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Unit of study_
HSTY1089: Australia Now!
2025 unit information
This unit introduces students to Australian history from the convict period to the present, examining frontier violence, the making of a nation state, and the manifold transformations of the twentieth century. Taking advantage of the university's location, the unit uses Sydney-area museums and site visits to bring Australia's past to life.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Arts and Social Sciences
| Study level | Undergraduate |
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| Academic unit | History |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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None |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. This unit will introduce you to some of the aspects of the national past that remain contested ground in contemporary scholarly and political debates. If you know nothing about Australian history, this unit offers a valuable introductory survey; if you know something, it will give you a fresh outlook; if you want to know more, it will give you a taste of some the issues that are developed more fully in senior and honours units in History at the University of Sydney.
- LO2. Like all first year units this one is designed to help you develop your skills in reading, research, writing and presentation. In classes we will concentrate on the practices essential to history at university level, fostering original research and argument, critical enquiry, analytic skills relating to primary and secondary sources including objects and non-textual sources, and the correct use of scholarly citations.
- LO3. You will gain from this unit a body of knowledge about Australian history and an introduction to the principles, practices and boundaries of history as a discipline. You will strengthen your oral and written communication skills and your ability to acquire and evaluate new knowledge through independent research. You will learn how to identify, investigate and solve problems, to locate, access and use information using appropriate media, tools and methodologies, to participate in discussion and argument and to work collaboratively with others. The unit will stimulate your intellectual curiosity and you will be expected to make up your own minds about the issues and events which we discuss. The lectures are not only intended to provide you with information, but to stimulate you to develop your own conclusions and analysis.
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
