Outline

Overview

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

Academic unit	History
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	James Findlay, james.findlay@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	James Findlay, james.findlay@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Final Assessment Take-Home assessment	35%	Formal exam period Due date: 06 Jun 2024 at 23:59	2 hours - approximate to 2000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	Participation Participation in class and online.	10%	Ongoing	Across semester
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Early feedback task - Historical skills Quiz Quiz format. #earlyfeedbacktask	0%	Week 03 Due date: 04 Mar 2024 at 23:59	N/A
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Tutorial paper Tutorial Paper (Micro History Paper)	15%	Week 05 Due date: 20 Mar 2024 at 23:59	500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Major Essay Major Essay	40%	Week 12 Due date: 15 May 2024 at 23:59	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:

Early feedback task

This unit includes an early feedback task, designed to give you feedback prior to the census date for this unit. Details are provided in the Canvas site and your result will be recorded in your Marks page. It is important that you actively engage with this task so that the University can support you to be successful in this unit.

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	White Noise: Australian History in 2024 and Australia before 1788.	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Colonial Encounters: Invasion and Settlement.	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Colonial Encounters.	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 03	From Convict Stain to World Heritage: The Convict System.	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 03	Convict Women: Damned Whores or Workers?	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 04	Gold Lust: Race and the Rush to get Rich	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 04	CCW Museum Visit	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 05	'Blood on the Wattle': the frontier wars of the nineteenth century	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 05	Understanding Frontier Violence	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 06	Another Country? 'Settling' Australia's Far North in the 19th century.	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 06	Not fit for white men and women: Colonial societies in Australia's North	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 07	Federation: Nation & Empire 1880-1901.	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 07	What kind of Commonwealth? Writing the Australian Constitution	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 08	Australia at War: From ANZAC to WWII.	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 08	The ANZAC Legend	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 09	Reading Day - NO CLASS	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 09	Reading Day - NO CLASS	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 10	Indigenous Rights in Australia	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 10	Indigenous Rights Movements Across History	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 11	'Boat People': Migration and White Australia.	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 11	The Long Slow Death of White Australia.	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 12	The Golden Age? Postwar Australia and Assimilation.	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 12	Interpreting 'the Menzies Era' and reflecting on the Stolen Children.	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 13	Multicultural Australia & Reconciliation	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 13	Final tutorial.	Tutorial (1 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.
Late Penalties: In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date: Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date. After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero may be awarded.
Assessment summary: Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas. You are required to submit all assessments for this unit or risk receiving an absent fail.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit are available via eReserve, and Canvas.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

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 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.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Changes have been made to lecture content and site visit.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Early feedback task

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

HSTY1089: Australia Now!

Semester 1, 2024 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Early feedback task

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links