Queensland Theatre Company Education Resources
Black Diggers by Tom Wright
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Welcome to the Education Resources for Black Diggers. These resources are
designed to work alongside the play and can be used as inspiration prior to your
viewing the show or after your visit to the theatre. Included in this resource
bundle are a collection of learning experiences, activities and worksheets, as well
as ideas for assessment items across the Drama, English and SOSE (History)
syllabus. Please note, that whilst certain activities have been classified under
certain subject areas or labelled as ‘cross-curricular’, there is no restriction or
stipulation as to how they are used. Feel free to pull these resources apart and
tweak or change anything included within to best suit your class and your subject
area.
Any questions? Contact Heidi Irvine, Producer (Education and Youth Programs) on
07 3010 7623 or [email protected]
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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7.
8.
THEATRE ETIQUETTE
THE FINE PRINT
PRE SHOW ACTIVITIES: CROSS CURRICULAR
PRE SHOW ACTIVITIES: DRAMA, ENGLISH AND SOSE (HISTORY)
POST SHOW ACTIVITIES: CROSS CURRICULAR
DRAMA ACTIVITIES: FORMING AND PRESENTING
DRAMA ACTIVITIES: RESPONDING
POST SHOW ACTIVITIES: ENGLISH AND SOSE (HISTORY)
CREDITS
This resource was created by Meagan Babore, in collaboration with the
Queensland Theatre Company.
Dropbox Link for Appendices:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/s44hw59ocuc0rjd/AAB3wNNb
m09lj3LKZ7tjCsfRa?dl=0
1. THEATRE ETIQUETTE
At the theatre:
We’d like to welcome you to the experience of attending a live performance –
while we know you get all the etiquette stuff, here’s a reminder of some simple
information you can pass on to your students.
1. We ask you to get involved in the performances by applauding and
laughing at appropriate moments. If you have a question – ask your
teacher at the interval/end of the show or one of the cast, if you have a
chance for a Question & Answer session.
2. Food or drink is not permitted in the theatre
3. Live theatre is different to TV – the actors on stage can hear and see you
and there are other members of the audience to think about. If you need to
leave the performance for any reason, please ensure this is done quickly
and quietly and at an appropriate break in the action
4. Switching your phone to silent isn’t the only thing to do. Please ensure
that you switch off your mobile phone and leave it in your bag before the
performance begins. The glow of the iPhone screen is obvious to others
and is very distracting!
2. THE FINE PRINT
Location: Playhouse, QPAC. 24 September – 12 October, 2014
Writer: Tom Wright
Directed by Wesley Enoch, and featuring an all male, all Indigenous cast of 10,
Black Diggers presents a perspective on the War that changed Australia that until
now had been all but unheard.
Brief Synopsis
One hundred years ago, about a thousand Indigenous Australians took up arms to
fight in World War I. For them, battle on a Gallipoli beach was an escape from
the shackles of racism at home. Black Diggers draws from interviews with the
families of 15 men who heard the call – men who now step from the blank
pages of history to share their stories.
Longer Synopsis
One hundred years ago, in 1914, a bullet from an assassin’s gun in Sarajevo
sparked a war that ignited the globe. Patriotic young men all over the world lined
up to join the fight – including hundreds of Indigenous Australians.
Shunned and downtrodden in their own country – and in fact banned by their
own government from serving in the military – Aboriginal men had to hide their
heritage to enlist. Undaunted, these bold souls took up arms to defend the free
world in its time of greatest need. For them, facing the horror of war on a
Gallipoli beach was an escape from the shackles of racism at home, at a time
when Aboriginal people stood by, segregated, unable to vote, unable to act as
their children were ripped from them. When the survivors came back from the
war, there was no heroes’ welcome – just a shrug, and a return to drudgery and
oppression.
Black Diggers is the story of these men – a story of honour and sacrifice that has
been covered up and almost forgotten.
Directed by Wesley Enoch and written by Tom Wright, Black Diggers is the
culmination of painstaking research into the lives and deaths of the thousand or
so Indigenous soldiers who fought for the British Commonwealth in World War I.
Grand in scale and scope, it draws from in-depth interviews with the families of
black diggers who heard the call to arms from all over Australia, as well as
conversations with veterans, historians and academics. Young men will step from
the blank pages of history to share their compelling stories – and after the
curtain falls, we will finally remember them.
Recommendation
Black Diggers is the culmination of painstaking research into the lives and deaths
of the thousand or so Indigenous soldiers who fought for the British
Commonwealth in World War I. If you are exploring Indigenous perspectives or
studying history, this play will allow opportunities to critique tension and time,
exploring a poignant time in Australia Indigenous history.
The Creatives
Writer: Tom Wright
Director: Wesley Enoch
Set Designer: Stephen Curtis
Costume Designer: Ruby Langton-Batty
Lighting Designer: Ben Hughes
Composer/Sound Designer: Tony Brumpton
Dramaturg: Louise Gough
Cultural Consultant: George Bostock
Researcher: David Williams
The Cast
George Bostock
Luke Carroll
David Page
Hunter Page-Lochard
Guy Simon
Colin Smith
Elijah Watego
Tibian Wyles
Suitability
Themes
Years 8/9-12
Indigenous Australia
Mateship
War
Equality
Recommended Elements for
Discussion
Role (Multiple Role)
Situation
Language
Tension
Relationship
Time
For more information about the cast and creative team of Black Diggers,
download a copy of the program here:
http://www.queenslandtheatre.com.au/Plan-Your-Visit/Download-a-Program
3. PRESHOWACTIVITIES–CROSSCURRICULAR
KWL Chart
What do I know about
Australian’s involvement
in WW1
What do I want to know
about Australian’s
involvement in WW1
What have I learnt about
Australian’s involvement
in WW1
Quick Quiz
Test your ANZAC knowledge with this quiz.
