EPISODE 6 Nation Building

A STUDY GUIDE BY ROBERT LEWIS

http://www.metromagazine.com.au

ISBN: 978-1-74295-557-5 http://www.theeducationshop.com.au

© ATOM 2015

EPISODE 6

Nation Building

OVERVIEW

Australia: The Story Of Us (2015, 8 x 45 minute episodes) is an extraordinary narrative about the people, places and events that have shaped the continent from the first inhabitants to the present day. This groundbreaking drama-documentary series weaves together stories of the nation’s origins and offers fresh insights into how Australians came to create the homeland we inhabit today.

Alongside astounding CGI and cinematic sequences, the series features interviews with important thinkers, notable celebrities and national figures who take us inside the stories that have influenced Australian history.

CURRICULUM RELEVANCEAustralia: The Story Of Us is a suitable resource for use with

• Australian History at Years 5 and 9

• English at Years 5 and 9• Film Studies Year 9

The series can be viewed as a whole, or as individual episodes, or even indi-vidual segments within episodes.

In the classroom it can be used as a series of creative starting points for students to begin their exploration of aspects of Australian history and the people who made it.

CONTENT OF THE SERIESThe series of eight episodes cov-ers these stories and curriculum emphases (see pages 3-4).

EPISODE 6: NATION BUILDING

After the Second World War peace brings to Australia something unex-pected - prosperity. The suburban dream becomes a reality for millions. We embrace bold ideas and new technology ... not always smoothly. An Australian-made car changes families and lives. Lang Hancock’s chance discovery of an iron ore moth-erload forever changes his fortunes. The Snowy scheme powers a new Australia- and its migrant builders change the face of the country. The 1956 Olympics put Australia on the world map. A single building – an Opera House - reshapes the nation’s identity.

2

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

3

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

EP/SEGMENT

YEAR, EVENT

CURRICULUM THEME STARTING POINT

EP 1 Worlds Collide

1.1 The Death Fleet Foundation of Australia

Convict Australia

1.2 Megafauna: Prehistoric Australia Ancient Australia.

Aboriginal Australia

1.3 Sealing Early economic development of the colonies

1.4 Pemulwuy and the Frontier Wars Aboriginal resistance.

Frontier wars

1.5 Rum Rebellion Early economic and social development of the colonies

EP 2 Break Out

2.1 The Great Escape Convict Australia

2.2 John Foley — The Convict who Saves the City of Churches

Convict Australia

2.3 Caroline Chisholm — Mother of the Nation Nineteenth century immigration

2.4 Gold Fever Gold

2.5 Eureka Stockade Gold

EP 3 Fair Go

3.1 Gold Robbery Bushrangers

3.2 Inventing AFL Sport.

Aboriginal culture

3.2 The Overland Telegraph Explorers.

Communication.

Technology

3.4 Nellie Melba Famous Australians.

Heroes

3.5 Fight for a Fair Go Wool.

Unionism

EP 4 New Nation at War

4.1 Gallipoli Submarine The AE2 at Gallipoli

4.2 Billy Sing’s Deadly Gift Gallipoli

4.3 The Gallipoli Letter Gallipoli

4.4 WW1 Nurses Western Front

4.5 Villers-Bretonneux Western Front.

Heroes

4

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

EP/SEGMENT

YEAR, EVENT

CURRICULUM THEME STARTING POINT

EP 5 Hard Roads to Glory

5.1 Charles Kingsford Smith 1920s and 1930s.

Technology and communications

5.2 Sydney Harbour Bridge 1920s and 1930s.

Technology and communication

5.3 Phar Lap 1930s Depression.

Heroes

5.4 Ruby Radar World War 2

5.5 Kokoda World War 2

EP 6 Nation Building

6.1 Holden Post-war industrial development

6.2 Lang Hancock Post-war economic development

6.3 Sydney Opera House Technology.

National identity

6.4 Snowy Mountains Scheme Post-war migration.

Post-war economic development

6.5 Melbourne Olympics and Television Technology and communications.

National identity

EP 7 Revolution

7.1 Rock ‘n’ Roll Riot Popular culture

7.2 Beach Wars Surf culture

7.3 The Rise of the Larrikin Popular culture

7.4 Evonne Goolagong Aboriginal achievements.

Heroes

7.5 Cyclone Tracy Environment

EP 8 New Frontiers

8.1 Operation Babylift Vietnam War

8.2 America’s Cup Sport

8.3 Exporting Australia Popular culture

8.4 Bionic Ear Technology and innovation

8.5 Sydney Olympics National identity

EXPLORING IDEAS AND ISSUES IN THE EPISODE

SEGMENT 1

» HOLDENThe most momentous business deci-sion in Australia’s post-war history rides on one meeting - whether one man can convince a room full of Detroit executives that Australians can do more than simply shear sheep and fight wars. Lawrence Hartnett, who heads up the small General Motors’ subsidiary in Australia, has an idea. He wants to retool Melbourne’s wartime munitions factories and make an all-Australian car for Australian conditions. Three million jobs over six decades depend on the outcome.

