Making Australia

(3-4 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Syllabus Link: https://www.sydney.edu.au/units/HSTY1089 This unit introduces students to Australian history from the convict period to the present, examining frontier violence, the making of a nation state, and the manifold transformations of the twentieth century. Taking advantage of the university's location, the unit uses Sydney-area museums and site visits to bring Australia's past to life. FA - Fremantle, Australia (AL & BA): In a little over two centuries since the arrival of the first European settlers, Australians have transformed the face of their continent. This course begins by looking at the social, environmental and military consequences of the 18th century decision to build a British convict society on aboriginal land. To what extent were the colonists successful in recreating the political world and social inequalities of British society in the antipodes? How did the Australian people forge a new identity in the land that Wentworth called a `New Britannia¿ and Henry Lawson described as a `young tree green¿. This course turns common perceptions about Australian history on its head, searching for the origins of modern Australian identity in the tumultuous, inspiring and extraordinary stories of eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth century Australia. In addition to this, students will consider such fundamental issues as the politics and manufacture of history in Australia, the use of evidence and sources by historians, and the skills and practice of history itself. This course is ideally suited to students planning to take a major in history or preparing to teach within the national curriculum framework, and will be a useful elective to complement studies in a wide range of disciplines offered by the University.