REPRESENTING AND COMMEMORATING HISTORY

SOVEREIGN HILL EDUCATION BALLARAT CITY COUNCIL VICTORIAN DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT HERITAGE VICTORIA THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF VICTORIA

REPRESENTING AND COMMEMORATING HISTORY WHAT, WHO, WHY AND HOW?

© Ilya Genkin

AN EDUCATION RESOURCE FOR PRIMARY TEACHERS AND STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE BURKE AND WILLS EXPLORER FOUNTAIN PROJECT Linked to VELS Levels 2, 3 & 4 and the Australian History Curriculum

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Contents Introduction & Acknowledgements Background Information The Research Curriculum Links

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PART 1: Commemorations in the local context: monuments and what they say about the times Overview Curriculum Links Learning Activities 1. The Local Past 2. Reading Monuments 3. Ghost Cities 4. History Vanished 5. Monument Audit 6. In Memory

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PART 2: Local history within the national story: Burke and Wills and their connection to Ballarat Overview Curriculum Links Learning Activities 1. Burke and Wills Basics 2. The Making of Victoria 3. Why Explore? 4. Ballarat's Connection to Burke and Wills

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PART 3: Representing history: understanding the origin and purpose of historical resources Overview Curriculum Links Learning Activities 1. Understanding Collections (excursion) 2. Primary and Secondary Sources 3. What's Missing? 4. My History 5. Commemorations of History

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Resources: websites and books

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INTRODUCTION

The 'Representing and Commemorating

topics of colonisation, exploration and gold.

History Education Resource' is a document

Part 3 contains mainly skills-based activities

to support teachers delivering the history

designed to build students' proficiency in

curriculum in the primary years. It covers key

identifying and analysing sources in Years

areas of local and national history as well as

3-6. Part 3 can easily be combined with Part

developing a range of historical skills. It will

1 or Part 2. We encourage teachers to alter or

be useful for teachers designing a Unit of

expand upon the activity suggestions to suit

Work on Australian History. The resource was

their needs and those of their students.

designed to support a joint project between The Sovereign Hill Museums Association, the Ballarat City Council, Heritage Victoria, The

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Royal Society of Victoria and the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development to retrieve a time capsule suspected to have been placed in the Burke and Wills Memorial Fountain in Sturt Street, Ballarat. Broadly, however, this resource will be useful to teachers and students beyond just the local area as it deals with common

Sovereign Hill Education gratefully acknowledges the assistance of the following organisations in the production of this resource kit. The Sovereign Hill Museums Association

historical themes and is aligned not only to

Ballarat City Council

VELS but also shows links to the Australian

Heritage Victoria

History Curriculum.

Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development

This resource contains three parts, each with

The Royal Society of Victoria

a different learning focus. Part 1 is centred in local history and provides useful activities for exploring these areas with students in Years 2-4 in particular, but can be expanded for older students. Part 2 is specifically targeted at the Year 5 curriculum covering

© The Sovereign Hill Museums Association 2011

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION Historians can sometimes offer answers to mysteries, but they also often discover new mysteries. In 2010, the possibility of a time capsule being interred in a Burke and Wills Memorial Fountain was suggested by someone with a keen interest in local history. Our historians at Sovereign Hill then began the process of investigating this possibility. They analysed primary sources such as newspaper articles and pictures, which seemed to confirm that there had been a time capsule placed in the fountain. The mystery was: does it remain there today? If so, what secrets of the past did it hold? About the Fountain At the intersection of Sturt and Lydiard Streets, in the centre of Ballarat, stands a monument erected in memory of Burke and Wills, the Australian explorers. They died in 1861 while attempting to find a way across the Australian continent from south to north. Ballarat felt a special need to commemorate this event, because the father of Wills, Burke's second-in-command on the expedition, had lived and practised medicine in Ballarat for some years. Wills himself had also lived in Ballarat for a short time. Not only that, Ballarat felt pride in the achievements of the expedition that many believed was only made possible by the wealth from the goldfields. In December 1861, the Eastern and Western Ballarat Councils met to discuss a memorial to the explorers. The architect Canute Andersen proposed a lavish clock tower worth £1000 and the councils began raising money. In February 1863, the Governor, Sir Henry Barkly, was invited to lay the foundation stone at the corner of Sturt and Lydiard Streets. A bottle or 'time capsule' containing coins and copies of two Ballarat newspapers was deposited in the foundations, but then the councils ran into debt and the bluestone foundation and proposed clock tower remained unfinished.

