Associate Professor Paul Sendziuk

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

Texts that are required readings for each tutorial, will be available in Course Readings on the MyUni site for this course.

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.

Please consult the MyUni webpage for this course, as it contains all the information concerning lectures, tutorials and assignments. 

The University has access to a significant 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).

Face-to-face teaching on campus consisting of two lectures and one tutorial per week. Depending on guidelines at the time, lectures may be held in-person (but will definitely posted online). Lectures and tutorials commence in Week 1 of semester. 

Watching/listening to 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 entirely based on information provided in the lectures.

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.

Course material is constantly being updated and revised to incorporate the latest scholarship and topics of debate, so a detailed breakdown of lecture and tutorial topics will not be available until near the start of semester. 

However, the topics canvassed in the course will include, but are not limited to:

• The exploration and settlement of Australia
• Relations with Australia's first nation's people
• The convict era
• Frontier contact and frontier violence
• Squatters and selectors
• The Gold Rush
• Democracy and responsible government
• The emergence of an Australian identity
• A working man's paradise: the growth of the union movement
• The Suffrage movement
• Federation

Priority will be given to the development of research skills and may include archive and library visits, but this will depend on what restrictions may be in place during the semester.

ASSESSMENT TASK                  TASK TYPE       WEIGHTING         COURSE LEARNING OUTCOME(S)

2,500-word research essay         Summative         55%                     1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8

Choice:
2,000-word critical review           Summative         30%                     1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
or
In-class group debate

Final Quiz                                   Summative         15%                     1, 3, 4

Participation in tutorials is a compulsory component of the course. Students must attend at least 80% of tutorials to qualify to pass the course (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.

There are three assessment tasks in Colonial Australia. You can choose between two options for the 1st assesment task: either write an (individual) critical analysis of two historical texts, or participate in an in-class group debate. The group project will give you an opportunity to make some new friends, test your creativity and enhance your skills in collaboration and oral communication. The 2nd assessment task, the research essay, will develop your skills in critical analysis, evaluation of evidence and written communication. The final quiz will test knowledge gained throughout the course, with questions derived from the lecture material. Students who work consistently throughout the semester, reading widely and attending classes, will be rewarded in the quiz.

1. Group Debate or Critical Analysis (choose one of these options):

(a) 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 either Week 5, 6 or 8. For example, if the statement is "The Whitlam Government did not deserve to be 'dismissed' in 1975", 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 and peer evaluation.

(b) Critical Analysis of Two Scholarly Texts
Students who choose not to participate in the group project will write a 2,000-word critical analysis of two texts (1 book and either a book chapter or scholarly journal article) selected from the reading list corresponding to a tutorial topic. Students are required to read the texts in their entirety and submit their critical analysis before the due date. Students cannot choose 'primary sources' (such as memoirs) or edited collections of essays (i.e. a book with many authors) as one of the books.

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

What do the authors argue?
How do the authors deal with opposing arguments?
What types of evidence do the authors use to construct their arguments? Is this evidence convincing? What evidence do the authors ignore?
Are the authors influenced by a particular theory or methodological approach? Is this approach warranted?
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.)
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.

2. 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.

3. Final Quiz
The quiz will consist of approximately 25 short-answer questions and be based entirely on content delivered in the lectures. Students who always watch the lectures, and regularly review their notes, will thus be rewarded. The quiz must be taken in person and will be held during tutorial time.

To help students prepare for the quiz, a Google Doc will be created where students can post questions that they think might be asked (a Google Doc account is not required). The course coordinator will occasionally 'cull' these questions to eliminate the implausible ones. A portion of the quiz questions will then be selected from the suggested questions that remain.

All essays are to be submitted electronically via MyUni.

Essays must be submitted 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 the faculty at least 3 days before the submission date.

Students who submit an essay late, without having gained an extension, will be liable to a penalty of 2% per day that the essay is overdue.