1. What does ANZAC stand for?
2. What date is ANZAC Day commemorated, and why is this date significant?
3. How is ANZAC Day commemorated?
4. What values do you believe make up the ANZAC spirit?
5. Who does ANZAC Day honour?
6. What is the significance of dawn on ANZAC Day?
7. Why do we lower the flag to half mast on ANZAC Day?
Research Task
As a lead up to viewing the show it would be pertinent to engage in some
research on WW1.
It is important for our students to understand the magnitude of War at a World
Wide level. Many young people are of an age where they may not have family
members who fought in either World War, so it is perhaps hard for students to
gauge the impact World War has on, not just a community, but a whole nation.
Understanding the concept of ‘War’, and what it meant for Australia, a young
developing country in the early 1900’s is vital in terms of understanding the
overall context and dramatic meaning of this play.
War today is a very different entity to what it was 100 years ago. Individuals
choose to fight nowadays – a career as a soldier is a viable path for a young
person to embark on. In the days of conscription, and mandatory service, the
concept of having a choice was as far away as the lands in which these wars
took place. Young men and women with little to no training, experience or
understanding of war were shipped off to battlefields on the other side of the
world.
Research and compile a timeline of WW1, in particular Australia’s involvement in
it. Draft this in your workbooks and then curate a copy of this timeline that can
be displayed in your classroom to act as a stimulus throughout this unit of work.
Some points to get you started:
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Trouble brewing
Ultimate catalyst
First deployment of troops
- Where were they from?
- Why were they involved?
- What dates were they deployed?
Allies and enemies
Specific dates of importance – Anzac Cove, Somme,
Fromelles…
Conclusions? Outcomes?
As well as documenting the more ‘commonly’ known facts and statistics of WW1,
try and extend your research to include the Indigenous perspective and
involvement to help you with your understanding of the context of the play. You
may find that information is harder to come by. Discuss why this may be.
** Depending on year level, subject area and time constraints, to help you
understand the stylistic decisions made in the overall aesthetic of the play,
present your research in a visually interesting manner – poster or collage,
PowerPoint, dramatic presentation or reading. These works can be displayed
around the classroom to act as a visual stimulus during your study of the play.
Resources
Timeline: Australia in the first World War, 1914-1918 | Australian War Memorial
https://www.awm.gov.au/1914-1918/timeline/#1
Indigenous Australians at War
www.aiatsis.gov.au/collections/exhibitions/iaaw/home.html
History Lesson
Focus: Explain the reasons for Australia’s involvement in WW1
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Discuss the relationship between Australia and Britain
Brainstorm reasons why Australia, at the time, would go to war.
Read and discuss the reasons for Australia’s involvement in WW1 by viewing the
PowerPoint (APPENDIX A)
Independently, students read through ‘Fast Facts File: Australia’s Involvement in
WW1’ – http://www.civicsandcitizenship.edu.au/cce/fast_facts_file.9614.html
Answer the following questions:
1. What factors encouraged Australia as a nation to support the British war
effort?
2. Describe the tie between Australia and Britain in 1914.
3. What factors motivated individuals to enlist?
4. What do the letters ANZAC stand for?
Personal / Reflective Task
Chinese Whispers Activity – Can be used as an introduction
personal/reflective task for younger years.
to the
Hand out excerpt from play. A student whispers this excerpt into his neighbour’s
ear, who then whispers it into his neighbour’s ear. The excerpt is quite long and
complex, which makes the task quite challenging. The last student in the circle is
to state what they heard to the whole class and compare with the actual excerpt.
This activity highlights the importance of oral history and why it is so important
to record and remember events and stories.
The stories that form the narrative of Black Diggers derive from both traditional
archival materials – letters and diaries – of Indigenous soldiers, and a rich vein
of oral histories about the servicemen told through the generations.
Black Diggers: Challenging Anzac myths, The Guardian – January, 2014
Black Diggers is structured as a collection of stories and narratives from the
different perspectives of young Indigenous men and their involvement in WW1. A
prominent linking device that connects these stories are names, dates and places,
written in stark white paint against the black cyclorama at intervals throughout
the show.
Activity
Chart or record a story from your own family history - recall a story that has been
passed through the generations of your family
• Who does this story belong to / who was involved in the story
(characters/roles)
• What era did this story take place in (time / place / mood)
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Point of interest – structure of story (tension)
How have times changed?
How have things remained the same?
What is the lesson or outcome taken from this shared story?
Share these stories with the class - you can either read your stories aloud in front
of the class, in a circle, as a presentation, a script, a pitch for a performance, or
you can attempt to create a whole class collage drama.
Options for Task
Oration: Students can present the story in the style of a yarn for the class,
ensuring to include visual and aesthetic aspects in the oration – music, imagery,
sound, gesture, facial expression.
Script: Students can prepare a script of the story, ensuring to include specific
information on the elements of drama mentioned above.
Pitch: Students can elect to write a brief or a treatment for a script or production
using the story as stimulus.
