Exploring Australia's iconic objects and images

When you think of 'Australia' what are the first images that pop into your head? Perhaps you imagine the red outback or the Sydney Harbour Bridge, or maybe our sunny beaches.

In Symbols of Australia students investigate Australia's iconic objects and images through object handling and gallery exploration, and consider how representative these symbols are of Australia's identity or identities.

Details

Year levels	P–4
Group size	30 students – two groups can run concurrently
Duration	75 minutes
Cost	$5 per student
Availability	Tuesday–Friday 10am, 12pm, 3pm
Curriculum links	Australian History curriculum links to our programs (178kb PDF)

Aims

Introduce students to the concept of a symbols.
Enable students to make connections between familiar symbols and how they represent the Australian identity or identities.

Structure

Introductory activity – students are introduced to the concept of a symbol. Working in groups, students investigate a collection of objects that symbolise an aspect of Australian life.
Gallery activity - students explore the Museum's galleries and participate in a Symbols of Australia treasure hunt, looking for iconic objects that embody an aspect of our national identity or identities.
Reflection – students share with the class the iconic objects they found most interesting in the Museum gallery and discuss the kinds of objects that could become symbols of Australia in the future.

Exploring the Museum

You may like to allow extra time to visit other exhibitions and to explore other places in the Museum, such as Circa and Kspace. For everything you need to know about visiting, see Plan and book a visit.

Related resources

You may also be interested in this teacher resource:

Between the Flags – an education kit that explores the history of surf lifesaving in Australia.

and these interactives:

Citizen's Arch – explore the symbols and designs on the 1901 Citizen's Arch
The First Golden Age of Cricket – investigate the lockers of some of Australia's famous cricketers

You can also see the full list of resources related to Australian history.