Unit 3 Outcome 1 Summaries 2015 Part 1
Outcome 1
On completion of this unit the student should be able to explain and evaluate how relationships with Australian
outdoor environments have changed over time, in relation to a particular outdoor environment visited
(Mornington Peninsula)
Key knowledge
• describe the characteristics of Australian outdoor environments before humans, including characteristics of
biological isolation, geological stability, and climatic variations
Biological isolation – as the landmass of Australia separated from Gondwana millions of years ago due to continental
drift, the flora and fauna has evolved in isolation. Therefore we now see a very unique and diverse range of plants and
animals. For example 2/3 of marsupial mammals are only found in Australia.
Climatic Variations – Australia experiences a relatively erratic climate in comparison to other continents of the world.
There seems to be two main extremes, long, lean droughts in El Niño years and flooding rains in La Nina years The
landmass of Australia has been exposed to many extreme climate changes all of which have had an effect on the current
landscape, flora and fauna. Some plants have developed deep root systems to access water in times of drought and some
animals such as the Koala, has evolved with a relatively small brain to conserve energy and survives from the eucalypt
leaf moisture .
Geological stability - The last volcanoes on the continent of Australia were active many years ago compared with other
continents. This, combined with very little geological activity, has led to Australia having soil poor in nutrients. The state
of the soils has had an influence on the Australian flora and fauna as those who were unable to adapt were also unable to
survive. Kangaroos are able to travel long distances at a high speed, expending very little energy in search of food and
they can swim in times flooding rains.
• describe and analyse the changing relationships with Australian outdoor environments expressed by specific
Indigenous communities before and after European colonisation
BEFORE
caretakers of the land, lived in harmony with the land,” home was the land that we hunted and gathered on and
held ceremony and gatherings”
Ancestors created themselves from the earth, sacred sites for burials, hunting and gatherings, tribal sections of
land or they led self sufficient lives on earth, they saw themselves as an integral part of the land
The land provided all that they needed to live, it was seen as their life source (a mother figure), they had an intimate
knowledge of its provisions
hunters and gathers men went hunting using simple weapons (spears, boomerangs, stone axes) for food such as
wallabies, birds and fish whilst women gathered berries and seeds, the peninsula provided an abundance of fish and
shellfish ((periwinkles, mussels)
fire stick farming- low temperature burns used to regenerate grasslands and bring out native animals for
hunting,
sustainable impact, fire regenerated growth when the tribe moved on, many fire tolerant species in Australia.
Depending on the intensity of the fire, flora and fauna may have been destroyed promoting only fire tolerant
species to survive.
the environment remained natural, they did not exhaust supplies or take an entire food source, they left the young to
repopulate an area and moved on with the seasons enabling areas to regenerate.
The Bunurong tribe was nomadic, ranging over much of the Port Phillip coastal area, including the Mornington
Peninsula, in search of food and water. Apart from the creeks the tribe knew where fresh water springs existed.
When the Ice Age ended about 10,000 years ago the sea level rose, drowning the plain and forming the shallow bay we
know as Port Phillip. Aboriginal people adapted to the changing landscape. Point Nepean became a important place for
the hunting and gathering of food, particularly shellfish and fish. Middens are evidence today of their seasonal
feasting. Water birds were also hunted during summer and spring, and native animals provided abundant game.
Aboriginal people altered the landscape to improve food supply, subjecting the peninsula to regular burning which created
an open landscape dominated by she-oaks.
AFTER
For the Boonerwrung people, their nomadic, hunter and gatherer lifestyle was initially interrupted and then permanently disappeared
as the 1800’s wore on and the Europeans invaded their land over several decades. Native animals had restricted areas and were
driven from hunting grounds and hunting grounds became increasingly unavailable due to European land clearing, fencing and
grazing. Aboriginal people could no longer access ceremonial and dreamtime sites, and their spiritual connection with the land was
violated. Some were captured and used as slaves (especially to help with whaling) thus their interactions with the land were forced to
change and be more like the new immigrants. Traditional relationships using the land as a life source were threatened and then
completely disappeared . Most of the Boonerung people were killed or died of disease thus there was no ongoing tribal traditional
relationship.. Boonerwrung women would have been cut off from their women only ceremonial gatherings at point Nepean.