Collage: Each student workshops their stories into a 1-2 minute one person
show. Each presentation concludes with the relevant name, date or place
(written on paper or spoken/delivered physically) to act as a punctuation or
linking device between each scene. Have students sit in a circle and present
each story to the class.
Article/Source: Create a text book resource or document that provides specific
facts – names, dates, places.
** Again, how this activity is delivered depends entirely on the subject area and
the class.
4.PRESHOWACTIVITIES-DRAMA,ENGLISHANDSOSE(HISTORY)
Drama Stimulus Activity
Students lie on the floor with eyes closed, read the passage provided from Black
Diggers. When finished play Last Post. Pass out a piece of paper and pen;
students are to write their reaction to the stimulus, what did they think it was
about? Was it sad? Happy? Angry? Collect the students thoughts and ask them to
lie back down as you read students responses to the class, all responses are
anonymous. Sit in a circle and discuss as a class the stimulus, responses and if
there were things that others students had brought up that they had not thought
of. What perspectives were presented?
Excerpt:
Unit 14 - On the boat
The flashes keep going. Become shell explosions. They have become a boat,
moving towards the beach. Sound of the shellfire gets louder as they approach.
FRIGHTENED PRIVATE Under his breath
MOUSTACHED SERGEANT
Oh Jesus oh Jesus Oh Jesus…
Heads down, don’t dilly dally, look alive
Bullets start fizzing. Laurie starts to laugh.
CORPORAL WITH GLASSES
What’s so bloody funny?
LAURIE
Sorry Sir!
ANOTHER SOLDIER
You’re a strange cove.
MOUSTACHED SERGEANT
Look alive! Look alive!
LAURIE
A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of
death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness… Yea though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with
me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou prepares a table for me in the
presence of mine enemies… If you’d told me I’d be in a boat arriving uninvited
on someone’s beach I would never have believed it.
English & SOSE (History) version
Students sit quietly and engage with the passage provided from Black Diggers.
When finished, play Last Post. Pass out a piece of paper and pen; students are to
write their reaction to the stimulus, what did they think it was about? Was it
sad? Happy? Angry?
Collect the student’s thoughts and ask them sit quietly in their seats as you read
students responses to the class, all responses are anonymous. Discuss as a class
the stimulus, responses and if there were things that others students had brought
up that they had not thought of. What perspectives were presented?
View the clip from 'Gallipoli', Arriving in Gallipoli
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vwlNZREePo
Read the information presented here:
The Australian Home Front during WW1 –
http://www.anzacday.org.au/history/ww1/homefront/homefront.html
Answer the following questions:
1.
Why do you think Australian men were so eager to go to war?
2.
Why was Gallipoli such a disastrous assault?
3.
What conditions were soldiers at war existing in?
As a class read through PowerPoint titled 'ANZAC Legend' (APPENDIX B).
Students record notes as they view the PowerPoint.
Answer focus questions:
1.
Why are the Anzac Soldiers still remembered today?
2.
What is the phrase synonymous with remembrance?
3.
What does the Anzac legend mean to Australia as a nation?
4.
Which soldiers are considered ANZAC’s?
**This considered, please keep this discussion in mind when viewing the
production of Black Diggers. Have a think about what the responses to these
questions might mean for the Indigenous soldiers who fought in WW1 – do you
believe they received the same recognition as the ANZAC Soldiers?
5. POSTSHOWACTIVITIES-CROSSCURRICULAR
Written review - RESPONSE TO LIVE THEATRE WORKSHEET
RESPONDING TO LIVE THEATRE WORKSHEET
NAME OF PLAY:
WRITTEN BY:
DIRECTED BY:
ACTORS:
Narrative:
(Briefly outline the plot in 75 words or less and then evaluate how effectively the
play entertained the audience)
Themes and Issues:
What themes and issues are illuminated in the play? Explain how. What
questions are raised for the audience? Was meaning created?
Characters:
Why are the characters so engaging? You can elaborate on one character more
however you need to address at least two of the characters in the play.
Dramatic Tension:
Identify the major tensions in the play that entertain the audience/elaborate on
one of the major themes. Analyse two specific examples.
6.DRAMAACTIVITIES–FORMINGANDPRESENTING
Show students a scene from Gallipoli “In the trenches”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-kVrdc9g_s
Read excerpt from script:
Unit 26 – (Soldiers play I Spy 1917 – A trench)
In a trench. Occasional bullet whizzes. Distant explosions. But otherwise languid.
ERN
Moon?
ARCHIE
It’s not up. And no.
MICK
Munition case?
ARCHIE
No.
ERN
Mud?
ARCHIE
You’ve already said that. And no.
HARRY
Metal.
ARCHIE
Nup.
STAN
Mortar?
ARCHIE
No.
ERN
We’ve moved seven feet since April.
STAN
A triumph.
ERN
‘Bout as exciting as the Valley on Good Friday.
MICK
We could go old and grey sitting here.
HARRY
Rather grow old than never grow old.
ARCHIE
Amen.
ERN
Seriously, this has gone for years and it could go for years. We lose
a few mates, they lose a few, the whistle blows, we gain another cricket pitch worth of
Belgium, the horn blows, they chase us out. But most of the time we sit here and we
sing our songs. And they sit over there and sing theirs. And everyone, everyone hates
the whole bloody stunt.
MICK
Shh don’t let the Captain hear you carry on like that.
