This post introduces a set of resources on the National Museum website. It was compiled for a story in Queensland History Teachers Association magazine, so its starting point is resources related to Queensland, but from there it broadens to include resources of national interest.
Upper primary students interested in the history of communications and transport might enjoy our Flash interactive called Emergency at Lonely Creek. It presents you with a scenario – a man with a broken leg in outback Queensland – and urges you to figure out the fastest way to obtain medical aid for him at two moments in history: 1890 and 1935.
For a rare perspective on relations between Indigenous and European people in the late 19th century, students can explore Oscar’s sketchbook. This resource features drawings made in 1898–99 by an Aboriginal boy in far north Queensland, and relates the story of how his sketchbook came to be in the Museum’s collection. If you can’t use the Flash version, it’s also available as HTML.
Staying with the drawing theme, teachers of postwar history may also be interested in our collection of drawings by Noelle Sandwith of people and places along the Birdsville track in 1952 and 1953. Noelle Sandwith was an English artist visiting Australia who drew a range of subjects including Aboriginal people, Greeks and Italians, community groups such as the Australian Inland Mission and the Flying Doctor’s Service, sheep and wheat workers, social events and street scenes.
Teachers of environmental history might be interested in these water samples from the Murray–Darling basin – collected by community members and analysed by Waterwatch. For a more in-depth investigation into this water system, targeting students in years 8 to 12, we have a unit of work on the Murray–Darling basin.
One of the National Museum’s greatest strengths is in Indigenous Studies. A quick search of our collections database yields hundreds of collection items relating to Indigenous people. We have a permanent Gallery of First Australians and a website all about Collaborating for Indigenous Rights, which includes resources for teachers.
Other highlights for educators include:
- 34 large-format early 20th-century photographs of Indigenous people by Herbert Basedow, each of which has a good description and education value statement
- seven short videos of Western desert peoples produced as part of the Yiwarra Kuju project
To return to material related to Queensland, we have a range of information about Aboriginal breastplates associated with people from Queensland.
Students of frontier contact history might explore the story of Bilin Bilin, his community and descendants. Bilin Bilin’s story is one of non-violent resistance to colonisation; Keendahn’s story is of kidnap and escape; and for a modern-day perspective, see Axel’s video – he’s a young descendant of Bilin Bilin.
If you’re keen for a more in-depth investigation of frontier relations, we have a unit of work on Aboriginal resistance, which features Bilin Bilin’s story. Alternatively, there is the Bells Falls Gorge resource, which encourages students to consider – and critique – how the Museum represents history.
That should be plenty of material to whet your appetite for using the Museum resources in your teaching. Enjoy!
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