?
After listening to these, what questions do you have about the diarist? Develop a
list.
Creative Thinking. It is 1865, ten years after this diary was written. Conduct an
interview with the person who wrote this diary or someone who knew him. What
questions would you ask him? You may wish to film the interview. Navigator
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
19
Classroom Activities
Sovereign Hill Excursion
Put Yourself in the Eureka Story
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
20
Gold Fever!
Teacher Notes
History: Most immigrants to the goldfields came in search of a better life. After the initial ‘easy gold’ was gone, digging became hard work. Deep Lead
(pronounced ‘leed’) mining involved digging shafts up to 50 metres deep in search of buried rivers and processing any ‘washdirt’ through puddling machines ,
cradles and pans. It was back-breaking, dangerous work under the watchful eyes of the troopers constantly undertaking licence hunts. Prices for goods and
services were sky high and gold buyers were treated with suspicion. Historian and author Robyn Annear suggests that one in ten diggers found a lot of gold,
eight out of ten found ‘good wages’ with the last one not finding enough to live on.
Specific Teaching/Instruction/Aims: The Gold Fever game is conducted as a one hour education session at Sovereign Hill. In teams, students search for ‘gold’
in the specially built ‘One Eye Gully” (a real name believe it or not!). They must exchange their gold for money and purchase licences before the troopers put
them in gaol! Students experience the elation and excitement of finding gold (gold fever) and the frustrations of dealing with overbearing troopers and the
constant concern that the gold will run out. Gold Fever is a game that produces a number of emotions to encourage first hand, affective learning.
AusVELS
Resources
Activities
Historical knowledge and Understanding Sovereign Hill Education Bookings ph (03) 5337 1188
Undertake the Gold Fever Game at Sovereign Hill.
The nature of a … colonial settlement in
Australia, including … aspects of the daily
life of its different inhabitants, and how
they changed the environment.
The reasons people migrated to Australia
from Europe and Asia, and the
experiences and contributions of a
particular migrant group within a colony.
Skills
Perspectives and interpretations
Identify points of view in the past and
present
Explanation and communication
Develop texts, particularly narratives and
descriptions, which incorporate source
materials
Use a range of communication forms
(oral, graphic, written) and digital
technologies
Gold Fever description
http://sheducationcom.ascetinteractive.biz/?id=goldfeve
r
Teachers may follow up the session by asking students to
recount and document their emotions. (“How did you feel
during the game?”)
Discuss what aspects of the game students thought were
realistic and what were not. Do you think you would have
liked the digging experience?
Sovereign Hill Education Audio Library
http://sheducationcom.ascetinteractive.biz/?id=audiolibr
ary
Descriptive writing exercise. Authors like Ellen Clacy and
William Howitt wrote short, but strong descriptions of
goldfields life and incidents that happened to them.
Sovereign Hill Education Audio Library
http://sheducationcom.ascetinteractive.biz/?id=audiolibr
ary
Your job is to write one powerful paragraph to describe a
day on the diggings to be published in a London
newspaper in 1854. You may wish to brainstorm good
adjectives
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Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
21
Put Yourself in the Eureka Story
Teacher Notes
History: By 1854 Ballarat diggers were becoming increasingly unhappy with their lot and the way they were treated by the authorities. Many immigrants saw
their dreams of a better life fading and felt they had been deceived about the promise of gold. Deep Lead mining was difficult, dangerous and unpredictable
and small claim sizes limited the diggers’ ability to search. The licence fees were exorbitant and troopers treated diggers with disrespect. Diggers hoped the
new Governor, Hotham, would help them. Instead, in response to dire financial conditions in the new colony, Hotham increased licence hunts to gain revenue.
When Hotelier James Bentley was acquitted of the murder of ‘Scotty’ Scoby by a supposed corrupt magistrate, the diggers saw red. They made demands of
the Governor which he refused. The confrontation then became a matter of power with the diggers seeking the vote and the authorities desperately trying to
maintain control. The storming of the Eureka Stockade on 3 December 1854 saw over 20 dead and caused a massive public backlash. The Goldfields Enquiry in
1855 gave the diggers all they wanted including, cheaper licences called Miners Rights, the vote and larger claims. As Mark Twain said in the 1890s on a visit to
Ballarat “It is another instance of a victory won by a lost battle.”
Teaching/Instruction/Aims: Put Yourself in the Eureka Story is a Sovereign Hill education program where costumed students present tableaux of the most
salient points of the complex Eureka story. By creating a picture story book or ICT equivalent, students become involved in the story and analyse each event.
They discuss which events were the most important to the story. A blank story book is available. Teachers can challenge more able students to develop their
own audio visual presentations with their own text.
AusVELS
Resources
Activities
Historical knowledge and Understanding Sovereign Hill Education Bookings ph (03) 5337 1188
Undertake Put Yourself in the Eureka Story at Sovereign
The nature of a … colonial settlement in
Hill. Make sure you take plenty of photos.