• describe and analyse the changing relationships with Australian outdoor environments as influenced by
historical events and associated key social and cultural issues::
– the first non-Indigenous settlers’ experiences
The first settlers were displaced urban dwellers from the domesticated rural environments of Europe and were
Foreign to Australia ,
Unfamiliar - lack of understanding of flora, fauna, soils and climate
alienation and fear of the land and the land needed taming, command of the land, plundering nature
Ownership of land was valued, and viewed the new land as Terra Nullius -No one owned the land
Some saw the land as an opportunity – to start fresh, make a fortune, build a family, get away from struggle in other
places
The value of native flora and fauna was not recognised
Sorrento – Collins Settlement Sullivan Bay
Unlike the Aboriginal people, whose nomadic existence and intimate knowledge of the land provided subsistence, the
first European settlers , 400 people sent by the British in 1803, were unable to adapt to their new surroundings. With no
permanent supply of water, the settlement was abandoned in May 1804. “It reported that the land was poor , there was
little fresh water and suitable timber could not be found. The treacherous entrance to the bay made the site unsuitable
for whaling and open to attack.”
Fear of this new, harsh, distant and different place – opposite seasons, shrubby and messy landscape, unpredictable
weather, local inhabitants
“Once a permanent settlement was established at Melbourne, it was not long before Point Nepean was
occupied by land-hungry squatters. The first grazing licence over the area was taken up by Edward
Hobson. In 1843 John Sandle Ford settled at Portsea as a squatter and lime burner. Later, Ford was to
play an integral role in developing the area as a tourist resort, financing the construction of the Portsea pier so
that the first bay steamer, the “Golden Crown”, could bring visitors from Melbourne and goods for the local
residents.
Interaction: set up grazing runs by clearing the land and fencing to show ownership, and built homesteads, made
permanent settlements
Erosion became evident as land was cleared and hard hoofed introduced species caused compaction, and loss of topsoil
They drank from nearby fresh water streams , contaminated them with cattle effluent. There was also loss of habitat for
native species
Introduced species such as the fox and rabbit threatening native animals
The first environmental laws were created to protect food supplies.
Built fences to mark boundaries, this restricted the movement of native fauna.
– increasing population
“All of the vast continent had to be filled with people”
could be tied to the events following the discovery of gold across Victoria, and the pressures placed on outdoor
environments as a result of the dramatic increase in immigration.” There was an increasing need to feed, house, employ,
and provide energy and other resources and services to a growing population.
From 1851 gold was discovered at many sites across Victoria. This triggered one of the largest gold rushes the
world has ever seen. The colony grew rapidly in both population and economic power. In ten years the
population of Victoria increased sevenfold from 76,000 to 540,000.. Immigrants arrived from all over the
world to search for gold.
1860’s – population growth pace steadied,
1890’s – depression
environments as a resource, for it worth – an infinite resource to take from and set up a new life with no regard for future
generations
Australia was seen as a land of opportunity, and a place to become rich quick! The land was seen for the economic value
held in its resources with very little thought for the long term consequences. They saw it as a place to develop and from
which to gain a living, and to gain wealth by finding gold. They had a miner’s right to dig anywhere leaving the land
barren and disturbed.
