IAS332 North Australia In The 20th Century: Historical Knowledge

Question

Length: 3,000 words. You should use at least ten sources

Task

The research essay must be based mainly on primary sources (such as archives, contemporary newspapers, memoirs etc.) and ought to aim to contribute to historical knowledge. The topic is:

Northern Territory (Administration) Act 1910

Aboriginal Ordinance No. 9 of 1918

Why were they chosen? How do they illuminate Northern Territory history? Are there any important issues not covered in the documents?

Preparation

You will need to draw on an extensive range of appropriate sources to answer the questions. Please refer to the Essay Writing Guide for information on appropriate sources. As students in an advanced level History unit, it is expected that you will be capable of selecting and making critical use of sources that you judge to be most credible and most useful for your purpose. The set text contains an extensive bibliography. If possible, visit the Northern Territory Archives, CDU Library, the Northern Territory Library, your own State Library or the National Library of Australia, or search their on-line catalogues. Public libraries also often contain useful historical material.

These records are primary sources on government policies and practice, the building blocks of history. All students should be familiar with them. Search them for material relevant to your essay topic. Ted Ling’s Commonwealth Government Records about the Northern Territory is now available at the NAA site. Note that this is a published book and you should always refer to it as such

Trove, the National Library of Australia’s on-line digital resource for historical newspapers, magazines, images and more

Presentation

Essays should be prepared according to the Referencing and Essay Writing Guide with appropriate referencing and bibliography.