Introduction

In this knowledge hunt you are required to seek answers to the following questions about early Australia and federation by accessing the sites. As you read you will come across the facts you need, and maybe even think of some questions of your own. (Save them for the end.) 

Questions

1. The year is 1900. You are going to cross the border between New South Wales and Queensland. What inconveniences might you encounter?
2. What issues were handled by federal government ('the biggies') and what issues could be decided on a state level?
3. List the pros and cons for a united nation of states and uniform decision-making.
4. Who was the first prime minister of Australia? Who was the first Governor General?
5. What is a constitution?
6. After viewing the old photographs of pre-federation Australians and comparing them to some modern photos, what sorts of facts can you find out about lifestyles just from looking at pictures?
7. What was Sir Henry Parkes' often referred to as? How long did he live? What was 'The Tenterfield Address'? What did he achieve in his lifetime?
8. Who was Edmund Barton? How long did he live? What did he achieve in his lifetime?

Web Resources Links

If you lived in Australia before 1901

What federation means

Did everyone want federation?

How was our nation created?

The day Australia became a nation.

Images of the federation period.

Sir Henry Parkes

Edmund Barton

The Big Question

Think about how life could have been different in Australia if we didn't federate...
What do you consider to be the main benefit/s of living in a unified country? (Think about war, travel, communication, costs to the public, etc.)

Conclusion

People used to think that learning was all about gaining information and memorizing facts. We hope you've learned some important information in this Knowledge Hunt, but more than that, it would be great if you saw ways to use this knowledge to expand your understanding of the topic. Remember, with so much info exploding all around us, finding a nugget of knowledge is not as important as doing something with it. What will you do with your learning?