ARCHIE
It’s stalemate, innit? Stale, mate. We’re stuck with it. We’re here
because we’re here, and now we’re here, that’s what it is. And the world’s gonna have
to organise itself around us.
ERN
Can’t put history back in the bottle, mate.
STAN
Matchbox!
ARCHIE
Bullseye.
STAN
I spy with my….
There is a box in the middle of the room, in it is a collection of artifacts - letters,
diaries/diary entries, photographs, toys, helmets, medals, watches, material...
Students are to take an item each and create its backstory - who owned it,
where did it come from, what is its significance.
Teacher instructs students to take a seat against a wall of the classroom, huddled
together, holding their artifact.
They are in role as a young soldier in the trenches. The soundtrack of shells
falling is played in the background. Each student in turn stands up and
introduces themselves and their artifact to the ‘audience’.
Turn music off, students sit in silence. Read script excerpt to class. As excerpt is
read aloud, students come up and place their artifact at the front of the room,
alongside the wreath of poppies.
**APPENDIX C – Images that can be used for this activity
DRAMAACTIVITIES–PRESENTING
Introduction to Presenting Task
Using the letter as stimulus, you are to create a scene built around the context
provided.
Unit 13 – Dear Auntie May #1
The darkness is suddenly illuminated by the striking of a match and a lamp
being lit. A young soldier writes.
ARCHIE
Dear Auntie May
I hope this finds you in top spirits and that everyone is beaut at home. If you see
Dolly give her a pat from me and tell her I’ll be home and will take her down the
beach. I am good. I say my prayers like you told me and you were right, there are
many Methodists here and we read scripture. I think about you all the time, of
you back there, and the light on the lakes, and the pelicans coming in. Your
Archie.
He puts the letter in an envelope.
Think in terms of the Elements of Drama:
Elements of Drama - Glossary Terms
ROLE, CHARACTER AND RELATIONSHIPS
Role and character: identification and portrayal of a person’s values, attitudes,
intentions and actions as imagined relationships, situations and ideas in dramatic
action; role focus on type and stereotype; characters are detailed and specific
Relationships: the connections and interactions between people that affect the
dramatic action
Situation: the setting and circumstances of the dramatic action – the who, what,
where, when and what is at stake of the roles/characters
VOICE AND MOVEMENT
Voice: using voice expressively to create roles, situations, relationships,
atmosphere and symbols
Movement: using facial expression, posture and action expressively in space and
time to create roles, situations, relationships, atmosphere and symbols
Focus: directing and intensifying attention and framing moments of dramatic
action
Tension: sense of anticipation or conflict within characters or character
relationships, or problems, surprise and mystery in stories and ideas to propel
dramatic action and create audience engagement
SPACE AND TIME
Space: the physical space of the performance and audience, fictional space of the
dramatic action and the emotional space between characters
Time: fictional time in the narrative or setting; timing of one moment to the next
contributing to the tension and rhythm of dramatic action
LANGUAGE, IDEAS, DRAMATIC MEANING, MOOD AND ATMOSPHERE, AND
SYMBOL
Language, ideas and dramatic meaning: the choice of linguistic expression and
ideas in drama used to create dramatic action
Mood and atmosphere: the feeling or tone of both the physical space and the
dramatic action created by or emerging from the performance
Symbol: associations that occur when something is used to represent something
else to reinforce or extend dramatic meaning
http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Glossary?a=TheArts&t=elements%20of
%20drama
** Depth of study of dramatic elements depends on Year Level and time
constraints.
eg: Year 8 and 9 Drama may want to focus just on Role, Character &
Relationships or senior students may incorporate the more abstract elements,
depending on their unit of study.
Handout on Character: Uta Hagen’s 6 Steps - A Challenge for the Actor
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Who am I?
What is my present state of being?
How do I perceive myself?
What am I wearing?
What are the circumstances?
What time is it?
The year, the season, the day? At what time does my selected life begin?
Where am I?
In what city, neighborhood, building, and room do i find myself? Or in
what landscape?
What surrounds me?
The immediate landscape? The weather? The condition of the place and
the nature of the objects in it?
What are the immediate circumstances?
What has just happened/is happening? What do i expect or plan to
happen next and later on?
What are my relationships?
How do I stand in relationship to the circumstances, the place, the objects,
and the other people related to my circumstances?
What do I want?
What is my main objective?
My immediate need or objective?
What is my obstacle?
What is in the way of what i want? How do i overcome it?
What do I do to get what i want?
How can I achieve my objective?
What’s my behaviour?
What are my actions?
7.DRAMAACTIVITIES–RESPONDING
Response to Live Theatre - Essay Question
You have just been to see QTC’s production of Black Diggers directed by Wesley
Enoch. You are to write an analytical essay that analyses how the creative team
have manipulated selected Dramatic Languages (Elements of Drama, Skills of
Performance and Conventions of Style) to communicate dramatic meaning to a
contemporary audience
Within your analytical essay you must analyse and evaluate the production
holistically. Therefore, you will need to build a clear thesis that states your
position about the dramatic meaning of the performance. In order to support
your thesis you are required to examine and analyse some or a combination of
the following dramatic languages:
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Elements of Drama - role, relationship, situation, tension, space, place,
time, movement, mood, focus and symbol
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Skills of Performance – voice, movement, sound and design – stage/props
Conventions of Style – Collage Drama (use of chorus, use of
mask/costumes, heightened voice and movement, direct address,
moral/message)
Heritage and Contemporary Perspectives - dramatic context reflective of
both traditional and current issues, concepts and understandings.