Before you watch the story

Why is manufacturing important?

Think of a pair of jeans. What do you think goes into their making? The top table has four headings:

- Human resources — the labour and ideas used to produce the jeans

- Natural resources — the natural products that are part of the jeans

- Capital resources — the items used to produce the jeans

- Intermediate goods — goods that are manufactured in a form that is then used to create the jeans.

1 See how many examples of each you can find for a pair of jeans. One example of each is given to help you.

2 Test yourself on the bottom table.

3 How does the manufacture of one product depend on the interaction of many different people and processes?

HUMAN NATURAL CAPITAL INTERMEDIATE

Designer Cotton Factory Cloth

WHAT ARE THESE AN EXAMPLE OF?

A. Human Resources

B. Natural resources

C. Capital resources

D. Intermediate goods

1 A tailor

2 Water

3 A sewing needle

4 An indigo plant

5 Sunlight

6 A farmer

7 A sewing machine

8 A spool of thread

9 A farm

10 Indigo dye

5

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

TIMELINE 1

6

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

4 Why would this be important in a society?

Understanding the story

5 Who was Lawrence Hartnett?

6 What was his job?

7 What was his connection with General Motors in the United States?

8 What did the GM assembly plant produce during the war in Australia?

9 Why were these products soon not needed?

10 What did Hartnett propose to GM?

11 How had he secretly prepared for this?

12 What conditions in Australia made him believe the idea will be accepted?

13 What conditions did GM place on the proposal?

14 Where did Hartnett turn for the money to finance the idea?

15 How did volume of production reduce the unit cost of the cars?

Putting the story in time and place

16 Mark on the map where this took place.

See Timeline 1 and map this page.

17 If the first block of time below represents 60,000 years, and then each other block of time represents 25 years starting at 1700 and con-tinuing until today, in which block of time did this story take place? Write the main date or dates for this event in that block.

6IÂIGXMRK�SR�XLI�WXSV]

18 List at least three things that you have learned from this story about Australian history.

19 How did the creation of the car have economic, social and envi-ronmental effects and impacts in Australia?

Analysing the story

20 There are several people who make comments about this event. Summarise what these people say are the significant aspects of the story and what these can tell us about the event (see table on page 7).

21 What is the main message or meaning in this segment about what

happened in Australian History?

22 The series is called Australia. The Story of Us. Does this story have any relevance to who we are today? Explain your views.

Applying or Testing the story

Read the extract on pages 8-9 from a website explaining the growth of manufacturing in twentieth century Australia.

23 Identify the different elements or factors that helped promote manu-facturing of automobiles in Australia in this time. Consider such factors as government policies, human ability, customer demand, changing technol-ogy, and more. Underline each factor as you identify it.

7

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

Thomas Keneally

Dick Smith

Pat Rafter

8

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

had been producing all steel Chrysler and Plymouth bodies in Australia since 1935.

Casual talk of full Australian car manu-facture was beginning to be raised by Prime Minister Bruce in 1927. In 1930, the Scullin government introduced tariffs on imported motor vehicle me-chanical parts, such as gears, axles, bearings and motor parts. By 1937 nearly half the factory cost of motor vehicles in Australia was attributable to local content; by 1939, 40 per cent of replacement parts were manufac-tured locally.

THE EFFECT OF WAR

During the war the government, through the Department of War Organization of Industry and the Department of Munitions, called on local manufacturing industries, includ-ing the motor vehicle industry. The Departments’ powers under National Security Regulations included the control over materials, manpower, resources and organisation of produc-tion to secure the maximum war effort. Within the Department of Munitions, the Automotive Engineering Panel was responsible for investigating and providing advice on the production of motor vehicles (such as armoured fighting vehicles) required for defence.

Existing industries participated in the manufacture of munitions, machine tools, machinery, instruments, aircraft and military vehicles. Government contracts allowed for the establish-ment of more modern and larger foundries and factories. Increased manufacturing capacity and defence demands for state-of-the-art equip-ment had positive effects on the industry. The quest for technology, experience and innovation provided a modern and efficient industry, ready for the return to civilian manufacture after the war.