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION In March 1866, the Western Municipal Council decided they should complete the monument. By now public enthusiasm had dwindled so the plans for the monument were revised and a much simpler, cheaper design of a fountain was chosen. Another foundation stone was laid in June 1867 and according to newspaper reports, the 'time capsule' was re-laid by the Mayor. The fountain was finished by the end of the year. More information about the Ballarat Fountain can be found here: http://www.burkeandwills.net.au/Memorials/ballarat.htm

Far left: A sketch of the lavish bluestone clock tower proposed as the original monument. Herman Deutsch (1833 – 1870) The Victorian Explorers Monument © Ballarat Historical Society Collection, Gold Museum, Ballarat

Left: Actual monument. Australian Exploration – Monument to Burke and Wills at Ballarat. © Gold Museum Ballarat, The Graphic, January 23, 1875

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THE RESEARCH The Research One of Sovereign Hill's historians spent some time researching the story about the Burke and Wills fountain in Ballarat. Secondary sources, such as books on Ballarat history, suggested the chronicle of events, but then it was necessary to confirm these by going back to newspapers of the day to check dates and other details. Old newspapers are often stored on Microfilm or Microfiche (like a film reel or slides) allowing them to last longer. Luckily, these newspapers were available at the Ballarat Library, and contained vivid descriptions of the ceremonies surrounding the laying of the two foundation stones, as well as confirming details of the contents of the time capsule. Public records at the Public Record Office of Victoria (Ballarat Branch) were also consulted, and these documented in more formal detail the efforts of the Ballarat Council to initiate the building of the monument. These records also record the attempts, three years later, to recover the project, redesign the monument, secure the funding, and finally proceed with the building. As well, a letter was found from Canute Andersen, giving a detailed description of the 1867 monument, and a letter advising the Borough of Ballarat of the specifications of the iron castings for the fountain. The research conducted used both primary and secondary resources, and most of these appear to confirm the existence of the time capsule, and the fact that it was placed in a particular position at the base of the Ballarat Fountain in 1867. However, until the archaeological excavations take place, we will not know for certain whether the capsule (a bottle) is actually where it was supposed to be, and whether it, and its documented contents (coins and newspapers) have survived. It is important to understand that things that happened in the past are not necessarily correctly recorded, and that we can’t always rely on just one source of information. What historians need to do is to investigate as many different kinds of evidence as possible, and from the information we find, put together a story about what has gone before which is as nearly 'true' as we can make it.

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CURRICULUM LINKS The activities in this kit are suitable for students in Years 2-6. There are areas of key focus that allow students to develop their proficiency in the curriculum requirements of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards. The areas of VELS that this kit is specifically designed to meet are: Level 2 As students work towards the achievement of Level 3 standards in the Humanities, they develop their understanding of the concepts of time – chronology and sequencing, and change and continuity – through a study of changes in the local community over time. Through observation, they investigate and describe elements of the natural and built environments in their local area. They begin to make basic comparisons between 'then' and 'now' and learn to construct simple timelines to show their understanding. Level 3 Students apply the concepts of time, continuity and change through a study of the history and traditions of Australians. They examine stories, artefacts and other evidence from the past and present to learn about Australian society and its origins, such as the history of national symbols, including the flag, and key commemorations and celebrations such as Anzac Day and Labour Day. Level 4 Students develop an understanding of change and continuity over time through the history of the establishment and growth of Australia. They learn about the significance of key events, such as European settlement, the establishment of the colonies, the development of the wool industry and the gold rushes. They learn about key people in Australia’s history. Through structured activities they explore links and comparisons with contemporary Australia. Students use a range of written, visual, oral and electronic sources to study the past. With support, they frame research questions and plan their own enquiries using historical language and concepts such as time, sequence, chronology, continuity, change, culture and tradition. They begin to question sources and make judgements about the viewpoints being expressed, the completeness of the evidence, and the values represented.

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CURRICULUM LINKS Australian Curriculum This kit is also suitable for students studying the new Australian Curriculum and specifically covers the following areas: (ACHHK044), (ACHHK045), (ACHHS047), (ACHHS048), (ACHHS050), (ACHHS051), (ACHHK061), (ACHHK063), (ACHHS065), (ACHHS068), (ACHHS069), (ACHHK094), (ACHHK095), (ACHHK097), (ACHHS098), (ACHHS099), (ACHHS103), (ACHHS067), (ACHHS083), (ACHHS068), (ACHHS084), (ACHHS069), (ACHHS085), (ACHHS101), (ACHHS120), (ACHHS103), (ACHHS122), (ACHHS104) and (ACHHS123)

PART 1

COMMEMORATIONS IN THE LOCAL CONTEXT:

monuments and what they say about the times Overview Part 1 focuses on exploring local monuments and their connection to the priorities of the times. It will allow students to look at what aspects of monuments have changed and what have endured over time. The activities in this section can be adapted to any local area. Curriculum Links VELS Levels: 2 and 3 AC Year Levels: 2 and 3 Learning Activities 1. The Local Past – Conduct a tour of the local area, such as the school neighbourhood or the main street of town. Have students take photos or make notes of buildings, monuments and man-made objects that they think are 'old' and those they think are 'new'. If you live in an historic area, consider limiting the audit to a particular type of object. Categorise the pictures/notes as a class and identify features (including those that are similar and different). Discuss and define key words such as: old, new, then, now, monument and memorial.