Introduced foreign species
Agriculture – seeds and grains
Grazing – hard hoofed cattle and sheep compacting soils
Recreational hunting – foxes and rabbits
Pets for looks (competition and preditation)
Clearing – loss of natural habitat and increased erosion
Contamination of water ways with human waste/ disease
Large scale of resources used due to the increasing population
QUARANTINE In 1852 Point Nepean was chosen as the site for a Quarantine Station. Accessible only by boat
and inhabited only by a few lime burners and fishermen, Point Nepean was an ideal location for quarantine
purposes. Holders of lime burning licences were given one months notice to quit. When, in November 1852,
the ship “Ticonderoga” arrived at the Heads with 300 passengers ill with fever, the homes of the lime burners
were quickly adapted for quarantine purposes.” (used until 1978)
– industrialisation
“Characteristics of industrialization include the use of technological innovation to solve problems as opposed to
dependency upon conditions outside human control such as the weather, as well as more efficient, higher volume and
manufacture of goods and services” Development and exports dominated the relationship with the land at this time.
Industrialisation connects neatly with several aspects of a modernising nation and the time period leading up to and
directly after Federation.
The discovery of limestone at Point Nepean gave the area its first industry. Lime burners built kilns
(some built into the cliff faces) to produce lime mortar and whitewash for buildings in Melbourne.
Large quantities of local timber were cut to supply the kilns. Banksia and she-oak soon became
scarce, and in 1853 the government declared that no timber or firewood was to be removed between Arthur’s
Seat and Point Nepean unless required for lime burning.
Lime kilns are technologically significant as evidence of the most important nineteenth century industry on the
Peninsula. Lime produced in this area was used in the building trade in Melbourne and was of sufficient
quality to compete with imports.
Impact: nineteenth century denudation of the Peninsula landscape. In the 1830s she-oaks and banksias
dominated the landscape of this area. However these trees proved highly suitable as lime burning fuel, as sheoaks in particular were a reliable, high burning fuel. Denudation of these trees was followed by the growth of
the characteristic scrubby undergrowth and tea-trees evident on the Peninsula today.
There was a perceived limitless supply for the task. The resources were exploited, lime workers cleared vast areas of
timber for firing the kilns, Barren cliffs became exposed to erosion
The shipping industry impacted the coastal environment - large trees were cut down to build an access jetty, petroleum
products burned or spilt contaminating the ocean, shipwrecks were abandoned to further contaminate and coastal
vegetation removed to build lighthouses
– nation building
The process of constructing a national identity. Nation building can include the development of national myths
and national public holidays, as well as major infrastructure development, such as roads, dams, energy schemes,
and railways. Nation building could be said to be an ongoing process in Australia’s non-indigenous settlement.
1880’s the Point Nepean area became Fort Nepean and was an essential part of Victoria’s defence network.
Compare and contrast indigenous and non indigenous historic relationships in relation to nation building:
CASE STUDY – Infrastructure supplying water
The Bunerong people that lived on the Mornington Peninsula, relied on streams and springs, or dug shallow wells to tap supplies of
underground water.
The first attempt at settlement of the Port Phillip district ,1803 - Sullivan's Bay, near Sorrento. Water supply was a problem from the
start. The only source of water for almost 400 convicts, marines and free settlers were six wooden barrels sunk in the sand to tap
groundwater
Nation building projects involved building storage reservoirs and aqueducts to provide reliable water supply to the growing populations
on the Peninsula
1916 - After many years of Mornington Peninsula residents calling for a reliable water supply, the State Rivers and Water Supply
Commission (SR&WSC) began construction of the Bunyip Main Race and the Beaconsfield and Frankston reservoirs. The Bunyip Main
Race is an aqueduct that still carries water from the Bunyip River, 60 kilometres to Beaconsfield. By 1930, work was completed and
most major towns in the northern section of the Mornington Peninsula had access to a reticulated water supply.
1936 - Following The Great Depression, work commenced on supplying reticulated water to the southern bayside towns from Dromana
to Portsea. By 1943 this work was finished, bringing the 1916 plan to completion.
1950 - Following World War II, rapid population growth in Melbourne and on the Mornington Peninsula meant that new supplies of
water were urgently required. In 1950, construction began on a 26 kilometre aqueduct that would carry water from the Tarago River to
the Bunyip River, and from there on to supply the Peninsula. Work was slowed by a recession and was only completed in 1957.