State Library of NSW

P&D-3152-10/2009

Megan Perry Manager Community Learning Services

Sources are the raw material of history, they are what history is made of.

http://www.skwirk.com.au/

Australian History

“• Students think Australian history is important but do not like it.

• Teachers feel that students do not enjoy Australian history.

• Numbers taking Australian history in the senior school have been in rapid decline across the board since the early 1990s.

• Numbers taking Australian history in university are skyrocketing.”

WHY?

Tony Taylor - http://www.historyteacher.org.au/files/20080906_Forum_TTaylor.pdf

• Primary source – the raw material of history, usually defined as a piece of historical evidence which is made or written by a person who lived at the time and directly linked with an event or series of events in the past.

• Secondary source – usually defined as sources that post-date the events under study and form a commentary on these events – textbooks, biography, monographs

• Evidence – sources are the clues and evidence is the argument that you draw from the sources and the clues

All sources must be questioned!

Sources and evidence

Sources and sources

Sources• Artefacts – the pyramids, breast plate, Stonehenge• Photography and film• Cartoons from newspapers and journals• Drawings, sketches and paintings• Newspaper editorials, letters and articles• Extracts from speeches• Extracts from writings of commentators• Extracts from original official records• Maps• Statistics• Music and poetry• Posters and advertising• Blogs/wikis? Wikipedia/Citizendium

Key ISSUESAlways question sources:

• who wrote/built/made/developed the source and what is their point of view - bias• Why • When • Where • What is missing – who is left out

Sources @ SLNSW

Not just books!

o Manuscriptso Pictureso Photographso Mapso Coinso Sound recordingso Videoso Newspaperso Artefacts

Algernon Talmage, "The Founding of Australia. By Capt. Arthur Phillip R.N. Sydney Cove, Jan. 26th 1788" / Original [oil] sketch [1937] ML 1222

http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/services/learning_at_the_Library/hurley_video.html

Image: The Costume of the Australians, c.1817, Edward Charles Close in his Sketchbook of New South Wales Views, watercolour, PXA187

The HIDDEN webState Library of NSW http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/ Historic Houses Trust http://www.hht.net.au/Hyde Park Barracks Museum http://www.hht.net.au/museums/hyde_park_barracks_museum

Original material – objects/artefacts Manuscripts, oral history and pictures catalogueBooks – search box on front page 0r catalogue Discover collections – stories with primary sources embedded

The Mitchell Library is where the history of this nation is written.

Use the Library and the resources that are FREELY available to you – the Librarians!

When in doubt – ASK!!!!

www.sl.nsw.gov.au/learning/extension2011

And finally Good Luck!!!

ScanRobot2

Gesture page turning

The Bavarians

Really out there!!

Technologies currently under investigation at SLNSW