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PART 1

COMMEMORATIONS IN THE LOCAL CONTEXT:

monuments and what they say about the times 2. Reading Monuments – Select a monument in the local area. Ask students to find the plaque or information panel to answer the following questions: • Why was this monument built? (Who or what was it for?) • When was it built? • What do you think about the people who built it? • What do you wonder about it? • Ask the students to describe the monument and consider how it makes them feel: is it grand and awe-inspiring, is it simple and thought provoking, does it have any symbols? 3. Ghost Cities – One of the great mysteries about the past is what could have been. The Burke and Wills fountain is a much smaller monument compared to what was originally proposed. Have the students look at an image of the proposed monument and compare it to the fountain today. Ask them to hypothesise why the proposed idea was not built. 4. History Vanished – Much evidence of the past is destroyed over time. Find an old photo or painting of your town (this can be done by a quick search on trove.nla.gov.au) and have students compare it with the current view. What is still there, what is missing? Why might things have changed? What do you think should have stayed? 5. Monument Audit – As a follow-on from Activity 1, particularly good for extending students, this activity asks students to identify what monuments are represented in the community. Identify as many monuments as possible, note who or what they are commemorating and, if possible, who commissioned them. Ask students to make a list of the type of people and events that are being commemorated and also who is choosing to create them. See if they can find trends or links. Ask students to think of as many omissions as possible: what events are not represented, what group of people are not represented and why do they think that might be the case?

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PART 1

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COMMEMORATIONS IN THE LOCAL CONTEXT:

monuments and what they say about the times 6. In Memory – (Alternative to Activity 5 if local study is not possible, or for more senior students.) After the death of the explorers Burke and Wills, many monuments for them started appearing right across Australia. Some were at sites significant to the exploration: others had stranger links. Begin by reading the information about the Ballarat Fountain (see Background Information). Then, using the information on Burke and Wills Web (http://www.burkeandwills.net.au/Memorials/index. htm) students can work in groups to identify information about a monument, specifically noting location and connection to their expedition or explorers, purpose (commemorating their death or their achievements), who built/commissioned it, and a physical description. Each group could present their monument and the class could vote on which one they think best fits the explorers/ expedition.

PART 2

LOCAL HISTORY WITHIN THE NATIONAL STORY:

Burke and Wills and their connection to Ballarat Overview Part 2 is targeted at senior primary students who may be studying topics such as exploration and the gold rushes. It offers an opportunity for them to connect these different historical topics and understand cause and effect. These activities would be particularly powerful for local Ballarat students. Curriculum Links VELS Level: 4 AC Year Level: 5

Illustrated London News, December 1862 State Library of Victoria

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PART 2

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LOCAL HISTORY WITHIN THE NATIONAL STORY:

Burke and Wills and their connection to Ballarat Learning Activities 1. Burke and Wills Basics – Complete an overview of the Burke and Wills story. • When did it take place? • Where did they travel? • Who was in the expedition party? • What happened to them? • If you would like background information about the expedition, or would like to cover this in more detail with your students there is a valuable teacher resource from the State Library of Victoria (http://burkeandwills.slv.vic.gov.au/teacher-resources) 2. The Making of Victoria – Develop students' understanding of the historical context of the exhibition. Complete a timeline covering Victoria's history until 1860. Assist students to cover key events including: • Indigenous history pre-contact, the arrival of the pastoralists, Victoria's separation from New South Wales and the gold rushes. • Ask students to consider whether Victoria had been a successful colony. • What had made Victoria successful? • What made Victoria wealthy? • How would Victoria be feeling at the time of the expedition (proud/disappointed)? • Did the colonies work together/when did they join together (federate)? 3. Why Explore? – Following on from Activity 2, ask students to hypothesise the reasons for Victoria establishing the Victorian Exploration Expedition. Consider different reasons, including: pride, competing against other colonies, abundance of wealth, unknown territory and potential scientific discoveries, search for farming land and the desire for an overland telegraph line. Ask students to rank their reasons in order of most persuasive to least persuasive and explain why. Would any of those reasons be relevant today?

