Free classroom video resources
Australian Journey: The Story of a Nation in 12 Objects is a free web-based video series exploring the nation’s history through captivating objects from the National Museum of Australia.
The series is suitable for high school and tertiary students and explores issues including the Australian environment, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and history, democracy and citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism, reconciliation and the Anzac legend.
Twelve episodes plus expert interviews
Australian Journey is presented by Professor Bruce Scates, FASSA, historian, novelist and film producer and Dr Susan Carland, sociologist, social critic and the co-creator of Salam Cafe. Each of the 12 episodes has an extra ‘Susan Carland in conversation’ interview with historians and other expert guests. Bruce is based at the Australian National University, Susan works at Monash University.
Download ‘Resources for the Journey’ for a list of texts, webcasts, podcasts and more that complement each episode of Australian Journey.
- Download Resources for the Journey12.1 mb pdf [ PDF | 12.1 mb ]
Episode 1: Travelling Country
Indigenous and European perceptions of landscape, focusing on Burke and Wills’ tragic journey of exploration.
The challenges of documenting Aboriginal languages, with Susan Carland, Shannon Faulkhead and John Bradley.
Episode 2: A Land of the Weird and Monstrous
The extinction of the thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, and the ethics of cloning.
The dangers of narrowing biodiversity.
Explore the Defining Moment on the extinction of the thylacine
Episode 3: A Wide Brown Land
The impact of water scarcity and ways of living in a dry continent.
Adaptation and environmental management in Australia.
Learn about the Kenya station windmill
Episode 4: Our Island Home
James Cook and the voyage of the Endeavour along Australia’s eastern seaboard.
Environmental threats to the Great Barrier Reef.
Explore the Defining Moment on Cook claiming the east coast for Britain
Episode 5: Multicultural Mosaic
The contribution immigrants have made to the Australian nation.
Immigration policy, citizenship and border protection with Susan Carland and Julian Burnside. Contains distressing content and offensive language.
Read the Defining Moment on the end of the White Australia policy
Episode 6: Captivity Narratives
Australia’s convict history: prison or paradise?
The Hobart female factory and the experience of colonial women.
Explore the Museum’s collection of convict love tokens
Episode 7: The Stolen Generations
The history of forced removal of Indigenous children from their families.
The survival of Indigenous people and the impact of the national apology.
Explore the Defining Moment on the apology to the Stolen Generations
More on the Kinchela Boys Home gate
Episode 8: The Australian Way of Life
The Holden car and suburban life in postwar Australia, Cold War politics and America’s cultural influence.
Susan Carland and Waleed Aly on the influence of sport in Australian history.
Explore the Defining Moment on the Holden launch
Episode 9: Encounters
Stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resistance, survival and reconciliation from the Encounters exhibition.
Collaboration between Indigenous communities, the British Museum and National Museum with Susan Carland and Peter Yu.
Note: This webpage was first published in 2018. More recently some scholars have questioned the provenance of the shield in the exhibition.
Explore the Encounters classroom resource
Episode 10: Creating a Nation
Federation of the states and creation of the Commonwealth of Australia.
The achievements and dismissal of the Whitlam Government with Susan Carland and Jenny Hocking.
Episode 11: Australia’s First Terrorist?
Temporarily unavailable.
Episode 12: The Anzac Legend
The enduring significance of Anzac, its impact on Australian identity and a forgotten war at the heart of our history.
The history of Gallipoli pilgrimages with Susan Carland, Bruce Scates and Rebecca Wheatley.
About the project
Australian Journey was three years in the making, filmed across the length and breadth of the continent and involved more than 50 major cultural institutions. The series began at Monash University and was completed with the generous assistance of the Australian National University. Both universities worked in close collaboration with the National Museum of Australia.
The views expressed in this series are those of the authors and interviewees and do not necessarily reflect the view of their host institutions or the National Museum of Australia. The authors, presenters and interviewees assert moral rights over their work.
These episodes and interviews also on the Museum’s YouTube channel
