Making timelines is an activity in which we have all participated at some time or another.

Here are three timelines. These collections of events provide another means of investigating Australia's past and trying to identify what we mean by 'Our Heritage'. These three timelines show three different ways in which historical events can be organised to help identify threads of meaning in Australian history.

Making timelines is an activity in which we have all participated at some time or another. We frequently refer to time periods in history with such terms as the Rock'n'Roll Generation, the Swinging Sixties, the Depression Years or the Menzies Era.

We are used to making lists - the ten best Australian movies of all-time, the top ten sports-people, the ten events that shaped Australian the Australian economy.

These activities help us develop our understanding of different perceptions of time, they allow us to become familiar with the many different conventions used to describe historical periods and the passing of time. And they help us to build frameworks that show the importance of people, events and historical forces at work in our developing understanding of the changing world and the changing ways in which we understand the past.

Selecting and organising these important people, events and ideas helps us understand why histories have been put together the way they have and why our understanding of the past is shaped by the changing ideas of what we think are important.

The New South Wales Stages 4-5 History Syllabus identifies ways in which these timelines can be used in the classroom to help students learn to collect, analyse and organise historical information.

Knowledge and Understanding
Objectives A student develops knowledge and understanding about:	Outcomes A student:
the chronology of Australian history since 1901	M5.1 - recounts major historical events in chronological order M5.2 - sequences major historical events to show understanding of continuity, change and causation
Australia's relationship with the rest of the world	M5.3 - recounts some world events in which Australia has been involved M5.4 - explains the impact of international events on Australia's history and evaluates Australia's contribution to world affairs
significant developments in Australia's political history	M5.5 - recounts some of the key events and developments in Australian political history M5.6 - explains political events and evaluates their impact on civic life in Australia
significant developments in Australia's social and cultural history	M5.7 - describes major features of social and cultural life at different times in Australia's history M5.8 - compares and contrasts the social and cultural experiences of different people at various times
the changing nature of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal relations in Australian history	M5.9 - recounts some major events in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal relations M5.10 - accounts for how and why the nature of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal relations has changed
the changing rights and freedoms of various gender, cultural, social and economic groups.	M5.11 - identifies various marginalised groups who have struggled for rights and freedoms M5.12 - accounts for how and why the rights and freedoms of various groups in Australian society have changed.