THE SECONDARY INDUSTRIES COMMISSION

Before the war ended, the government recognised the need to assist industry to move from wartime production to civilian production. The Secondary

TARIFFS, AID AND GROWTH OF THE NEW INDUSTRY

Eager to promote the establishment of a local motor manufacturing industry, the newly formed Federal government began using its tariff powers to direct the emerging industry. The Royal Commission on Customs and Excise Tariffs (1904 to 1907) presented a report on motor vehicle tariffs.

By 1913, the motor vehicle industry employed about 13,000 workers. In 1917 Holden began motor body manufacture, making bodies for a vari-ety of American and British vehicles. In 1921 the Ford Motor Company began assembling their own motor cars in Australia, and in 1925 established a chassis and body plant. In 1924 General Motors (GM) granted Holden exclusive rights to build GM cars and, in 1926, Holden built a chassis as-sembly plant.

This period of expansion saw employ-ment in the industry grow to 27,000 by 1928. Many of these workers were employed in the five major body building firms – Holden and Richards in Adelaide, Smith & Waddington in Sydney, and Ford and the Melbourne Motor Body Works (later Ruskin) in Melbourne.

The Great Depression had a tragic effect on many small manufacturing concerns. Even the largest suffered – Holden was saved only by its sale to General Motors in 1931.

Australian body builders performed amazing engineering and design feats. Despite low production numbers, they were able to provide the tooling required for annual American model changes. They were also able to produce unique models, such as the Utility. One example of Australian engi-neering ability occurred in 1937 when General Motors considered introduc-ing all steel bodies to their range of Australian cars. In GM’s opinion, Australian manufacturers did not have the technology or expertise neces-sary to produce all steel bodies, and suggested that Holden import fully assembled vehicles. In fact, Holden

THE EMERGING AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY

Prior to Federation in 1901, Australian transportation relied on animal pow-ered vehicles. On overland routes horse-drawn vehicles were the main form of transport for travel, commerce and communication. Many overland routes were mapped with the purpose of connecting the population to train lines. Camel trains operated in the barren and desert areas, while bullock teams were used for heavy haulage.

The benefits to a large country of reli-able, fast and affordable mechanical transport, however, were obvious as the nineteenth century drew to a close. Numerous engineering, coach build-ing, bicycle and upholstery businesses moved into the early development of the Australian motor vehicle industry.

Experimental steam and oil vehi-cles date back to 1880, but a clever marketing stunt put Australian motor car engineering into the world spot-light. The road test of the Australian designed and manufactured ‘Pioneer’, driven by Victorian Governor Lord Brassey, was published in the Scientific American in 1897. The article claimed that Australia could become a world leader in vehicle manufacturing.

Over the next few years Australian in-novators created numerous cycle-cars and experimental vehicles, including the prototype ‘Sutton’ of 1899, which boasted front-wheel drive and four-wheel steering.

The proportion of local versus im-ported components has always been an issue in Australian motor vehicle manufacture. In the early part of the twentieth century, many motor vehi-cles were made from a combination of imported and local parts. Makes such as the Nielson, Australis and Tarrant sought, unsuccessfully, to attract buyers by advertising the amount of local content. Later, more successful attempts include the Australian Four and Six, and the Summit.

9

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

Creating the story

24 Look at the way the film-makers have created the story to appeal to the audi-ence. Comment on how they have used these aspects of filmmaking:

• Computer effects• Music to create mood• Narration to tell the story• Reconstructions or re-enact-

ments to give a feeling for the times

• Editing to influence the rhythm and movement of the story

• Use of experts to help pro-vide facts and to apply the story to today

• Any other aspects you can identify

Extending the story

25 A great appeal of the Holden to Australians was that it was an Australian car for Australian conditions. Create an advertise-ment for the first Holden car (in sketches, words or story-board form) that might attract Australians to buy it. What words, images, information, settings, arguments, appeals, emotions would you include?

Finding out more

26 You can see an example of early advertising of the Holden at https://www.uniquecar-sandparts.com.au/gallery/pdf/Holden_48215.pdf

the Department of Post-war Reconstruction that it was already well advanced with designing a car for manufacture in Australia. Holden indicated it would proceed regardless of the outcome of the government’s investigation and tender process.

The Cabinet decided to support both the Holden and Ford proposals, though Ford would be offered less assistance than requested. With gov-ernment support, it was hoped that 45,000 vehicles would be manufac-tured in Australia each year to supply an estimated market of 75,000.

Although Cabinet identified two major drawbacks to the Holden proposal – a limited range of vehicles and uncer-tainty in the plan – the low requirement for government assistance made it at-tractive. The major drawback of Ford’s plan was the requirement for a high level of assistance.

AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURE

General Motors-Holden manufacture of complete vehicles began in 1948, and the Holden soon dominated the market. By the 1950s the car was well established in the capital cities.