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PART 2

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LOCAL HISTORY WITHIN THE NATIONAL STORY:

Burke and Wills and their connection to Ballarat

4. Ballarat's Connection to Burke and Wills – National stories are often connected to local stories and local people. In this activity encourage students to look at how Ballarat is connected to Burke and Wills, and why Ballarat has a monument in their honour. Students can read the background information on the fountain (see Background Information), and consider a response to these questions: • Why do you think the people in Ballarat wanted this fountain? • Was it just Wills' local connection? • What could be other possible reasons? • Is it that Ballarat felt some responsibility for making this expedition possible?

PART 3

REPRESENTING HISTORY:

understanding the origin and purpose of historical sources Overview Part 3 will look at how communities collect and preserve the past for the future. Focusing on the concept of monuments and time capsules, students will look at the choices people make in representing the past and explore the omission of different perspectives of history. Curriculum Links VELS Levels: 3 and 4 AC Year Levels: 3-6

The Burke and Wills Memorial Fountain on the corner of Sturt and Lydiard Streets, Ballarat. www.burkeandwills.net.au

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PART 3

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REPRESENTING HISTORY:

understanding the origin and purpose of historical sources Learning Activities 1. Understanding Collections (excursion) – To help students understand the role of formal collections in understanding history, take students to visit a local institution (this may be a museum, art gallery or local historical society). On the visit ask the students to identify three collection items that surprised or informed them, and describe what ideas or information the items can help us to understand. 2. Primary and Secondary Sources – Using information gathered on excursion and/or online, compile a list of historical sources about Australia from 1850-1890 (Include: photos, paintings, buildings, newspapers, textbooks, internet sites etc.) Identify which sources are from the time, and which are made later – label them primary sources and secondary sources. Ask students to identify how they could use the different types of sources to find information (perhaps include a lesson on visual literacy). Read and reflect on the research statement (see Background Information). 3. What's Missing? – When a collection is put together (such as one in a time capsule or exhibition), there are always parts missing, sides of the story that are not told. Using an exhibition (or a book on an historical topic if an exhibition is unavailable) ask students to list what topics of information are covered eg., clothing, lifestyle, transport. Then ask students to think of as many topics as possible that are missing. These may include: health, food, sewage, Aboriginal people, poor people etc. They can also list unanswered questions eg., how did people cook, what did the Indigenous people think, where did the money come from? 4. My History – Propose to the students that they make their own time capsule as a class to capture their lives and times for people in the future to understand. Making a restriction on the number of items that can go in the time capsule will help generate discussion as to what objects/ documents/pictures best capture the current time. Once all items are decided, ask the students to hypothesise what those who open the capsule will think about this time in history if they ONLY see the items in the capsule. Pose questions such as: does it cover all aspects of local history, are

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PART 3

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REPRESENTING HISTORY:

understanding the origin and purpose of historical sources there other cultures or points of view that we haven't shown, is it the community's history or your history, is it acceptable to show only one part of history, how would you show everything? 5. Commemorations of History – Review concepts covered in Part(s) One and/or Two. Why do we commemorate the achievements of European explorers? Why do we celebrate some past achievements and not others? What part of history is being left out in commemorations and monuments? Ask the students to create an opposing monument or commemoration for a particular event eg., an Indigenous Australian commemoration for exploration by Europeans or a non-British culture alternative to the Queen's birthday.

RESOURCE LIST Websites Dig – the Burke and Wills Research Gateway: http://www.burkeandwills.slv.vic.gov.au/ Mapping the Burke and Wills Journey: http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/oldtreasury/burkewills.asp Burke and Wills 150 Years: http://burkeandwills150.info/ Culture Victoria – Education Resource List: http://www.cv.vic.gov.au/education/burke-and-willsthen-and-now/ Burke and Wills Web – Online Digital Archive: http://www.burkeandwills.net.au/ National Museum of Australia – Burke and Wills Collection: http://www.nma.gov.au/collections/ burke_and_wills_collection/

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RESOURCE LIST Ergo – Exploration: http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/ergo/exploration Online Book – The Successful Exploration through the Interior of Australia: http://freeread.com.au/ebooks/e00060.html Public Record Office Victoria: http://www.cv.vic.gov.au/organisations-stories/9882/burke-andwills-environmental-expedition/ Publications Burke and Wills Commission: Report of the commissioners appointed to enquire … etc. (1862) Crew, Gary & Tan, Shaun. Memorial (Lothian 1999) Teacher notes on this book are available in the Lothian website free of charge (www.lothian.com.au) Greagg, David. It's true! Burke and Wills forgot the frying pan (Allen & Unwin, 2005) Sheppard, Barrie. Burke and Wills: Heroes or Fools? (Echidna Books, 2004) Macinnis, Peter. Australian backyard explorer (National Library of Australia 2009) Murgatroyd, Sarah. The Dig Tree: The Story of Burke and Wills (Text Publishing, 2002) Tayleur, Karen. Burke & Wills: Expedition off the map (Black Dog Books, 2010)