Australia, including … aspects of the daily Put Yourself in the Eureka Story Description
Download the Put Yourself in the Eureka Story Book at
life of its different inhabitants, and how
http://sheducationcom.ascetinteractive.biz/?id=putyours http://sheducationcom.ascetinteractive.biz/?id=putyours
they changed the environment.
elfintheeure
elfintheeure. Complete the book by adding your photos.
The impact of a significant development
or event on a colony; for example,…, the
Eureka Stockade
Skills
Explanation and communication
Develop texts, particularly narratives and
descriptions, which incorporate source
materials
Use a range of communication forms
(oral, graphic, written) and digital
technologies
For more advanced students, teachers might challenge
them to write text for each photo or develop a better
audio visual presentation.
You might use an iPad app like Halftone to create a comic
style version of the story
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Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
22
The Good Life?
Teacher Notes
History: While the struggle at Eureka meant the vote for many, a lot of people were excluded including women, children, Chinese and Indigenous people.
Specific Teaching/Instruction/Aims: This is a chance for students to ‘look through the eyes of others” while practicing historical skills. It is also a chance for teachers to model
good practice in developing historical questions and finding sources of information. The Think Wink Decide is a research plan that involves formative assessment and
encourages students to develop their own questions. Developing good historical questions is a skill that sometimes requires specific instruction from teachers who can model
good practice (e.g. Who? What? How? When? And Why?) The emphasis on visual information is a deliberate strategy to encourage less literate students while replicating
principles of good essay structure (Introduction, middle and conclusion). The three minute time limit on the presentation is also a deliberate strategy to ensure the history
skills are not taken over by computer skills.
AusVELS
Historical knowledge and Understanding
The nature of a … colonial settlement in
Australia, including … aspects of the daily
life of its different inhabitants …
The reasons people migrated to Australia
Skills
Historical questions and research
Identify questions to inform an historical
inquiry
Identify and locate a range of relevant
sources
Analysis and use of sources
Locate information related to inquiry
questions in a range of sources
Compare information from a range of
sources
Explanation and communication
Develop texts, particularly narratives and
descriptions, which incorporate source
materials
Use … digital technologies
Resources
Sovereign Hill
Websites
1. http://sheducationcom.ascetinteractive.biz/?id=rese
archnotes
2. http://ergo.slv.vic.gov.au/explore-history/goldenvictoria/life-fields
3. http://www.sbs.com.au/gold/story.php?topicid=5
4. http://www.sbs.com.au/gold/story.php?topicid=2
5. http://www.egold.net.au/home.html
6. http://sheducationcom.ascetinteractive.biz/?id=audi
olibrary
Activities
Complete The Good Life? Research Activity
(Teachers should note that while it may be difficult for
students to find evidence of Indigenous People on the
goldfields at Sovereign Hill more perceptive students
might be able analyse why this is so)
Sovereign Hill Interactive map
http://www.sovereignhill.com.au/tour/index.html
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Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
23
Sovereign Hill Favourites
Teacher Notes
History: Sovereign Hill tells the story of the impact of the gold rushes in Australia and recounts daily life in a gold mining town
Specific Teaching/Instruction/Aims: Sovereign Hill has a tremendous story to tell but you have to look closely to spot the small details of history. This is a
chance to have some fun while closely analysing Sovereign Hill’s exhibits. Students have to put together a coherent statement about which exhibit at
Sovereign Hill is their favourite and rationalise their choice. Their explanation and communication must be short, sharp and powerful videos. Sovereign Hill
provides a wonderfully photogenic backdrop and this activity is designed to encourage student choice and ownership. Models of good practice are on our
website. http://sheducationcom.ascetinteractive.biz/?id=favourites
AusVELS
Resources
Activities
Historical knowledge and Understanding Sovereign Hill Favourites
Watch episodes of Sovereign Hill Favourites.
The nature of a … colonial settlement in
http://sheducationcom.ascetint http://sheducationcom.ascetinteractive.biz/?id=favourites
Australia, including … aspects of the daily eractive.biz/?id=favourites
Which was your favourite presentation?
life of its different inhabitants, and how
How are the presentations similar? (They are short, and follow a similar format.
they changed the environment
i.e.Hi this is … This is my favourite part of Sovereign Hill because …. a concluding
Trove
comment often about history)
Skills
http://trove.nla.gov.au/picture
Historical questions and research
is a very good websites to find
In small groups
Identify and locate a range of relevant
pictures.
Some
of
Sovereign
Before you come…
sources
Hill’s buildings were based on
1. Look at the interactive map of Sovereign Hill to decide what your favourite
Compare information from a range of
pictures by Francios Cogne and
exhibit is http://www.sovereignhill.com.au/tour/index.html
sources
historic photos.
2. Use the Internet to see if you can find any additional information about
this exhibit.
Explanation and communication
3. Use the format above to write three sentences about your favourite
Develop texts, particularly narratives and
exhibit
descriptions, which incorporate source
At
Sovereign
Hill …
materials
Make
sure
you
have a camera to record your film.
Use a range of communication forms
Back at School…
(oral, graphic, written) and digital
Show you film to the rest of the class. Send it to Sovereign Hill Education
technologies
phoban@sovereignhill.com.au
Extension. Find out how to use QR codes to present a number of your class films
on a poster or a map!!!