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Note: Your selection of dramatic languages to explore within your essay will be
crucial in determining the strength of your analysis and evaluation of the
performance. Make sure you use examples from the performance to justify and
support your argument.
Response to Stimulus (script analysis) - Years 8-10
Your task is to write a comprehensive response to a scene in the play (in its
scripted form) that must include thorough analysis of the following:
Identify the context of the scene. Include a description of the theme or issue
explored by this context
A brief synopsis of the scene and its relevance to the overall play and its place in
time.
Description of the mood of the scene and how this is created through dialogue
and any stage directions.
Identify type of dramatic tension and give a description of how tension is created
and developed in the dialogue.
Description of the roles in the scene, how is roles developed through the dialogue
or any stage directions. Focus on one specific character.
8. POSTSHOWACTIVITIES–ENGLISHANDSOSE(HISTORY)
Teacher introduces a box full of items to the class, in it is a collection of artifacts letters, diaries/diary entries, photographs, toys, helmets, medals, watches,
material...
Students are to take an item each and create its backstory - who owned it,
where did it come from, what is its significance.
** APPENDIX C - Images
Show students a scene from Gallipoli – “In the trenches”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-kVrdc9g_s
Read excerpt from script
Unit 26 – (Soldiers play I Spy 1917 – A trench)
In a trench. Occasional bullet whizzes. Distant explosions. But otherwise languid.
ERN
Moon?
ARCHIE
It’s not up. And no.
MICK
Munition case?
ARCHIE
No.
ERN
Mud?
ARCHIE
You’ve already said that. And no.
HARRY
Metal.
ARCHIE
Nup.
STAN
Mortar?
ARCHIE
No.
ERN
We’ve moved seven feet since April.
STAN
A triumph.
ERN
‘Bout as exciting as the Valley on Good Friday.
MICK
We could go old and grey sitting here.
HARRY
Rather grow old than never grow old.
ARCHIE
Amen.
ERN
Seriously, this has gone for years and it could go for years. We lose
a few mates, they lose a few, the whistle blows, we gain another cricket pitch worth of
Belgium, the horn blows, they chase us out. But most of the time we sit here and we
sing our songs. And they sit over there and sing theirs. And everyone, everyone hates
the whole bloody stunt.
MICK
Shh don’t let the Captain hear you carry on like that.
ARCHIE
It’s stalemate, innit? Stale, mate. We’re stuck with it. We’re here
because we’re here, and now we’re here, that’s what it is. And the world’s gonna have
to organise itself around us.
ERN
Can’t put history back in the bottle, mate.
STAN
Matchbox!
ARCHIE
Bullseye.
STAN
I spy with my….
Role on the Wall activity
This activity is a good way to gain insight and understanding into characters,
which can ultimately help to inform student’s writing.
On the inside of the soldier’s silhouette, record information about the internal
aspects of the character – thoughts, feelings, likes, dislikes, values, attitudes and
beliefs…
On the outside of the soldier’s silhouette, record information about the external
aspects of the character – his general appearance or aesthetic, age, size/build,
body language, costume.
Once you have done this, choose an item from the box. Students are to imagine
themselves as a soldier in the War, stuck in the trenches with their fellow
soldiers. Write a journal entry that describes who they are, where they are, who
they are with and what they are holding - their artifact.
**APPENDIX C – ROLE ON THE WALL TEMPLATE
Gaps and Silences:
Take one of the stories (script excerpts) and write down the version of events
from one character’s perspective - fill in the gaps and silences
Example:
At the beginning of the play, Bertie is very vocal and enthusiastic and practically
begs his mother to help him enlist in the AIF by signing a document that lies
about his age... By the end of the play, after Bertie was exposed to some of the
atrocities of war, he becomes silent... his enthusiasm having been replaced with
sorrow.
Your task is to write a monologue from Bertie’s perspective that outlines what he
has seen and how that has affected him, and how it will impact the rest of his
life. You should use narrative points from the script as well as factual information
you have found after conducting some research.
Unit 24 – Bertie wants to enlist 1917 – Frying Pan Creek NSW
The tension is broken by the sound of chopping wood. Slowly the scene dissolves
into the darkness and comes up on a woman doing the work. Her son.
MUM
And what good will that do?
BERTIE
If you say I was born in 1898 they’ll say righto.
MUM
But you weren’t.
BERTIE
No, but if you say, I mean if you write it down they reckon that’ll
do ‘cos there aren’t no other records, no one would know.
MUM
And if I do say you were born then what will happen? Will the
sky suddenly stay blue all year? Will I get a new hat?
BERTIE
But you’ll get me out of yer hair.
MUM
You’re a boy. No letter will change that. You’ve barely seen the
sun rise. Your muscles fail after an hour’s work. And you reckon you can waltz
around with all of them white boys do you? That they’ll make life easy for you,
suddenly you’re their dearest little black mate? Suddenly you’ll be a man, and a
white one at that? That doors will open for you? Do you?
BERTIE
You know what, mum? Yeah, I do. Something like that.
Enter Grandad
GRANDAD
What’s he rabbiting on about?
MUM
Bertie here wants to join up.
GRANDAD
Join up what?
BERTIE
The army, earn money. See the world. Fight for country.
