What does the National Museum of Australia tell us about 'White Australia' attitudes and policies from 1850 to today?
Curriculum areas: Australian history, historical skills, Indigenous culture & history
Years: 9–12
Key curriculum links: Time, Continuity and Change; Culture; Natural and Social Systems; Investigation, Communication and Participation
Investigates how a National Museum of Australia exhibition displays represent the 'White Australia' issue in Australian history and asks students to decide whether this representation is fair and accurate. Activities included in this unit cover the following topics:
- What do National Museum displays tell us about White Australia? (includes the gold rushes, Afghans, Quong Tart, Pacific Island and Torres Strait Island labourers, Japanese, Immigration Restriction Act 1901, Sweat Box, European migration to Australia in the early 20th century, refugees, Indigenous rights)
- another representation of White Australia
- how well the National Museum of Australia represents the White Australia issue
- A walk through 'White Australia' (PDF 15.8 MB)
Full, colour
- A walk through 'White Australia' (PDF 867.7 KB)
Black and white – smaller file size