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Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
24
Classroom Activities
After the Gold Rushes
S.T. Gill , Bush Funeral, in The Australian Sketchbook, Hamel & Ferguson (1864), Gold Museum Collection
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
25
The Governors of Victoria
Teacher Notes
History: Victoria became a colony in 1851 and a state in 1901 at Federation. Before that, our state was called the Port Phillip District of New South Wales and
we were governed by NSW.
Specific Teaching/Instruction/Aims: This is a chance to teach students how to construct a proper timeline. It has to be to scale! (A blank timeline is available
for students who may need it) Students will also become familiar with the names of Victoria’s 19th century governors and gain an appreciation of the time
span of this unit.
AusVELS
Resources
Activities
Historical knowledge and Understanding The Internet.
Do an internet search to find out the names of the
The role that a significant individual or
Governors of Victoria. Create a timeline of The Governors
group played in shaping a colony; for
Students experiencing difficulty might use this website
of Victoria from 1851 to 1900. (Timeline) Make sure your
example, explorers, farmers,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor_of_Victoria#List_ timeline is to proper scale. Who served the longest? Who
entrepreneurs, artists, writers,
of_Governors_of_Victoria
served the shortest?
humanitarians, religious and political
leaders, and Aboriginal and/or Torres
Strait Islander peoples.
Skills
Chronology, terms and concepts
Sequence historical people and events
Use historical terms and concepts
Do an internet search on one governor. What is he
famous for?
More able students might search to find events / pictures
etc. to illustrate each Governor’s time.
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Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
26
John Scott’s Selection
Teacher Notes
History: Many immigrants to Victoria came seeking a new and better life. For many that meant land. Most of Victoria’s best farming land was held by the
early squatters who leased it from the government. Under growing pressure, the government forced large land holders to give up land for the new breed of
Selectors. The Selectors paid off their land but they were also required to ‘improve’ it. That meant constructing fences and buildings, clearing the forests and
cultivating. Mounted constables (police on horses) were sent out to fill out reports on “the improvements on the occupation of that land and then to forward
these documents to the Assistant Commissioner of Lands and Survey, Melbourne”. Substantial areas of Victoria including the Mallee were cleared for farming
under these policies.
Specific Teaching/Instruction/Aims: This is a chance for students to work with real primary sources. The photographs of ‘Mallee rollers” show how the Mallee
district was cleared. Huge logs were rolled over stunted mallee gums, breaking them off at the base. The branches were burned and the roots collect and sold
as fire wood.
AusVELS
Resources
Activities
Historical knowledge and Understanding
The nature of a … colonial settlement in
Australia, including … aspects of the daily
life of its different inhabitants, and how
they changed the environment.
The impact of a significant development
or event on a colony; for example,…, the
expansion of farming,
Skills
Historical questions and research
Identify and locate a range of relevant
sources
Analysis and use of sources
Locate information related to inquiry
questions in a range of sources
Compare information from a range of
sources
Find out about John Scott’s Selection
Answer the questions about the Mounted Constable’s Report
Try to find some picture of “mallee rollers” on TROVE
http://trove.nla.gov.au/picture
Can you explain what is going on in these pictures?
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Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
27
Bush Poets and Artists
Teacher Notes
History: In the late nineteenth century more selectors were taking up small holdings throughout Victoria and New South Wales. A new generation of native
born white Australians appeared and their allegiances were more to Australia than to Europe. A new national pride sprang up and was expressed in art and
poetry. Some romanticised the bush (Banjo Patterson) while others saw the isolation, difficulties and trials of life on small selections (Henry Lawson). The
"Bulletin Debate" was a famous dispute in The Bulletin magazine from 1892-93 between two of Australia's most iconic writers and poets: Henry Lawson
and Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson. While Patterson and Lawson were both from NSW, their commentary is relevant to the Victorian experience. Tom
Roberts and Frederick McCubbin were both Victorian artists associated with the Heidelberg school
Specific Teaching/Instruction/Aims: This is a chance to explore different perspectives and points of view in history. Students will practice literacy skills while
analysing and contrasting poems and art works. They use direct quotes to develop a point of view about bush life. As The City Bushman is a long poem, we
suggest that teachers provide an edited version suitable for their students literacy capabilities.
AusVELS
Resources
Activities
Historical knowledge and Understanding Clancy of the Overflow by A. B Patterson
Read Clancy of the Overflow. Underline any words and
The nature of a … colonial settlement in
http://www.poetrylibrary.edu.au/poets/paterson-a-b- phrases that make bush life look good.
Australia, including … aspects of the daily banjo/clancy-of-the-overflow-0001006
life of its different inhabitants, and how
Recitation by Lindsay Radford
they changed the environment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQvDmz4MQB4
Skills
Historical questions and research
Identify and locate a range of relevant
sources
The City Bushman by Henry Lawson
Words
http://www.poetrylibrary.edu.au/poets/lawsonhenry/the-city-bushman-0002033
Compare information from a range of
sources
Explanation and communication
Develop texts, particularly narratives and
descriptions, which incorporate source
materials
Read The City Bushman. Highlight any direct references to
Clancy of the Overflow .Underline any words or phrases that
make bush life look bad.