GRANDAD
We’ve been fighting for country for a long time.
Poetry
• Discuss imagery and mood in the text
• Who has written this poem
• Who has the poem been written about
• How do you imagine the writer may have felt at the time of writing
Translation:
I am far from Ypres I long to be
Where German snipers can’t get at me
Think of one crouching where the
creep
Waiting for someone to sing me to sleep
Private Geo Bloom - 19th Canadian wounded July 25th 1916 at Ypres
Read the following poem from the script to the class. Discuss the meaning of this
poem.
• Write a paragraph that outlines this meaning
• Underline the different poetic devices used in this poem (metaphor, simile...)
• Identify the rhyming structure of the poem.
• Write a second stanza of this poem that follows the same rhythmic structure
and deals with the same message or meaning.
• Ideas: the treatment of Indigenous men in WW1
Unit 16 - Song - The World’s Turned Upside Down
Listen to us and you shall hear, news that’s been coming for a hundred years:
Since Captain Cook, and many more, you’ve never seen the like before.
The white man needs us coloured boys now
Here in the shit every face is brown
You see the world’s turned upside down
See the world’s turned upside down.
Fellers - You see the world’s turned upside down
See the world’s turned upside down.
HISTORY/SOSE
Read excerpt from script:
Unit 26 – (Soldiers play I Spy 1917 – A trench)
In a trench. Occasional bullet whizzes. Distant explosions. But otherwise languid.
ERN
Moon?
ARCHIE
It’s not up. And no.
MICK
Munition case?
ARCHIE
No.
ERN
Mud?
ARCHIE
You’ve already said that. And no.
HARRY
Metal.
ARCHIE
Nup.
STAN
Mortar?
ARCHIE
No.
ERN
We’ve moved seven feet since April.
STAN
A triumph.
ERN
‘Bout as exciting as the Valley on Good Friday.
MICK
We could go old and grey sitting here.
HARRY
Rather grow old than never grow old.
ARCHIE
Amen.
ERN
Seriously, this has gone for years and it could go for years. We lose
a few mates, they lose a few, the whistle blows, we gain another cricket pitch worth of
Belgium, the horn blows, they chase us out. But most of the time we sit here and we
sing our songs. And they sit over there and sing theirs. And everyone, everyone hates
the whole bloody stunt.
MICK
Shh don’t let the Captain hear you carry on like that.
ARCHIE
It’s stalemate, innit? Stale, mate. We’re stuck with it. We’re here
because we’re here, and now we’re here, that’s what it is. And the world’s gonna have
to organise itself around us.
ERN
Can’t put history back in the bottle, mate.
STAN
Matchbox!
ARCHIE
Bullseye.
STAN
I spy with my….
Class Discussion
• What is Trench Warfare?
• How did Trench Warfare ensure that WW1 was unlike any war that had
happened before?
Students complete handout titled 'What was trench warfare like?' using the
following instructions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Read the handout and highlight important points.
Analyse Source 3 and Source on Page 17 of handout using analysis scaffold.
Answer Questions 1 and 2 on Page 17 of handout.
Analyse source 10 on Page 20 using analysis scaffold.
Analyse source 12 on Page 20 using analysis scaffold.
Answer Questions 1-3 on Page 21 of handout.
Analyse source 3 on Page 24 using analysis scaffold.
Analyse source 6 on Page 25 using analysis scaffold.
Answer Questions 1-4 on Page 31 of handout.
** APPENDIX E: Handout - 'What was trench warfare like?'
Read Unit 11:
Unit 11– Voice from an old newsreel (1915)
VOICE FROM AN OLD NEWSREEL
It needed to be seen; these extraordinary
specimens, these gallant figures, resolute as they were silhouetted against a foreign sky,
they had the toughness, the ingenuity of the land of their birth. They had come to the
other side of the globe to defend noble ideals; to protect motherhood, the safety of law,
the sanctity of liberty, to fight for their King and all His Majesty carries…truly, from
some confused, even shambolic frontier, the Australian has arrived. Fair, clear of eye,
the finest of the British race cast anew under a southern sun. These boys are us, those
that remain; those that returned. The greatness of the White Man, rendered greater still
by peril, fighting not just for God and Empire, but to define what it is to be a man, an
Australian man, in this our young Commonwealth…
Hand out script excerpts – Unit 6 and 7: Norm, Bob and Ern. Read aloud as a
class. Discuss the treatment of Indigenous men attempting to enlist in the AIF.
Depending on the class, students could rehearse and present the scenes as a
collection as a lead in to the workshop.
Unit 6 – Norm, Bob and Ern in the pub (1916 Boundary Hotel Brisbane)
NORM
So when was the last time it got sent down?
BOB
Dunno. Dribs and drabs.
NORM
Bloody ridiculous.
ERN
You know, army pay – straight to us.
BOB
They wouldn’t do that. Would still go straight to the protector.
ERN
Not a Queensland thing. An Australian thing. A Melbourne thing.
Federal thing. Pounds shilling and pence, in your pocket, he’s none the wiser.
NORM
So, who would check up?
ERN
No one. That’s the point. Soldiers. If you can fire a gun and stand
in the sun, they might pretend to forget you’re…
NORM
What??
Unit 7 – Norm, Bob and Ern try to enlist (1915)
RECRUITING SARGEANT
ERN
G’day.
Right, next!
