Investigating Heritage

What contribution did migrants make to Australia’s social, cultural and economic development? What was the Day of Mourning and why was it important in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal relations? What did Aboriginal people achieve as a result of the protest movements from the 1940s to 1972?

New Italy and Australian Hall are linked to investigations focusing on citizenship issues for migrant Australians and Aboriginal Australians in post World War II Australia.

• Examine the images and text information relating to New Italy and Australian Hall. What can the buildings, artefacts and relics tell us about the past? Look for evidence of events, migration, ethnic influences, environment and townships.
• Now look at the other materials related to these places. Focus on the actions, concerns and initiatives of both groups in post-war Australia. What attitudes and values come through in these materials?
• Look at the issues that confronted Aboriginal people who attended the Australian Hall ‘Day of Mourning and Protest’ conference and the influence of their demands on future indigenous activism.
• What civil rights issues were central to the 1957 meeting of the Aboriginal-Australian Fellowship at Sydney Town Hall? How do the central issues of the 1938 and 1957 meetings compare with the key areas of indigenous activism today?
  History M5.2
• Identify the issues and challenges confronting Italian immigrants who settled in the north of NSW. What factors contributed to a sense of identity amongst settler groups and Aboriginal peoples? What can New Italy and Australian Hall tell us about the experience of citizenship and civil rights in Australia in the period following World War II?
  History M5.16
• Reflect on the elements of the past that these groups have preserved. How do you think they decided what was worth preserving?

Investigating Heritage and Citizenship

• Examine census records for changes in the demographics of your community since World War II. (link)
• Talk to older family members or others in your community about the books they read, the music they listened to and religious practices in the years following World War II.
• Compare the information you gather with contemporary approaches in these areas.
• Focus on the challenges confronting two communities in contemporary Australia:
  rural Australian communities, and activists for Aboriginal rights and freedoms.
  Local, state or national newspaper articles could provide a starting point for your investigation.
• Identify the key issues for the community. What changes are being advocated? Is there community resolve to hold onto something from the past that is valued and considered important to present and future generations?
  Values and Attitudes — develops respect and acceptance of cultural diversity
• Compare past ideas and assumptions with those coming through in contemporary media reports and other materials. What can past issues and events tell us about the challenges faced by Australian communities in contemporary times? Are there any indications of continuity in the attitudes and values presented?
  History M5.10
• Contact community members who are politically or civically active for their views and input. How do communities decide what they will fight for when facing political or economic challenges and pressures?

Extension

• Consider the way social and political issues feature in the literature, music and/or religion of the community/communities being investigated. What aspects of the past are represented in songs, books and religious practices? How can these contribute to an understanding of contemporary discussions? Why is some of the past preserved and some lost?
• Present your ideas about the importance of a song, book or religious tradition to the cultural identity and sense of kinship within an Australian community.