Bush Life was wonderful. Cut and paste three quotes from
the poems that agree with this statement and three quotes
that disagree with it. Based on this evidence what is your
opinion of bush life?
A Break Away Tom Roberts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tom_Roberts__A_Break_Away_1891.jpg
Look at A Break Away by Tom Roberts. Annotate the
picture (use arrows) with quotes from Clancy of the
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
Use a range of communication forms
(oral, graphic, written) and digital
technologies
The Settlement of Victoria
28
Overflow and The City Bushman. You might use an iPad app
like Halftone to annotate the artwork.
Artists
Tom Roberts
http://www.artistsfootsteps.com/html/Artists_ro
berts.htm
Frederick McCubbin
http://www.artistsfootsteps.com/html/Artists_mc
cubbin.htm
Tom Roberts Shearing The Rams is very well known
and can be seen as a romantic portrait of bush life
Look at some of the works of Tom Roberts and Frederick
McCubbin. They are both famous Australian and indeed
Victorian artists of the late 19th century/ early 20th century.
Choose one artwork that paints a romantic portrait of bush
life and one that shows the hardships of bush life. Explain
your choices. You might like to make an audio recording
over the chosen pictures using a program like PhotoStory to
explain your point of view about each.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shearing_the_Rams
Frederick McCubbin’s The Pioneer has sometimes
been interpreted as showing the hardships of bush life.
http://www.artistsfootsteps.com/html/McCubbin
_pioneer.htm
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Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
29
Victoria: The Lucky Country?
Teacher Notes
History: There are always winners and losers throughout history. 19th century Victoria saw some people become immensely rich while other struggled.
Thomas Austin built the magnificent Barwon Park with the wealth he made in pastoral properties. Ned Kelly felt he was forced into a life of crime because he
was Irish Catholic.
Specific Teaching/Instruction/Aims: This is a chance to look at two different sources of information to draw conclusions about whether nineteenth century
Victoria really was the lucky country. Students might choose to look at either Barwon Park photographs or the Jerilderie letter. They should report back
explaining what the evidence tells them about the question of whether Victoria was the lucky country. Carole Wilkinson’s Ned Kelly’s Jerilderie Letter is a great
reference making the difficult original text more accessible to students.
AusVELS
Resources
Activities
Historical knowledge and
Photographs of Barwon Park
Look at the photographs of Barwon Park on TROVE
Understanding The reasons http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/1109734
Barwon Park
people migrated to
Australia from Europe and
Asia, and the experiences
and contributions of a
particular migrant group
within a colony.
Skills
Historical questions and
research
Compare information from
a range of sources
Perspectives and
interpretations
Identify points of view in
the past and present
3?q=Barwon+Park&c=picture
http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/11097343?q=Barwon+Park&c=picture
National Trust Information about Barwon
Park
What evidence is there that the owner Thomas Austin was wealthy?
Do an internet search on Thomas Austin (or look up the National Trust page about
Barwon Park)
http://www.nattrust.com.au/places_to
_visit/geelong_the_west/barwon_park
__1
State Library of Victoria The Jerilderie
Letter
http://ergo.slv.vic.gov.au/explorehistory/rebelsoutlaws/bushrangers/jerilderie-letter
Teaching activities for Carole Wilkinson’s
Jerilderie Letter
http://www1.curriculum.edu.au/rel/histor
y/book.php?catrelid=1869#j01
http://www.nattrust.com.au/places_to_visit/geelong_the_west/barwon_park__1)
1. How did he make so much money?
2. What else was he famous for?
3. Was Victoria the lucky country for Austin? Use the evidence you have found
to make a short presentation for your class.
Look at the page about the Jerilderie letter on Ergo
http://ergo.slv.vic.gov.au/explore-history/rebelsoutlaws/bushrangers/jerilderie-letter
1. What was Kelly’s aim in writing this letter?
2. Transcribe the short quote on this page into modern English.
3. Kelly says he and his family were ‘wronged’. Who does he blame for the
wrongdoing?
4. Was Victoria the lucky country for Kelly? Use the evidence you have found
to make a short presentation for your class.
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Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
30
Student Resources
S.T. Gill, Splitters, in The Australian Sketchbook, Hamel & Ferguson (1864), Gold Museum Collection
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
31
William Buckley Research Race
Evidence Usefulness
Research Question:
Evidence Name
Reference
Author, www address or book title and page
Primary / Secondary
Source
Relevance to the question
00000
00000
00000
00000
Back to Activity
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
32
William Buckley: The Wild White Man
Evidence Map
http://www.cv.vic.gov.au/stories/william-buckley/6298/william-buckley-the-wild-white-man/
Evidence
When was it
written?
Notes


Is it a primary (P)or 
a secondary (S)

source?

Who wrote this?
How do they know the information they are telling me?
When did they write it?
Is this a reliable source of information? Do
you trust it? Give it a mark out of 5 for
trustworthiness.
Why did they write it?
Who did they write it for?