RECRUITING SARGEANT
ERN
What?
I’m here.
RECRUITING SARGEANT
Look, I’m a busy man and this is serious – oh.
You’re here here? I see. How old are you?
ERN
I reckon nineteen.
RECRUITING SARGEANT
You reckon nineteen. Speak to him.
At a desk elsewhere in space.
RECRUITING CORPORAL
ERN
Head over papers Next! Name!
Does it have to be my real name?
RECRUITING CORPORAL
Yes, of course. But frankly how would I know
what your real name is? So, name?
ERN
Ernest Hopkins.
RECRUITING CORPORAL
ERN
Age and place of birth?
Nineteen, Barambah.
RECRUITING CORPORAL
Barambah? Looks up for the first time. Jesus
Christ! Pardon the profanity. You can’t come in here.
ERN
Why not?
RECRUITING CORPORAL
ERN
Well, you’re… you’re not a citizen.
Subject of His Majesty.
RECRUITING CORPORAL
Smart alec eh? Here. Here’s your form. It’ll go
down a treat at the protector’s office.
ERN
‘Deficient physique’. What does that mean?
RECRUITING CORPORAL
ERN
It’s all there. Next!
‘Reason: ‘Of Strongly Aboriginal Appearance’’
Ern looking a bit bewildered. Out on the street.
When the First World War broke out in 1914, Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander peoples were not considered citizens of Australia, but were rather the
wards of the local “Protector of Aborigines”.
They were paid low wages, were often forced to live on reserves and mission
stations, could not enter a public bar, vote, marry non-Aboriginal partners or buy
property. They were actively discriminated against – and yet when war was
declared, many Indigenous men wanted to join up and fight for Australia.
http://theconversation.com/indigenous-soldiers-remembered-the-researchbehind-black-diggers-21056
Activity:
Using the scenes involving Norm, Ern and Bob trying to enlist in the AIF, you are
to write a newspaper article exposing the reality of prejudice of white Australia
against the Indigenous population at the time.
Research the constraints placed on Indigenous soldiers wanting to enlist in the
AIF - refer to AWM website and archival documents such as the Defence Act –
** APPENDIX F
Use the template below to help organize your ideas.
NewsReportPlanner
This planner will help you get started in writing your news report.
PARTA:TITLE
Give your article a title that catches the readers’ attention, making them want to
read more.
PARTB:BY-LINE
Write your name.
PARTC:LEAD/INTRODUCTION
This is your first paragraph and will catch your readers’ attention. Make it
interesting. Make sure it contains your ‘who, what, when, where.’ (May contain
how depending on word limit.)
PARTD:THEBODY
This is where you put in the rest of the information, starting with the more
immediate and important information, followed by the other details.
PARAGRAPHONE:
How, why, details of others involved.
PARAGRAPHTWO:
Other details about the event, e.g. things leading up to the event, fallout from the
event.
PARTE:CONCLUSION
Sum up the event. What is going to happen to those involved, their condition,
etc?
PARTF:IMAGES
Images can contribute powerfully to the article. Use images in your news report
to emphasis what you are writing about. Remember ‘a picture is worth a
thousand words.’
Research:
Rights of Indigenous Australians http://www.aiatsis.gov.au/collections/exhibitions/iaaw/why.html
Defence Act 1903/1909 – APPENDIX F
1917 Referendum - http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/fact-sheets/fs161.aspx
1948 Nationality and Citizens Act - http://www.foundingdocs.gov.au/item-did26-aid-2-pid-20.html
Australian citizenship: a chronology of major developments in policy and law
http://www.citizenship.gov.au/_pdf/cit_chron_policy_law.pdf
Prepare a research report that addresses this statement:
Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders were very enthusiastic about
enlisting in the AIF and fighting for country, despite the fact that White Australia
refused to acknowledge them as citizens. What was the attitude of white
Australians regarding Indigenous people enlisting to serve? How did government
policy of the time support that? How did the attitude of many soldiers change
during the years of active service? How did the attitude of those left behind
remain the same?
Use historical evidence, documentation and examples from the play to help
inform your response.
Hand out script excerpt.
Unit 4 - Harry and Mate watch recruitment Parade (1914)
HARRY
Where are they goin’?
ERN
Army. Fighting.
HARRY
Yeah, I know. But why?
ERN, BOB, NORM
HARRY
Buggered if we know.
No one knows what it’s all about.
HARRY’S MATE
Actually, there has been a long build-up of tension across the
continent of Europe, and a wide range of factors; industrial, mercantile, territorial,
ethnic, have been leading to a sequence of diplomatic impasses for some time.
Much of it can be traced back to the failure of Europe to reach a settlement after
the war between Prussia and France about forty years ago. Inside the AustroHungarian and Ottoman Empires there have been independence movements from
smaller nationalities that have destabilised vested interests and external nations
have used these to try to leverage influence or simply assist in colonel expansion.
Some mad Balkan nationalist shot the Austrian Emperor’s son and Austria went
in when Serbia started mobilising, having been given an ultimatum deliberately
designed to inflame the situation. The Germans supported them because of a
treaty going back thirty years. And the other nations all had reasons to go in to
protect their interests and that of their allies. So in the end what we’re seeing is
the culmination of structural problems in continental Europe that have been
festering for over four decades.
Pause
HARRY
Yeah, no one knows what it’s all about.
Research Task:
As a class, brainstorm on the board all of the wars since WW1 that Australia has
been involved in.
