Australian History Series
Workbook 5: Ages 10-11 years
The Australian
Colonies
Contents
SECTION 1: ESTABLISHMENT OF BRITISH COLONIES
British Penal Colonies
Student Information Page
Activity Page
Van Diemen’s Land – The Sister Colony
Student Information Page
Activity Page
Macquarie Harbour
Student Information Page
Activity Page 1
Activity Page 2
Moreton Bay, Brisbane
Student Information Page
Activity Page
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SECTION 2: COLONIAL LIFE AND PATTERNS OF SETTLEMENT
Inland Settlements
Student Information Page
16
Activity Page
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A New Life at Bathurst
Student Information Page
18
Activity Page
19
Daily Life in Bathurst
Student Information Page
20
Activity Page
21
The Wiradjuri of Bathurst
Student Information Page
22
Activity Page
23
Bathurst Settlement and the Environment
Student Information Page
24
Activity Page
25
Gold Fever Hits Bathurst!
Student Information Page
26
Activity Page
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SECTION 3: EVENTS THAT AFFECTED COLONIES
Frontier Conflicts – The Pinjarra Battle
Student Information Page
Activity Page
Expansion of the Colonies
Student Information Page
Activity Page
Charles Sturt and Internal Exploration
Student Information Page
Activity Page
Ludwig Leichhardt and Internal Exploration
Student Information Page
Activity Page
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Development of the Sheep Industry
Student Information Page
Activity Page
The Economy and the Sheep Industry
Student Information Page
Activity Page
The Shearers' Strike
Student Information Page
Activity Page 1
Activity Page 2
SECTION 4: AUSTRALIAN MIGRANTS
Assisted Passengers
Student Information Page
Activity Page 1
Activity Page 2
Indentured Labourers
Student Information Page
Activity Page
Muslim Cameleers
Student Information Page
Activity Page
Australian Migrants
Student Information Page and Activity Page
SECTION 5: GREAT AUSTRALIANS
Caroline Chisholm (1808-1877)
Student Information Page
Activity Page 1
Activity Page 2
Louisa Lawson (1848-1920)
Student Information Page
Activity Page 1
Activity Page 2
Indigenous Guides and Trackers
Student Information Page
Activity Page 1
Activity Page 2
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British Penal Colonies
Activity
Locate
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Colour the places where Britain set up penal colonies. Page 6
will help you. Draw lines to connect these colonies to Britain.
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Britain
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Andaman
Islands
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1. Which penal colony was the furthest away from Britain?
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2. Why did Britain want to send its criminals to far-away places in the 19th century?
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3. How did the transportation of convicts to the Australian colonies help Britain in the
1800s?
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4. Why do you think orphans were transported along with convicts to New South
Wales?
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Section 1: Establishment of British Colonies
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Student Information Page
A New Life at Bathurst
Houses
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Many of the free settlers who made their way to
Bathurst and the western plains of New South
Wales already had farms in the Sydney area. They
were looking for opportunities to expand their
farming ventures. The wide open plains were
ideal for growing grain and raising sheep and
cattle. Convict labour was used to clear land,
build roads and erect houses for the pastoralists and their farm workers and
servants. Wealthy landowners constructed Georgian style homes in brick, stone
or hardwood timber with wide verandahs as shown in the image above.
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Settlers with smaller land grants, many of whom were exconvicts, built their one or two-roomed homes from what
natural materials they could find in the area. Their simple
huts were made using the wattle and daub technique.
A wooden frame was built and the walls were latticed
with acacia sticks. Mud mixed with dry straw was then
plastered on the walls. The floor consisted of slabs of
stone or flattened earth.
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What Did the Settlers Eat?
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It took four days to travel by horse from Bathurst to Sydney Town in the 1830s
and longer by ox and cart over the rough-cut mountain roads. Settlers had to
depend on the food that they could grow on their farms and the plants and
animals available in the region.
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Food produced or bought by farmers
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• beef, mutton and pork (salted or dried to
preserve the meat)
• flour to make damper, potatoes
• tea, honey, sugar
• rum, wine, beer made from locally grown hops
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Local fauna and flora
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black swans, ducks, geese, pigeons
kangaroos, emus, possums
fish, eels, freshwater crayfish
quandong, native cherry, wild
tomato
In the 1850s rabbits, hares and fallow deer were introduced into the Australian
environment. They thrived living in the woodlands and grain-growing pastures
of Bathurst. Settlers enjoyed hunting these animals as it reminded them of their
life in the Old Country and added a different flavour to the cooking pot.
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Section 2: Colonial Life and Patterns of Settlement
A New Life at Bathurst
Activity
1. How did assigned convict labour help the early settlers at Bathurst?
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2. Compare a wealthy landowner’s house with the house of a small farm owner. Draw
sketches of the houses under the headings.
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Wealthy Landowner
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Description of house
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Farmer
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Description of house
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 Imagine that you are a wealthy settler hosting a dinner party for an important public
figure from Sydney Town. Prepare a menu to impress your guest based on the food
resources produced on your farm and those available from the Bathurst district.
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MENU
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Section 2: Colonial Life and Patterns of Settlement
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The Wiradjuri of Bathurst
Activity
1. How was the lifestyle of the Wiradjuri different to the settlers? Complete the table
with notes.
Shelter
Wiradjuri
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Diet
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Leisure
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Settlers
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2. Apart from food, give three examples of things from the environment that the
Wiradjuri used in their daily lives.
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3. What did the Wiradjuri Elders teach their children?
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Section 2: Colonial Life and Patterns of Settlement
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Activity
Frontier Conflicts – The Pinjarra Battle
 Put the needs of the Nyungar and the British settlers in the Venn diagram.
Nyungar
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Settlers
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Shade on the diagram the needs that the Nyungar and settlers had in common.
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 Use the Venn diagram above and the information on page 29 to help you answer
the questions.
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1. What caused the conflicts between the Nyungar and the Swan River colonists?
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2. Complete the sentence with your opinion on the punishment given to the Nyungar
men after the Shenton Mill incident.
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I think / don’t think that the Nyungar men were punished fairly because …
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3. Why did Governor Stirling’s troopers open fire on the Nyungar at Pinjarra?
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Section 3: Events That Affected Colonies
Activity
Sabrina
Assisted Passengers 1
 Read the following news item about the assisted migrant
ship Sabrina docked at Moreton Bay in 1865.
Moreton Bay, November 28th
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The SABRINA left Liverpool on the 9th August with 278
Government Immigrants. Throughout the voyage there has been
much sickness on board. There have been ten deaths in all, four
children and six adults. Four of the deaths were from typhus
fever, and one from smallpox of a virulent character. There were
three cases of typhus fever reported to be still on board and
the vessel of course, has been quarantined. Fresh provisions,
vegetables and fruit have been sent down to the ship. There seems
to have been some complaints of bad provisions on board …
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1. Use a dictionary to look up the underlined words in the news item.
Why was the Sabrina put into quarantine when it arrived at Moreton Bay?
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2. What were conditions like on board the migrant ship Sabrina?
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USE THE INFORMATION ON PAGE 45 TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS.
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3. Why were assisted migrants willing to risk the long voyage to Australia?
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4. How did the Australian colonies raise money for the assisted migrant scheme?
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Section 4: Australian Migrants