John Batman’s Journal
William Todd’s Journal
John Wedge’s field
book
Reverend Langhorne’s
manuscript
Back to Activity
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
33
William Buckley: The Wild White Man
Evidence map Page 2
http://www.cv.vic.gov.au/stories/william-buckley/6298/william-buckley-the-wild-white-man/
Evidence
When was it
written?
Notes


Is it a primary (P)or 
a secondary (S)

source?

Who wrote this?
How do they know the information they are telling me?
When did they write it?
Is this a reliable source of information? Do
you trust it? Give it a mark out of 5 for
trustworthiness.
Why did they write it?
Who did they write it for?
Waroon The Strong: A
Tale Illustrative Of The
Times Of Buckley.
Geelong Advertiser
The Life And
Adventures Of
William Buckley. I
by John Morgan
The Wild White
Man And The
Blacks Of Victoria.
by James Bonwick.
Back to Activity
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
34
John Batman- Hero or Villain?
Ideas Organiser
Use the National Museum website Batmania to research this question and record your ideas below. http://www.nma.gov.au/educationkids/classroom_learning/multimedia/interactives/batmania_html_version/home
Hero
Villain
Other interesting Information
Conclusion
I believe John Batman was a
hero / villain
because
Back to Activity
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
35
Artists impression of John Batman signing the treaty
Batman’s Treaty Picture Analysis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Batman_signs_treaty_artist_impression.jpg
This looks like a fair
tandarrum trade.
If these people sign
I’ll be the biggest
landowner the world
has ever seen.
What is this
strange drawing?
He wants me to
add to it?
This is the best axe I
have ever seen. It will
change my life.
I have only ever seen
my face reflected in
still water. This is
amazing.
Download the picture, insert speech bubbles and a proper reference on
John Batman's famous treaty, Merri Creek, Northcote1835. By George Rossi Ashton. National Library of Australia, nla.pic-an9025854
Some possible thoughts
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Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
36
Emigration
Leaving Home
Place
Reasons for leaving
Ireland
Scotland
England
Back to Activity
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
37
The Emigrant’s Departure: What is going on?
1. Download this image. Be sure to reference it properly!
Paul Falconer Pool, The Emigrant’s Departure , 1838, Private Collection NGV,http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exilesandemigrants/ed_leaving_05.html
2.
Annotate the image, pointing out any interesting features. Look for hats, shoes,
3. Which ones do you think are leaving? How do you know?
4. Who do you think is staying home? How are they related to those who are leaving?
5. What words would you use to describe this scene?
6. What do you think is the painter’s main message?
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Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
38
Victorian Population
Estimated population, 31 December
Persons
Males
Females
1851
97,489
58,235
39,254
1852
168,321
110,825
57,496
1853
222,436
146,456
75,980
1854
312,307
205,629
106,678
1855
364,324
234,450
129,874
1856
397,560
255,827
141,733
1857
463,135
297,547
165,588
1858
504,519
323,576
180,943
1859
530,262
335,708
194,544
1860
537,847
328,251
209,596
1861
541,800
321,724
220,076
Source: Geoffrey Searle, The Golden Age: A History of the colony of Victoria 1851 -1861, Melbourne University Press, 1977, (Appendix 1 Page 382)
Population growth (persons)
1.
2.
3.
4.
How much did Victoria’s population grow in the first 10 years of the goldrush?
Create a graph to show population growth from 1851 to 1861. You may wish to cut and paste these statistics in Microsoft Excel to create a graph.
Which year saw the greatest population growth?
How many times bigger was Victoria’s population in 1861 compared to 1851?
Males and females
1. Create a graph to show Males and Females in Victoria from 1851 to 1861. You might use Microsoft Excel to help.
2. In what year was the percentage of women smallest? You might be able to create a formula in Microsoft Excel to help.
3. In what year was the percentage of women highest?
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Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
39
Who Said That?
Many of these quotes come from Nancy Keesing (ed) History of the Australian Gold Rushes by those who were there. Angus and Robertson, Melbourne 1981 edition
1.
2.
3.
4.
Match up the quotes with the headings and authors. (Ask your teacher how to check if you are right)
Are there any authors you think might be stretching the truth?
Put the quotes into 2 piles – Quotes that suggest life on the goldfields was good and Quotes that suggest life on the goldfields was bad.
Would you like to live on the goldfields? Use the quotes to write or record a short answer.