Complete Worksheet:
Australians at War
Australia has been involved in many wars and conflicts since Federation in 1901.
A conflict or war is named in each of the boxes below. Research to find out some
facts about each one and record your findings in the space provided.
WORLD WAR I
VIETNAM
KOREAN WAR
IRAQ – THE SECOND GULF WAR
Research Task (Essay Questions):
Can be completed in exam format (seen or unseen question) or as a research
assignment.
1. Using historical sources and modern day journals and articles, identify
the similarities between 1914 and 2014 and comment on the likelihood
of another World War.
Similarities between 1914 – 2014?
http://goldsilverworlds.com/economy/similarities-between-1914-and-2014/
What can 1914 tell us about 2014?
http://www.newrepublic.com/article/116347/what-pre-world-war-i-europecan-tell-us-about-today
Just how likely is another World War?
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/07/just-how-likely-isanother-world-war/375320/
Read the scene excerpt provided and using this as stimulus, compare and
contrast the treatment of soldiers having returned from WW1 in 1919 and the
Vietnam War in the 1970s.
Unit 46b – (Archie gets turned away from RSL)
Pub in a country town, Anzac Day. Big bloke at the door.
CELLARMAN
You’re right mate. But you? Not a chance. Don’t try it on,
show some respect.
FIRST DIGGER
You’re not serious –
ARCHIE
Got me tie on. Polished shoes. Presentable.
CELLARMAN
You know you blokes aren’t welcome any other day. What’s
different about today?
ARCHIE
Do I even have to answer that?
FIRST DIGGER
Gesturing to Archie’s medals. BWM. St George on his horse.
ARCHIE
Victory.
FIRST DIGGER
Pip, Squeak and Wilfred
CELLARMAN
Could have got them anywhere.
ARCHIE
Are you saying I didn’t serve? Oh, come on, we won’t cause
any problems. We’ve been to the memorial service, and we want to raise a glass
to our mates who didn’t come back. Lest We Forget is for all of us eh?
CELLARMAN
I’m not arguing with you.
ARCHIE
Let me ask you something. Back in France, back in the mud.
Blokes like you shook my hand. We dragged blokes like you through the shit and
the blood. We saw each other when we were like babies. Like animals.
CELLARMAN
I never saw any men like you over there…
ARCHIE
Well I saw piles of men like you.
RSL SECRETARY
What’s the problem, Cec?
CELLARMAN
Abo with a mouth on him.
Australia and the Vietnam War - http://vietnamwar.commemoration.gov.au/aftermath/veterans.php
Vietnam War – The National Archives of Australia
http://www.naa.gov.au/Images/CelebrationsinAustraliaHistory_tcm16-38529.pdf
PTSD – An Australian Veteran’s Experience http://www.vvaa.org.au/experience.htm
Multimodal Presentation
Students are to prepare a dramatic presentation of one of the letters written by
returned Indigenous servicemen or their peers. This is to be followed by an out of
role account and rationale for the script with accompanying key items or
evidence supporting the issue of the compulsory acquisition of aboriginal land
post WW1.
Indigenous Soldiers Remembered: The Research Behind Black Diggers http://theconversation.com/indigenous-soldiers-remembered-the-researchbehind-black-diggers-21056
Unit 56 – Letters
FIRST LETTER
There were three of us went to war out of our family, one of
us killed. I always thought that fighting for our king and country would make me
a naturalized British subject and a man with freedom but they place me under
the act and forced me on to a settlement like a dog. It seems as if the Chief
Protector thinks that returned soldiers don’t want justice.
SECOND LETTER
…We come from Mount Eccles in Victoria’s Western District.
Our family name is Higgins. Five of us served in the war and we now find
ourselves unable to claim what our white colleagues expect as a matter of
course….
THIRD LETTER
… I have decided to stay in Katherine as the treatment on
the station has grown worse since before the war. I have found it easier to call
myself a Maori as no one knows otherwise here, probably thanks to our Chinese
granddad! Hope all’s well. Let’s both hope the back pay issue gets sorted as I am
just about skint here…
FOURTH LETTER
…The problem is that my name on the Protector’s record is
Ernest Hopkins but I enlisted under the name Arthur Phillip, which mught explain
the confusion. In any event I am at a loss to understand why I have to prove
what my former comrades do not…
FIFTH LETTER
… I am the schoolmaster and write on behalf of Mr Prudden
who has been treated most shamefully in Adelaide. Mr Prudden’s nervous state is
a direct result of his experiences at the front yet there is no acknowledgement or
support….
SIXTH LETTER
… I wish to point out the gross injustice intended to us by
depriving us of our food. Some died fighting in France, some prisoners of war,
others, again, returned to us without a limb or gassed. But we know our boys
went with our white Australian brothers to give their blood to protect our
freedom and privileges from German oppression. We are shocked indeed to think
any person should wish to take our few poor privileges away…
SEVENTH LETTER … I must exhort you to grant full citizen privileges to every
one of us coloured soldiers, who voluntarily wore His Majesty’s uniform in active
service. We fought for freedom and our much cherished British Justice. We appeal
to the RSL to approach the State Government to aid us in this request. We do not
wish to remain humble and servile to the Aborigine’s Protection Board. Therefore,
why not offer to every faithful ex-service aborigine the hand of friendship and
goodwill, and tender him equal rights with the white community.
WITH THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS