Stage 5 History (Mandatory) has been designed to provide students with an understanding of Australian history since 1901.

There are five focus issues, which form the basis of students’ knowledge and understanding of Australia’s history from 1901 to the present.
The content is divided into seven topics. Each topic contains a number of areas of study. Inquiry questions are provided to define the scope of inquiry for each area of study. These questions are derived from the focus issues.
At the end of this stage, students should have a broad understanding of each of the five focus issues as it relates to Australian history across the period 1901 to the present. The course allows for flexible programming approaches to achieve this.
All students must complete a site study. Appropriate support should be provided to enable access to site studies for all students, including students with special education needs.

Topics – History (Mandatory) Stage 5

Principal Focus

The study of Australian history, incorporating aspects of civics and citizenship, from 1901 to the present. Refer to description of prior learning from Stages 2 and 3 (on page 27 of the printed document).

Focus Issues

1. What has been the nature of the relationship between Australia and the rest of the world?
2. What have been the significant developments in Australia’s political history?
3. What have been the significant developments in Australia’s social and cultural history?
4. What has been the changing nature of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal relations in Australia?
5. How have the rights and freedoms of various gender, cultural, social and economic groups changed?

Topic	Areas of Study	Inquiry Questions
1. Australian Social and Political Life to 1914	Federation and Australia’s Constitution Living and working conditions Suffrage and franchise White Australia The Aboriginal experience	How and why did Federation occur? What are the main features of Australia’s Constitution? How did Federation affect Australia’s links to England? What was life like in Australia at the beginning of the 20th century? Was Australia a working man’s paradise? Which groups in Australian society could not vote in 1901? How did women achieve voting rights? How did the voting rights of various groups in Australia compare with the rest of the world? Why did Australia restrict non-white immigration? What were the main features of the White Australia Policy? How did the White Australia Policy reflect Australia’s view of Asia and indigenous peoples? What forms of dispossession were carried out against Aboriginal people? How was paternalism applied to Aboriginal peoples? How was the policy of protection implemented?
Topics	Areas of Study	Inquiry Questions
2. Australia and World War I	Gallipoli campaign and the Anzac legend Aspects of the homefront	Why did Australia become involved in World War I? What were the main aspects of Australia’s involvement in the Gallipoli campaign? How did events at Gallipoli create the Anzac legend? What were the arguments for and against conscription? How did the conscription debates divide Australians? What impact did the war have on the role of women?
Topic	Areas of Study	Inquiry Questions
3. Australia between the Wars	Social change in the 1920s The Depression Stolen generations	How and why did Australian society and culture change in the 1920s? What aspects remained the same? How and why was Australia affected by the Great Depression? What were the differing experiences of various groups in Australia during the Great Depression? How did governments respond to the problems caused by the Great Depression? How and why were Aboriginal children removed from their families? What have been the consequences of these policies? What was the Day of Mourning and why was it important in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal relations?
Topic	Areas of Study	Inquiry Questions
4. Australia and World War II	The defence of Australia Aspects of the homefront	Why was Australia involved in World War II? What were some of the experiences of Australians as a result of their involvement in the war? How did Australia’s relationship with England and the USA change during World War II? How and why did the Federal Government introduce conscription and censorship on the Australian homefront? What was the role of women on the Australian homefront during World War II?
Topic	Areas of Study	Inquiry Questions
5. Post-war Australia to the 1970s	Citizenship and migrant Australians Citizenship and Aboriginal Australians Anti-communism and the Vietnam War Changing roles of women Popular culture	How and why did Australia’s patterns of migration change? What contribution did migrants make to Australia’s social, cultural and economic development? What was assimilation and how was it applied to both migrants and Aboriginal people? What did Aboriginal people achieve as a result of the protest movements from the 1940s to 1972? What issues did the 1967 referendum address? How did the policy of assimilation change to integration in relation to migrants and Aboriginal people? How did the Australian government respond to the threat of communism in Australia? Why was Australia involved in the Vietnam War? How did various groups respond to Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War? What were the goals, methods and successes of the women’s liberation movement? How did the attitude and role of women and men in Australian society change? How and why did American popular culture influence Australian society?
Topic	Areas of Study	Inquiry Questions
6. Social and Political Issues from the 1970s to the 1990s	Relations with Asia Multiculturalism 1975 constitutional crisis Feminism Aboriginal issues	How have Australia’s relations with Asian nations changed? Why was the policy of multiculturalism introduced? How has multiculturalism influenced Australian society? What has been the impact of multiculturalism on Australian society? Why and how was the Whitlam government dismissed? What legislation was introduced by federal and State governments to counter gender discrimination? What impact did the feminist movement of the 1970s and 1980s have on attitudes and practices within society and the workplace? What steps took place leading to the recognition of land rights and native title? How have traditional views about Australia’s history been challenged by the end of terra nullius? Why was there a Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody?
Topic	Areas of Study	Inquiry Questions
7. Contemporary Australia	Egalitarianism and diversity in Australian society Towards reconciliation Republicanism Heritage and environmental issues	Is Australia an egalitarian society? How have images of being ‘Australian’ changed? What is meant by self-determination and reconciliation? What are the arguments for and against an Australian republic? What have been some of the major developments in the move towards an Australian republic? How and why have Australians sought to preserve their natural and built heritage?