Headings
Strange and Pathetic Cases – William Howitt Land, Labour, and Gold: or Two Years in Victoria With Visits to Sydney and Van Diemon's Land Longmans,
London, 1855
The Commissioner’s Report - John Richard Hardy, first Gold Commissioner in New South Wales Camp, June 1851 Further Papers Relative to The Discovery
of Gold in Australia, Parliamentary Papers, Great Britain and Ireland, H.M. Stationery Office
Never shall I forget that scene - Ellen Clacy ,A Lady’s Visit to the Gold-Diggings of Australia in 1852-3, Lansdowne Press, Melbourne, 1963 (first published
1853
Gold in the grass-roots - William Howitt, Land, Labour, and Gold: or Two Years in Victoria With Visits to Sydney and Van Diemon's Land Longmans, London,
1855
The Amiable Female – Mrs Clacy, A lady’s Visit to the Gold Diggings of Australia in 1852 – 53 Hurst& Blackett, London
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
40
Survey of Bendigo - James Bonwick, Notes of a Gold Digger and Gold Digger’s Guide, E. Connebee, Melbourne, 1852
Flies! – William Howitt, Land, Labour, and Gold: or Two Years in Victoria With Visits to Sydney and Van Diemon's Land Longmans, London, 1855
Tragedy in Peg Leg Gully - C Rudston Read, What I Heard, Saw and Did at the Australian Goldfields T.&W. Boone, London, 1853
The Women of Bendigo – William Howitt, Land, Labour, and Gold: or Two Years in Victoria With Visits to Sydney and Van Diemon's Land Longmans,
London, 1855
Night at the diggings – Ellen Clacy, A Lady’s Visit to the Gold-Diggings of Australia in 1852- 3, Lansdowne Press, Melbourne, 1963 (first published 1853))
What Men! – William Howitt, Land, Labour, and Gold: or Two Years in Victoria With Visits to Sydney and Van Diemon's Land, Longmans, London,1855
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Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
41
Quotes
“Yet out of the very roots of the grass we shake gold. We can see the particles shining as we open pieces of the grass roots, …”
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“Four brothers were digging in Peg Leg Gully, endeavouring to bottom a hole again that had been filled up during the floods … One of the banks slightly
giving way, they endeavoured to keep it up (when too late) with shores, branches of trees etc. Whilst in the act of doing this, the younger brother, who was
down in the pit, stuck fast …finding he could not extricate himself, his brothers immediately rendered their assistance; this was to no avail, and immediately
they called for help.
In less than a minute many arrived with ropes, buckets, bailers, shovels scoops &c. and set to work endeavouring to clear away the stuff, and some sailors
dropping down got him slung, when every one that could get hold, tried to pull him out, he was at the same time having his arms around his elder brother’s
neck … but it was of no avail, the stuff slowly filled in upon him, and as it rose the poor brother was compelled to let him go to save his own life, and the
unfortunate lad was smothered.”
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“In fact, he appeared on the very verge of consumption (a disease of the lungs), and said he had been a year and a half in the colony; that he had been to
all the diggings, both in Sydney and Victoria, but everywhere with the same absolute want of luck; that everywhere he had been pursued by dysentery, or
some other exhausting complaint …he had no means of carrying his tent and tools away.”
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“ The little black-devil fly all day attacked our eyes, nose and mouth: and great blowflies in thousands blew our blankets, rugs and everything woollen, all
over with their maggots, which were at once dried upon by the sun. They covered spaces of a foot square at once with them, all adhering by a sort of
gluiness.”
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Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
42
“The women of Bendigo are much more neatly dressed than you would expect … There is no lack of handsome mantillas, polkas, smart bonnets, and
parasols. … Yet, in a morning , you may often see these ladies – and very often, too, smart young girls, not more than fifteen- hanging out their wash, busy
at their cooking, or chopping wood with great axes, which they seem not to swing, but which rather swing them, as they cut splinters from the stumps
which ornament this digger landscape …
As to girls marrying here-the great temptation- that is soon accomplished.- for I hear lots of diggers get married almost every time they go down to
Melbourne to spend their gold. A lot of the vilest scoundrels are assembled here from the four winds of heaven. Nobody knows them; much less whether
they have left wives behind them in their own country.”
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“Whilst her husband was at work farther down the gully, she kept a sort of sly-grog shop, and passed the day selling and drinking spirits, swearing, and
smoking a short tobacco-pipe at the door of her tent. She was a most repulsive looking object. A dirty, gaudy-coloured dress hung unfastened about her
shoulders, course black hair unbrushed, uncombed, dangled about her face, over which her evil habits had spread a genuine bacchanalian glow, whilst in a
loud masculine voice she uttered the most awful words that ever disgraced the mouth of man – ten thousand times more awful when proceeding from a
woman’s lips”
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“We live in canvas homes, or huts of bark and logs…Our furniture is of simple character. A box, a block of wood, or a bit of paling across a pail, serves as a
table … We have those who indulge in plates, knives and forks but … the washing of plates and cleaning of knives and forks require an application of
cleanliness most foreign to the … diggings. Besides, chops can be picked out of the frying pan, placed on a lump of bread, and cut with a clasp knife that has
done good service in fossicking during the day”
… “And yet, in spite of the weather, exposure, dust, mud, filth, flies and fleas, the diggings have such attractions that even the unlucky must come back for
another trial. The wild, free and independent life appears the great charm. They have no masters. They go where they please and work when they will.”
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"Never shall I forget that scene, it well repaid a journey even of sixteen thousand miles. The trees had been all cut down; it looked like a sandy plain, or one
vast unbroken succession of countless gravel pits."
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
43
"Night at the diggings is the characteristic time; murder here - murder there - revolvers cracking - blunderbusses (big firearms) bombing - rifles going off balls whistling - one man groaning with a broken leg - another shouting because he couldn’t find his way to his hole, and a third equally vociferous (loud)
because he has tumbled into one - this man swearing - another praying - a party of bacchanals (drunks) chanting various ditties to different time and tune,
or rather minus both."
