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Unit outline_

HSTY1089: Introduction to Australian History

Intensive July, 2022 [Block mode] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

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 Exam
Take-Home Exam
30% -
Due date: 27 Jul 2022 at 23:59
2000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3
Assignment Tutorial Paper
Tutorial paper
20% -
Due date: 06 Jul 2022 at 23:59
500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3
Assignment Major Essay
Major Essay
40% -
Due date: 20 Jul 2022 at 23:59
2000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3
Participation Participation
Participation
10% Ongoing n/a
Outcomes assessed: LO1

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

You are required to submit all assessments for this unit.

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.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

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.

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.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 1: White Noise: Australian History in 2021 and Australia before 1788 Lecture (2 hr)  
1: Why Australia? Convicts or empire Tutorial (1 hr)  
2: Dancing with Strangers? Invasion and Settlement Lecture (2 hr)  
2: Dancing with Strangers Tutorial (1 hr)  
3: From National Shame to World Heritage: The Convict System Lecture (2 hr)  
3: Convict Women: Damned Whores or Workers? Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 02 4: ‘Blood on the Wattle’: the frontier wars of the nineteenth century Lecture (2 hr)  
4: Understanding Frontier Violence Tutorial (1 hr)  
5: Gold Lust: Race and the Rush to get Rich (CCW Visit) Lecture (2 hr)  
5: Gold and the Eureka Stockade (CCW Visit) Tutorial (1 hr)  
6: Another Country? ‘Settling’ Australia’s Far North in the 19th century Lecture (2 hr)  
6: Not fit for white men and women: Colonial societies in Australia’s North Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 03 7: Federation: Nation and Empire 1880-1901 Lecture (2 hr)  
7: What kind of Commonwealth? Writing the Australian Constitution Tutorial (1 hr)  
8: Reading Day - NO CLASS Lecture (2 hr)  
8: Reading Day - NO CLASS Tutorial (1 hr)  
9: Australia at War: From ANZAC to WWII Lecture (2 hr)  
9: The ANZAC Legend Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 04 10: Indigenous Rights Movements in Australia Lecture (2 hr)  
10: Indigenous Rights Campaigns Across History Tutorial (1 hr)  
11: Boat People – Post-war Migration & the End of White Australia Lecture (2 hr)  
11: Industry and Sunshine: Displaced Persons Tutorial (1 hr)  
12: Spies and Scandal: Australia in the Cold War Lecture (2 hr)  
12: Cold War in Australia Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 05 13: Multicultural Australia & Reconciliation Lecture (2 hr)  
13: The End of Terra Nullius? Voice, Treaty, and Truth. 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.

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, via Canvas.

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.

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
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9
LO1         
LO2         
LO3         

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.