HIST 2083 - Colonial Australia: Conflict and Consensus

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2017

This subject offers a critical examination of Australian people and culture from the earliest days of European settlement until the federation of the colonies in 1901. It explores the economic, social and cultural impact of colonisation and emigration on both newcomers and Aboriginal peoples. It also considers conflict over access to land, mineral wealth, political power and the control of working conditions. At the heart of the course lie questions about the origins of contemporary Australia: Was the continent settled or invaded? Did Aborigines resist colonisation, and if so, how? Were convicts slaves or was their punishment just? Were explorers and pastoralists heroes or land-grabbers and environment vandals? Were all migrants welcome and did they settle peacefully? How important was gold and other minerals in ensuring the survival of the colonies? What role did women and workers play in creating a nation? What sort of rights were they denied? And was the Australian character - defined by resilience, athleticism, courage in the face of adversity, and loyalty to one's mates - established well before Federation or the brave acts of ANZAC soldiers at Gallipoli? Students will have the opportunity to explore these questions, and others, during the course and also contemplate South Australia's distinctive place in the nation's history.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code HIST 2083
    Course Colonial Australia: Conflict and Consensus
    Coordinating Unit Historical and Classical Studies
    Term Semester 1
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 3 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y
    Prerequisites At least 12 units of Level I undergraduate study
    Course Description This subject offers a critical examination of Australian people and culture from the earliest days of European settlement until the federation of the colonies in 1901. It explores the economic, social and cultural impact of colonisation and emigration on both newcomers and Aboriginal peoples. It also considers conflict over access to land, mineral wealth, political power and the control of working conditions. At the heart of the course lie questions about the origins of contemporary Australia: Was the continent settled or invaded? Did Aborigines resist colonisation, and if so, how? Were convicts slaves or was their punishment just? Were explorers and pastoralists heroes or land-grabbers and environment vandals? Were all migrants welcome and did they settle peacefully? How important was gold and other minerals in ensuring the survival of the colonies? What role did women and workers play in creating a nation? What sort of rights were they denied? And was the Australian character - defined by resilience, athleticism, courage in the face of adversity, and loyalty to one's mates - established well before Federation or the brave acts of ANZAC soldiers at Gallipoli? Students will have the opportunity to explore these questions, and others, during the course and also contemplate South Australia's distinctive place in the nation's history.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr Paul Sendziuk

    Course Staff

    Dr Paul Sendziuk
    paul.sendziuk@adelaide.edu.au
    Napier 512
    Ph: 8313 7562
    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

    1. recognise the value of a wide range of methodologies, conceptual approaches and the impact of competing narratives

    2. be able to locate, identify and analyse relevant primary and secondary sources in order to construct evidence-based arguments

    3. think independently and critically, using appropriate methodologies and technologies, to engage with historical problems

    4. communicate effectively, in a range of spoken and written formats, within the conventions of the discipline of history

    5. contribute productively to group-based activities

    6. demonstrate the skills of an historian which are appropriate for performing a range of professional roles, undertaking leadership positions, and sustaining lifelong learning, including: information technology skills to manage data and to communicate, skills in collaborative and self-directed problem-solving, a habit of academic rigour, and sensitivity to intercultural and ethical issues

    7. show a sensitivity to the diversity of historical cultures and the ethical implications of historical enquiry within a global context

    8. demonstrate a critical, self-reflective approach to the study of history, based on respect and mutual responsibility
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Deep discipline knowledge
    • informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
    • acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
    • accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
    1
    Critical thinking and problem solving
    • steeped in research methods and rigor
    • based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
    • demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
    2, 3
    Teamwork and communication skills
    • developed from, with, and via the SGDE
    • honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
    • encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
    4, 5
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    6
    Intercultural and ethical competency
    • adept at operating in other cultures
    • comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
    • able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
    • demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
    7
    Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
    • a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
    • open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
    • able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
    8
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    A reading pack, containing the texts that need to be read prior to each tutorial discussion, will be available for purchase at the start of the course from the University Online Shop (accessible through 'Unified') and picked up from the Image and Copy Centre.

    A reading list identifying the articles and chapters that are required to be read prior to the tutorial discussions will be distributed during the first week of semester. (It will be available on the subject's Canvas webpage in the week before classes begin.)
    Recommended Resources
    There is no 'textbook' for this course. The following books provide accessible and interesting overviews of Australian history and it would be useful to own one of them for reference purposes.

