Australian History: the past and present and its connection with a diverse world

Travel from colonial Australia through to the development of Australia as a nation, inspecting works of art that highlight events, ideas and people’s contribution to society after 1900.

Using works of art as a platform, this tour may explore the following key inquiry questions:

● Why and how did Australia become a nation?

● How did Australian society change throughout the twentieth century?

● Who were the people who came to Australia? Why did they come?

● What contribution have significant individuals and groups made to the development of Australian society?

Below are a range of resources to support your visit.

Guided or self-guided?

You can opt for a free tour led by our experienced volunteer Gallery Guides. Or you can shape your own tour with a self-guided visit – you don’t have to be a specialist art teacher, just follow our simple tips.

Guided visits may be available with 4 weeks notice, however Guides can not be guaranteed. We ask that you are always prepared to self guide. A guided visit is an experience designed to engage students with works of art. While our volunteer guides will plan a tour to suit your students' needs, this offering is aimed to enhance the teaching and learning that is already occurring in your classrooms rather than explicitly teach curriculum content.

Below are a selection of works of art that connect with this topic. We recommend checking the 'on display' status on the individual work of art pages, as unfortunately the display of works of art can change. We encourage you to use these resources in post visit activities in the classroom and we would love to see examples of student work in response to the questions posed.