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Year 8 NSW
Topic : Shaping Australian identity and creating heritage
In this topic you will learn...
Chapter 1 :
Difficulties faced by migrants and the lasting impact on Australia
The gold rushes brought tremendous waves of immigration to Australia
Victoria and New South Wales witnessed the largest waves of immigration
Immigration continued long after the gold rush had slowed
'Canvas towns' were set up to house the newly arrived migrants
Several policies were introduced to prevent non-Anglo immigrants entering Australia
The White Australia policy continued for many years
Chapter 2 :
People's roles, rights and democracy
Early justice was conducted under rough mob rule
Ex-convicts frequently abused their new powers as troopers
The gold licence was the most hated of all restrictions
Governor Charles Hotham demanded that licence inspections be carried out twice a week
The tradition of a 'fair go' has its origins in the gold rush period
The Eureka rebellion forced changes to the social system
Chapter 3 :
The Eureka Stockade
Democracy developed rapidly in Australia during the 1850s
One event that sparked changes in the government system was the Eureka Stockade, a rebellion that happened on Victoria`s goldfields
Miners on the goldfields felt they were unfairly treated by the authorities and that rich and powerful people were given special treatment
When a wealthy hotel owner was declared not guilty of killing a miner, a series of riots and protests took place with miners demanding more rights on the goldfields and in parliament
Some miners took up weapons and built a barricade to defend themselves against the government but they were defeated by soldiers some days later
Most Victorians sympathised with the miners
A public inquiry into the incident led to fairer systems on the goldfields and in parliament itself
Chapter 4 :
James McBrien, Caroline Chisholm and Ned Kelly
James McBrien was the first European to discover gold in Australia
Colonial authorities suppressed news of gold discoveries
Caroline Chisholm was a tireless worker for women`s and miners` rights
Chisholm rehabilitated over one thousand women in two years
Ned Kelly was one of the most notorious figures to come from the gold rush era
A petition with 30,000 signatures was submitted to the Governor, pleading for Kelly`s release
This topic includes
12 colour images
3 flash animations
20 activities
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