Indigenous Australia: resources

Freely available online

*NEW* – Yiwarra Kuju: The Canning Stock Route
Explore the richness of desert life today and the history of the stock route that transformed the lives of Aboriginal people from Wiluna to Halls Creek in Western Australia

Extremes: Survival in the great deserts of the southern hemisphere
Explore the science, cultural history and contemporary societies of great southern-hemisphere deserts including Australia's Red Centre.

A Different Time: The Expedition Photographs of Herbert Basedow 1903-1928
Teachers resources include units of work 'Indigenous know-how' and 'Arrerika on the team'; and a set of 34 photographs with a detailed description, downloadable in large format.

How did Aboriginal Australians resist British colonisation?
Explore four case studies dealing with different ways Aboriginal people have reacted to the British colonisation of Australia.

How do museums represent history?
Investigate and critically analyse how the Museum represents aspects of our past – includes a case study on representing the history of frontier conflict.

From Little Things Big Things Grow
What can objects tell us about the development of Indigenous Australians' rights over time?

The 1967 Referendum
Decide whether the 1967 Referendum was a major turning point for Indigenous citizenship rights or 'more show than substance'.

Indigenous rights and freedoms, 1957–75
Students are provided with a timeline of developments in Indigenous rights from the 1950s to the 1970s, with suggestions for ways that students can explore these events further.

First Australians: Telling our Indigenous stories
Investigate how the Museum tells stories about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures.

A walk through 'White Australia' at the National Museum of Australia
Investigates how our exhibitions represent the 'White Australia' issue in Australian History and asks students to decide whether this representation is fair and accurate.

Resources to order

Australian History Mysteries
A video, print and web resource – inquiry-based case studies, including 'Coniston massacre – What happened at Coniston in 1928?', 'Freedom Ride and 1967 Referendum – What do they tell us about Australian attitudes?', and 'What happened in a frontier conflict near Broome in 1864?'

First Australians: Plenty Stories

Written by the National Museum of Australia's Senior Indigenous Education Officer, Trish Albert, First Australians: Plenty Stories is a comprehensive resource for teaching Australian Indigenous studies in middle and upper primary.

First Australians: Plenty Stories Middle Primary Level Pack includes eight copies of each book, a poster set and a teacher resource book:

• Celebrating Survival Day
• Discovering Aboriginal Australia
• Fighting for Rights
• Indigenous Sporting Greats
• Kaisiana's Journey to Torres Strait
• Keeping Language Alive
• Keeping Strong Through Art
• Special Objects
• The Travelling Yamani: From the Ngadjon-jii People

First Australians: Plenty Stories Upper Primary Level Pack includes eight copies of each book, a poster set and a teacher resource book:

• Caring for Country
• It's More Than Art
• Kaurareg Mob
• Life at Mulga Bore
• Making a Difference
• Our Stories Through Art
• Remembering Coniston
• Unsung Hero
• Welcome to Mer Island

Individual elements from each pack can be ordered separately.

> More about First Australians: Plenty Stories

> Order First Australians: Plenty Stories from Pearson Australia

34 photographs by Herbert Basedow

View, read about and download large-format copies of these photographs taken by Herbert Basedown between 1903 and 1928. These 34 photographs have been annotated for teachers and students.

Audio-on-demand

Explore audio recordings of presentations about Indigenous culture and history in our audio-on-demand program.

First Australians: Gallery of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
Gain an overview of the largest gallery in the Museum, housing some 10,000 Indigenous objects.

Papunya Painting: Out of the Desert
Showcases the Museum's extraordinary collection of Western Desert Art

Yiwarra Kuju: The Canning Stock Route
Discover the stock route's impact on Aboriginal people, and the importance of the surrounding Country, through works of senior and emerging artists and stories of traditional custodians.

From Little Things Big Things Grow
Tells the largely unknown story of a group of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians who fought together for justice and equal rights for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Collaborating for Indigenous Rights
Explore the campaigns waged in postwar Australia to overturn discriminatory laws and expose racism.

Many Rhymes, One Rhythm
Explore the hip hop talents of kids from some of Australia's most remote locations. Includes audio, video and an interactive music mixer.

Resistance virtual tour
In the Resistance virtual tour, find 17 clickable hotspots that allow close examination of items on display and 4 curriculum-linked activities for students in Years 5 to 10.

Snapshots of Remote Communities
Primary school students celebrate the uniqueness and diversity of remote Australian communities through their photographs.

Batmania
A fun way to explore the people and events surrounding the foundation of Melbourne.

Bells Falls Gorge
Takes visitors on a virtual tour of a controversial Museum display which looks at the nature of the contact between Aboriginal people and those who arrived after 1788 and moved into frontier areas.

Mystery object: Torres Strait Islands
Learn about Torres Strait Islander history and culture and find clues about a mystery object's use and cultural significance.

Oscar's Sketchbook
Depictions of a young Aboriginal man's memories of growing up in far north Queensland.

Saibai Island Canoe
Use traditional fishing practices to catch fish, turtles and dugong from your Saibai Island canoe in preparation for a traditional Torres Strait Islander feast.