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"…I am happy to say that I have not experienced the slightest trouble or annoyance from any person here; they refer all their disputes to me without
attempting to settle them by violence, and submit to my decision without murmur. I have not sworn in any special constables; it is perfectly unnecessary,
for everything goes on in as orderly and quiet a manner as in the quietest English town. There is no drinking or rioting going on.”
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"What men! and what costumes! Huge burly fellows with broad, battered straw or cabbage-tree hats, huge beards, loose blue shirts, and trowsers (sic)
yellow with clay and earth, many of them showing that they had already been digging in Sydney, where there is so much gold, but according to fame, not so
abundant or so pure as in this colony; almost every man had a gun, or pistols in his belt, and a huge dog, half hound half mastiff, led by a chain. Each had his
bundle, containing his sacking to sleep upon, his blanket and such slight change of linen as these diggers carry. They had, besides, their spades and picks
tied together; and thus they marched up the country, bearing with them all they want, and lying out under the trees."
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Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
44
The Good Life?
Your task is to develop a short audio visual presentation about life on the goldfields for particular people. You will combine your own photos from Sovereign
Hill with information from other websites.
1. In small groups choose one of the following groups to study
Life for Women on the gold fields
Life for Chinese on the gold fields
Life for Children on the gold fields
Life for Indigenous People on the gold fields
2. Fill in the Think, Wink, Decide. (TWD)
a. Think – Things I now Know, Wink – What I need to, Decide – Where can I find out the answers to WINK?
3. Spend 60 minutes searching the web to find out what you can about your group on the goldfields. Remember you are making an audio visual
presentation so you might look for audio files, or things you can read or pictures. Some suggestions are
a. http://sheducationcom.ascetinteractive.biz/?id=researchnotes
b. http://ergo.slv.vic.gov.au/explore-history/golden-victoria/life-fields
c. http://www.sbs.com.au/gold/story.php?topicid=5
d. http://www.sbs.com.au/gold/story.php?topicid=2
e. http://www.egold.net.au/home.html
f. http://sheducationcom.ascetinteractive.biz/?id=audiolibrary
4. Look at the Sovereign Hill Interactive map and decide where you might take suitable pictures for your study. Add these places to your Decide
section of TWD http://www.sovereignhill.com.au/tour/index.html
5. Spend 60 minutes at Sovereign Hill collecting the pictures you need.
6. Back at school, put your presentation together. It should be no more than 3 minutes duration and contain images and voice overs. (Photostory is a
good program) Remember that the best stories so your presentation should have a beginning (Title or question), an interesting middle, and a great
conclusion.
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Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
45
Think, Wink, Decide Instructions
These strategies are used to help you see what you already know and what you need to find out.
1. Take an A4 sheet of paper and fold it in half so you have a four-page booklet.
2. The front page can be used as a title page. Write your project title here.
3. On the second page write the heading THings I Now Know, (THINK). List what you already know about your topic, being careful
to explain how you know each fact … where does the information come from?
4. The third page is for What I Need to Know (WINK). List any questions, ideas or resources you will need.
5. The back page for Decide, where you can list the key words and resources you will use to find your information and complete
your project after a visit to Sovereign Hill.
 In deciding where to find resources and information, you should make use of the Sovereign Hill web site
http://www.sovereignhill.com.au
 An interactive map can be found via the “Tour of Sovereign Hill” button giving you an idea of where to look for
information on an excursion. http://www.sovereignhill.com.au/tour/index.shtml
 The Education site contains a range of activities and information including Research Notes and Drawings and a
Photograph Gallery. http://www.sovereignhill.com.au/education
 You can find some other useful websites here http://sheducationcom.ascetinteractive.biz/?id=usefulinternetsites
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Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
46
Decide
Use this page to explain how and where you will research your topic
on your excursion to Sovereign Hill. To help make these decisions
you should look up the interactive map on the Sovereign Hill web
site http://www.sovereignhill.com.au/tour/index.shtml
THINK, WINK, DECIDE
Topic of Study:
______________________________________________
Activity:
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
Students involved:
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
THINK
47
WINK
Things I Now Know
about : (topic) __________________________________
In the table below list the facts you already know about your topic
and where your information comes from.
Facts
The Settlement of Victoria
What I Need to Know
Write a list of key words or questions you would like to answer in your
assignment that you do not already know.
Source of Information
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
48
Blank Timeline
Title: __________________________________________________________________________
1850
1860
1870
1880
1890
1900
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Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
49
John Scott’s Selection at Narmbool
After the early gold
rushes, many diggers
who had found gold
were looking for land
to set up farms. The
government passed
laws making the
squatters give up parts
of their holdings to
“Selectors”. This is a
hand-drawn map of a
property called
Narmbool. Many of the
paddocks are named
after the 1870’s
selectors. John Scott
was one of those
selectors.
1. Colour in three
selections with the
name Scott.
2. Can you name some
of the Scott’s
neighbours?
