Unlearning the Past: Indigenous Australian History
Overview
This unit explores Australia’s shared history, untangling the origins of colonial and postcolonial attitudes and their continued influence on contemporary Australian society. It reconsiders Australia’s post-contact history to unlearn the past and address significant historical gaps and omissions through the perspectives of Indigenous voices, experiences, standpoints and agency. The unit presents a balanced picture of Australian history and a multilayered account of Indigenous Australian experiences within the national story, paying particular attention to the experiences of Victorian Aboriginal peoples over the last two and a half centuries.
Requisites
27-October-2024
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Identify key gaps and omissions in Australian history as it was recorded
- Recognise the impact of dominant historical discourses on contemporary Australian society
- Explain how knowledge is created and shaped by dominant discourses
- Demonstrate the role of imperialism, colonialism, and postcolonialism in Australia, both historically and contemporaneously
- Examine historical events through a decolonising lens, and identify and explain when colonial logics are at play
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Face to Face Contact (Phasing out) Lecture | 2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| Face to Face Contact (Phasing out) Tutorial | 1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
| Specified Learning Activities (Phasing out) Various | 5.00 | 12 weeks | 60 |
| Unspecified Learning Activities (Phasing out) Independent Learning | 4.50 | 12 weeks | 54 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Individual/Group | 30% | 1,2,3,4,5 |
| Journal | Individual | 30% | 1,2,3,4,5 |
| Written Assignment | Individual | 40% | 1,2,3,4,5 |
Content
- The ‘History Gaps’ - examination of knowledge gaps in recorded Australian history
- Disentangling Australia’s shared history through making visible Indigenous Australian experiences
- The concept of ‘Black Armband History’ in Australia
- The role of colonisation throughout Australian history
- Colonialism, political and economic power and social capital
- Investigating Indigenous modes of historical practice
- Assessing Indigenous resistance and alternative histories
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.