    Stuart Macintyre, A Concise History of Australia, 3rd edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

    Deborah Gare and David Ritter (eds), Making Australian History: Perspectives on the Past Since 1788, Melbourne: Thompson, 2008.
    Online Learning
    The course has a website, accessible through Canvas. Please consult it regularly for updates, lecture notes, additional resources.

    The University has access to a number of academic journals that have full text articles available online. Use the ‘Informit’ and ‘APAIS’ (APA-FT) databases (on the Library’s catalogue) to locate articles in these journals (particularly Australian Historical Studies, Journal of Australian Colonial History, Journal of Colonialism and Colonial History, Aboriginal History, Journal of Australian Studies, Journal of Australian Colonial History, and Australian Journal of Politics and History).

    Librarians at the Barr-Smith library have also compiled a very useful guide to sources on Australian History held by the University. This can be accessed online at:
    http://libguides.adelaide.edu.au/australia
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    Face-to-face teaching on campus consisting of two lectures and one tutorial per week. Classes begin in Week 1 of semester. Student groups will also visit either (or both) the archives/manuscript section of the State Library and the State Records of South Australia.

    Attendance at the lectures is important as they provide the context for the tutorial discussions and introduce themes and personalities that students will encounter in the more sophisticated tutorial readings. The final quiz will be based on information provided in the lectures.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    Students will need to devote approximately 12 hours per week to this course (divided over 12 weeks of study). This consists of 2 x 1-hour lectures and one tutorial per week, and 9 hours per week of independent study, during which time students will prepare for tutorials and work on assignments.
    Learning Activities Summary
    The following lecture and tutorial topics are indicative only and subject to change. Course material is constantly being updated and revised to incorporate the latest scholarship and topics of debate. 

    Schedule
    Week 1 Introduction 1. Looking for Australians: Introduction to the course
    2. Australia’s first inhabitants and European exploration
    Tutorial: Introduction
    Week 2 The Decision to Colonise and to Come 1. Decision to colonise Australia
    2. Who were the convicts?
    Tutorial: Convicts and their nature: 'more sinned against than sinning'?
    Week 3 History in the Making 1. Making history in the archives : Researching in State Records and the State Library
    2. A picture speaks a thousand words - discovering Australian History through colonial art 
    Tutorial: Field work trip to either the State Archives or the State Library
    Week 4 Frontiers, Foundations and Historiographical Controversies 1. Aboriginal resistance and violence on the frontier
    2. Penal settlements and freedom
    Tutorial: Frontier violence
    Week 5 Unruly Settlement 1. No Convicts Here: South Australia’s Foundation Myth 
    2. Bigge, Molesworth and the end of convict transportation in NSW
    Tutorial: Convict women, work and sexuality
    Week 6 Founding WA and SA and the Rule of Law 1. The Proposition - screening of the film
    2. A tale of two colonies: Founding WA (Swan River) and SA
    Tutorial: South Australia and the rule of law
    Week 7 The Rush that Never Ended 1. The social and economic impact of the discovery of gold - the key turning point in 19thC history? 
    2. Democracy and responsible government
    Tutorial: Eureka! We’ve struck gold!
    Week 8 Land Settlement & Environmental History 1. The great land grab: squatters and selectors
    2. Droughts and flooding rains: Water dreamers on the margins of the good earth
    Tutorial: Squatters, selectors and the Kelly Outbreak
    Week 9 City and the Bush, 'Proddies' and 'Cathlicks' 1. The Bush Legend, the Pioneer Legend, the Australian Legend
    2. Urbanisation and modernity in late Colonial Australia
    Tutorial: Sectarian strife
    Week 10 Workers, Unions and Migrants 1. A working man’s paradise? 
    2. The motives for immigration restriction and the White Australia Policy
    Tutorial: The Great Strike and the rise of labour

    Week
    11

    Social Protest and Political Change 1. More than the vote: Advancements for women
    2. Feedback on the research essay
    Tutorial: Explaining the emergence of 'first wave' Australian Feminism

     Week
     12

    Colonial Nationalism 1. Australians at war
    2. Answering the Big Questions in Australian colonial history - course recap
    Tutorial: Proto-nationalist sentiment in the Australian colonies
    Small Group Discovery Experience
    In essence, tutorial discussions in the Humanities epitomise small-group discoveries: students come together to share and contest what they have learned from the assigned readings, and to jointly respond to historical questions and problems that have been set by the tutor. During most tutorials, therefore, students will be examining questions and texts in small groups of 3 or 4 people.

