2007 National History Challenge

The theme for the 2007 Challenge is 'Lessons from the past'

The Challenge gives you the opportunity to learn the skills of an historian through an investigation of the past. We encourage you to conduct your investigation at a national level and identify and interrogate the story, object, person or mystery that portrays a lesson from the past.

Your investigation may reveal the immediate effect of the 'lesson' in its time and the way its effect has manifested over time.

The National Museum of Australia tells the stories of Australia through the themes of Land, Nation and People. It aims to explore the past, illuminate the present and imagine the future.

At the Museum we value aesthetic appeal, new ideas, innovation and creativity. We challenge you to be innovative and creative in your choice and depiction of the subject of your investigation. What can you tell us about a 'lesson from the past' by means of a multimedia museum display that relates to a specific event, topic, object or person from Australia's history?

The presentation format is 'free choice multimedia': your entry may be a research paper, DVD, Powerpoint presentation, book, 3D model, interactive, diary, website/page, theatrical performance, display board etc − the choice is yours!

The theme for the 2007 National History Challenge is 'Lessons from the past' however the Museum is asking you to consider lessons from the past in our social history as an extension of the theme. This provides a tremendous opportunity to investigate how people, events, objects, documents and such have influenced Australia's social history and the lessons we can draw from that history. You may like to consider a range of historical 'moments' and examine the effect they've had upon our Indigenous and non-Indigenous culture, society, environment and government.

There is an abundance of stories in the Museum's collection that tell us about lessons from the past in our social history. Among them are stories of conflict between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians; of the misuse and abuse of the land and the consequences of those actions; of the sacrifices made by Australians in theatres of war and the struggle for national and international identity; and stories of migration, including assimilation and immigration policies throughout our history.

Each of the Museum's galleries includes objects which tell of lessons learnt and not learnt in our social history. The Old New Land Gallery has, for instance, a preserved thylacine, a rabbit trap and a portion of the Rabbit Proof Fence, a bushfire danger sign, and a copy of Olegas Truchanas' photograph of Lake Pedder. Other galleries include stories on issues such as the Stolen Generations, Governmental Indigenous policies and reconciliation, Indigenous technology and preservation of the environment, the introduction of the car and the encroachment of suburbia, interstate rivalry demonstrated by the variation in state railway gauges and the morse code machine, and issues of migration and migration policies as demonstrated by the Afghan camel driver's shoes − just to name a few.

The difficulty will be deciding which one to choose!

You are invited in this special category of the National History Challenge to develop a museum display that depicts a lesson from the past in Australian social history.

You might choose to create a museum display on one of the following objects/themes. To help you do this, view more objects in the slideshow.

Thylacine, Tasmania, early 20th Century.

1. Thylacine, Tasmania, early 20th Century: biodiversity, endangered species, extinction, encroachment of habitat by humans and introduced species.

2. Forest bushfire danger sign, ACT, 1999: Indigenous and non-Indigenous use of fire, fire-fighting and prevention strategies, fire safety, living in a fire-prone environment.

3. Pelaco shirt advertisement 1936−1950: racism, paternalism, co-opting of indigenous culture, societal values and attitudes.

Anbarra fish trap.

4. ANZAC banner: sacrifice and self-sacrifice in war, expressions of national identity, monarchism and independence.

5. Railway gauges: state rivalry (eg in communication− overland telegraph race, broadband communication; finance − allocation of funds and GST revenue) or transport − road vs rail, high speed rail options, 'The Spirit of Progress'.

6. Anbarra Fish trap, NT, 2000: Indigenous technology, comparison of Indigenous/European land use,
conservation of resources.

Protest sticker and poster 'No Dams', 1980s.

7. Bomaderry suitcase, NSW, date unknown (before 1988): 'What ever could fit in it, it's all the kids could keep with them' (Julie Freeman 1997): Stolen Generations, reconciliation, Governmental Indigenous policies, integrity and maintenance of Indigenous culture.

8. Poster for the FJ Holden movie, 1977 (Kevin and the Love of his Life): women in advertisements, women in film, women's rights, women's achievements (not just in sport), attitudes towards women in Australia, women's issues in Australia (equal pay, childcare, abortion, women in war etc).

9. FJ Holden car, 1955: reliance on cars, transport infrastructure, expansion of suburbia, local manufacture vs imports, travel and independence, road safety, private vs public transport.

10. Protest sticker and poster 'No Dams', 1980s: listing of wilderness areas, conservation, logging, wilderness activism.

In developing a museum display, it is important to recognise that there may be a range of different historical, social and political perspectives that you will need to consider. There may also be a variety of evidence that you need to present, which illustrates different points of view on the theme or lesson from the past that you have chosen.

Be sure to:

• identify the lesson from the past
• focus on testimony/witness to the story
• identify the social significance, including its effects on values, attitudes and beliefs
• show a variety of evidence
• give your own opinion
• include community response
• provide any Government justification.

In selecting and displaying the stories, images or objects that you will use to illustrate your museum display, ensure that you place them within an appropriate historical and social context. Conduct research to learn how the stories, images or objects fit into the broader theme.

Your display should combine historical research with innovative display techniques to produce an informative, insightful and engaging exhibition on lessons from the past in Australia's social history.

In developing a museum display, consider the following:

• What stories do you want to tell? What change do you want to convey?
• Who is your audience?
• What look and feel do you want your museum display to have?
• How does this reflect the content?
• How would you like your audience to interact with your display?
• Consider building an interactive element into your display.

In addition, you should ensure that:

• Labels are relevant and appropriate and support the evidence. Consider the length of your labels. How much text will your audience read?
• There is continuity of language and style throughout the display. Your display is supported by historical research.
• Different media − for example audio, visual and tactile − is utilised in your display where appropriate.
• All objects, images, audio etc are sourced and credited.
  For example:
• Loveday internment camp, 1940s
  National Museum of Australia
• There is a balance of text/objects/images/audio etc, (with exception of research paper).
• Your display complements the materials/information it presents.
• Most importantly, be creative!

Making it easy in 2007 for you and your students

Be inspired by our:

Museum galleries and collections

• objects
• modules
• limitless choice of content/subject matter.

Education programs

• Springboard into historical sources
• Springboard into museum exhibits
• Interpreting the Museum.
  

For more information contact:

National History Challenge
National Museum of Australia
Education Section
Ph: (02) 6208 5119
Fax: (02) 6208 5198
Email: schools@nma.gov.au

National Museum of Australia
GPO Box 1901
Canberra ACT 2601
www.nma.gov.au/education