3. Where would they
get their water
from?
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Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
50
Working with a real historical document
Mounted Constable’s Report.
John Scott was a Selector who took up his land in 1870. Because there were not enough
surveyors in Victoria, the government made a new law allowing people to select land in
certain areas with the view to surveying the allotments later. Scott took up three blocks,
one for his wife, one for himself and for his son-in-law. In order to keep the selection he had
to live there and ‘improve’ the land. Mounted constables (police on horses) were sent out to fill
out reports on “the improvements on the occupation of that land and then to forward these
documents to the Assistant Commissioner of Lands and Survey, Melbourne”. The following
document is a mounted constable’s report on John Scott’s selection. It is difficult to read but worth
trying to transcribe the handwriting.
Find quotes from the document to answer these questions. Put the actual words in quotation marks
(“words” ) to show they are quotes.
1. On what date was this report completed? How long had the Scotts lived there?
2. What was the name of the constable who completed the report?
3. How many chains of fencing had the Scotts constructed? How much more did they
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
have to do?
Were the fences made out of wire?
What sort of house did the Scotts live in?
What buildings did they provide for their animals?
How many acres of land did they clear and what did they do with the dead timber?
What other improvements did the Scotts make?
“In my opinion he is the bone fide holder of this land.” What does this mean? You
may need to look up a dictionary.
Do you think clearing the land was a good way to improve it?
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Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
51
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
52
Research Project
A Famous 19th Century Australian or Group and their contribution to Australia
Your task is to research a famous Australian and present an interesting project or documentary about this person. The project is not about
producing the most information! It is about finding and using a range of sources of information and being able to present it in an intelligent,
creative way to answer research questions you have identified. You must find and analyse at least one primary source, explaining what it tells
us about your questions or your person.
1. Use the Think, Wink, Decide to develop a research plan with relevant questions and ideas of where to look
2. Locate relevant information to answer your questions including a range of sources including primary and secondary sources, text,
letter, documents, paintings, photographs, movies etc.
3. Work out which is the most relevant information to answer your research questions. Decide the best way to present your information
in an engaging way – movie, documentary, interview, podcast, poster, essay etc.
4. Present your findings to the rest of your class. If appropriate, you could even publish your presentation on your class’ or wiki or the
school’s website.
Good Luck
Back to Activity
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
53
Research Project Ideas
People
William Buckley - Convict
The Henty Brothers – Settlers of Portland
John Batman – Settler of Melbourne
John (J.P) Fawkner – Settler of Melbourne
Charles LaTrobe - Governor
Marcus Clarke - Writer
Hugh Victor McKay - Inventor
Baron Ferdinand von Meuller - Botanist
William Strutt - Artist
William Barak – Wurundjeri Elder and Artist
Ellen Clacy - Writer
Bishop James Alipius Goold
Caroline Newcombe and Anne Drysdale Pastoralists
Edwin Flack
Groups
Chinese
Women
Italian
Caroline Chisholm –Emigrants Friend
Major Mitchell - Explorer
Hume and Hovell - Explorers
Tom Wills - Sportsman
Matthew Flinders - Explorer
Redmond Barry - Judge
Tom Roberts - Painter
Governor Charles Hotham - Governor
Robert Hoddle - Surveyor
Eugene von Guerard - Artist
John Alloo- Restaurateur
Mad Dog Morgan – Bush Ranger
Thomas Austin - Pastoralist
Ned Kelly - Bush Ranger
Peter Lalor - Politician
Robert O’Hara Burke - Explorer
William John Wills - Explorer
Harry Power - Bushranger
Mary MacKillop - Nun
Frederick McCubbin - Painter
Sir Henry Barkly - Governor
Georgiana McCrae - Settler
Samuel Thomas Gill - Artist
Antoine Fauchery - Photographer
George Augustas Robinson – Aborigines Protector
Nicholas Chevalier - Artist
Henry Handel Richardson
Alfred Deakin
Scottish
Squatters
Irish
Selectors
http://groups.diigo.com/group/settlement-of-victoria-kit
Back to Activity
Education
Level 5 AusVELS: History
The Settlement of Victoria
54
Research Project Assessment Rubric
AusVELS
The role that a significant
individual or group played
in shaping a colony
Good
Presented information
about a relevant person or
group
Historical questions and
research
Found some information
Analysis and use of
sources
Found secondary
information only
Perspectives and
interpretations
Did not note any points of
view
Explanation and
Communication
Chose a simple way to
present the information
Better
Explained some of this
person’s/group’s
contributions to the
Colony
Best
Presented good evidence
about this
person’s/group’s
contribution to shaping a
Colony
Developed a question and Developed interesting
found some sources
questions and found
valuable sources to
answer those questions
Found relevant primary
Used a range of primary
and secondary source
and secondary evidence
information
including writing, pictures
and others and compared
them to answer questions
Was able to locate biased Was able to suggest
points of view
possible motives and bias
in sources.
Used good communication Used innovative
forms with quotes and
communication forms to
pictures
tell an engaging historical
story Used and referenced
relevant quotes and
pictures to explain the
text
Comments
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