    In this course, students will also have the opportunity to participate in a small group research project. The outcome of this research will be an organised debate between teams of students.
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    ASSESSMENT TASK                  TASK TYPE       WEIGHTING         COURSE LEARNING OUTCOME(S)

    2,500-word Research Essay         Summative         50%                      1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8

    Choice: Group Debate or
         2,000-word Critical Review      Summative        30%                      1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

    Final Quiz                                    Summative        20%                      1, 3, 4
    Assessment Related Requirements
    Participation in tutorials is a compulsory component of the course. Students must attend at least 80% of tutorials to pass (unless a medical certificate is provided or extra written-responses to the tutorial questions are submitted). Please inform your tutor prior to the tutorial if you are unable to attend. It is often possible to ‘make-up’ a tutorial at another time.
    Assessment Detail
    There are three assessment tasks for this course. The first task is a research essay, which will develop students' skills in critical analysis, evaluation of evidence, and written communication. The second offers students a choice: to join a group and participate in an organised in-class debate or to write a critical review of two books. The group project will give students an opportunity to make some new friends, test their creativity and enhance their skills in oral and visual communication. The final quiz will then test knowledge gained throughout the course, with questions derived mainly from the lectures.

    1. Research Essay
    Students are required to write one 2,500-word research essay, based on both primary and secondary sources. You may choose from a list of topics (to be provided), or devise your own with the approval of your tutor. You will need to critically engage with the historiography related to the topic, and vigorously construct an argument with reference to primary and secondary source evidence. As much as possible, try to draw substantially on primary sources of evidence.

    2. Choice: In-Class Group Debate
    Students will form teams of 3 members and have 2-3 weeks to prepare an argument 'for' or 'against' a statement relating to a historical issue. Teams will then present their argument in the form of an Oxford-style debate to take place during tutorial in Weeks 8-11. For example, if the statement is "Ned Kelly was a hero", individuals on one team will take turns in making arguments in agreement with this statement and they will be opposed by a team disagreeing with them. Students will be assessed on the basis of the logic and validity of their argument, their use of examples to support their points, their level of organisation and team-work, and their ability to communicate with passion and persuasion. There will also be an opportunity for the audience to ask questions.

    Or: Critical Review of Two Texts
    Students who choose not to participate in the group project will write a 2,000-word critical review of two texts (at least one of which must be a book) selected from the reading list corresponding to a tutorial topic. 

    In writing your critical review, students should consider the following points:

    1. What are the authors aiming to do? Are they successful in fulfilling these aims?
    2. What do the authors argue?
    3. How do the authors deal with opposing arguments?
    4. What types of evidence do the authors use to construct their arguments? Is this evidence convincing? What evidence do the authors ignore?
    5. Are the authors influenced by a particular theory or methodological approach? Is this approach warranted?
    6. Are the authors’ arguments convincing? (You should assess this by comparing the different arguments and evidence presented by each author. You might also consult 2-3 other texts on the same topic.)
    7. What special tricks or strategies do the writers employ to make their points? These strategies may include the organisation of the text and the choice of language and examples.

    In order to see how professional historians and critics organise and write book reviews, students might wish to read some. The journals Australian Historical Studies and Journal of Australian Studies contain generally well-written book reviews in every edition.

    3. Quizzes
    There will be two quizzes, each consisting of 20 short-answer questions, held during the last lecture before the mid-semester break (Week 6) and the last lecture of the course (Week 12). They will be based entirely on content delivered in the lectures. Thus those students who attend regularly and review their notes will be rewarded. The duration of each quiz will be 40 mins.
    Submission
    All essays are to be submitted electronically via Canvas - this is a two-step process. The essay needs to be electronically submitted for marking via the ‘Assignments’ link in the course menu. It then needs to be submitted separately to Turnitin, which is also done via the Canvas site. Marked assignments will be returned to the student in printed form.

    Essays must be submitted BEFORE 12pm (noon) on/before the due date. A record will be kept of the date of submission.

    Extensions will be given on the grounds of hardship or illness. If, as often happens, several essays are due close to each other, you should plan your schedule so that you complete one or more before the deadline. Applications for an extension should be made in writing and submitted to your tutor well before the date that the assignment is due.

    Students who submit an essay late, without having gained an extension, will be liable to a penalty of 3% per day that the essay is overdue. Depending on the circumstances, essays more than five days late (including weekends) will be eligible for a Pass or Fail grade only.
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

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    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

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