Australian’s love of the larger car, part-ly attributable to the expanse of the country, has driven the motor industry. Numerous attempts to manufacture small ‘economy’ cars throughout the 1950s and 1960s failed, including production by Sir Lawrence Hartnett of the ‘Hartnett’ and later the more successful Lloyd-Hartnett. Production of smaller cars was mostly left to the British, but Japanese imports began to have a major impact in the 1960s, resulting in the assembly and then manufacture of Japanese cars in Australia.

Holden, together with Ford, Chrysler and the British Motor Company (BMC) dominated the market from the 1950s to the early 1970s.

http://web.archive.org/web/20051025213951/http://www.naa.gov.au/The_Collection/transport/road.html

Industries Commission within the Department of Post-War

The Commission was instrumental in allowing foreign-owned companies to establish chassis and engine works, and paving the way for the construc-tion of complete vehicles.

The Department of Post-War Reconstruction wrote to every known manufacturer and assembler of motor vehicles and motor vehicle compo-nents, seeking to establish the state of their development, their plans for future production and their desires for government assistance. The Department was prepared to offer fi-nancial assistance and tariff protection to assist a company to manufacture entire vehicles in Australia.

Five proposals for the manufacture of complete cars were received.

Ford (US) proposed to produce a wide range of cars and light trucks based around the Ford V8 engine. Although Ford’s proposal was the government’s first choice, its major drawback was the requirement for a very high level of direct assistance.

^Chrysler-Dodge (US) proposed to establish a company wholly owned in Australia, but supported by access to Chrysler corporation design, research and development. The company proposed to manufacture Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth and De Soto cars, and Dodge and Fargo trucks under li-cense from Chrysler Corporation (US).

^The Rootes group (UK), makers of Hillman, Sunbeam, Singer, Humber and Talbot cars and Commer and Karrier commercial vehicles, proposed to establish a manufacturing plant for British small and medium passenger cars and truck chassis.

^Lord Nuffield, head of the Nuffield group (UK), makers of Morris, pro-posed to establish an assembly plant and body building facility for British manufactured vehicles, and to gradu-ally increase local content to the point of complete vehicle manufacture.

^General Motors-Holden informed

10

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

SEGMENT 2

» LANG HANCOCKPilbara, 1952. The first big storm of the wet season is bearing down on bush pilot and amateur prospector Lang Hancock. He can either try to outrun the storm, or fly beneath it. It will prove to be a multi-billion dollar decision. As Hancock dips his plane below the clouds, he discovers the greatest mineral find of the twentieth century – enough iron ore to supply the nation’s factories for a thousand years. But a ban on mineral exports means he’ll have to keep his discovery a secret for years - then seize his mo-ment to cash in.


1 What is ‘iron ore’? Read the informa-tion on the right and then organise the processes shown into a logical sequence 1-8 from mining through processing to shipping in the table on the right.


3 Who is Lang Hancock?

4 What difficulties does he face during his flight?

5 What does he see?

6 How is he able to recognise what he sees?

7 When had this area been previously discovered?

8 Why has the area not been mined already?

9 Why is iron ore valuable after the war?

10 What two problems cause him not to reveal his discovery?

11 What happened after the laws were changed?

STAGE PROCESS EXPLANATION

Shovelling • electric shovels load blasted ore into trucks

Shipping • pellets are carried from the plant and placed into a bin to be loaded into a railroad car freighter

• freighters travel to a steel mill

Processing • magnetic cobblers remove the silica waste

• large magnets attract the iron while waste is washed away

• then material is floated so waste goes to the top and iron to the bottom

• limestone and dolomite is added

• water is removed

Crushing • crushers brake ore into chunks smaller than 23 cm

Grinding • ore is moved to a grinder to make a powder-fine consistency

Explosions • drills blast holes in carefully engineered patterns giving about 550,000 tonnes of material

Moving • trucks move the ore and other materials to a crusher

Pelletizing • the powdery iron ore concentrate must be made into pellets so it can be shipped

• the material is rolled into big drums that roll it into pellet balls

• the pellets are dried, preheated, then put into a kiln to harden

Iron constitutes about five per cent of the Earth’s crust and is the fourth most abundant element in the crust. Iron ores are rocks from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The principal iron ores are hematite (Fe2O3) and magnetite (Fe3O4). Almost all iron ore is used in blast furnaces to make pig iron which is the main material in steelmaking. Small amounts of iron ore is used also in other applications such as coal wash plants and cement manufacturing. Iron can be alloyed with a variety of elements to produce stronger and harder products which are useful in the construction industry and in the manufacture of motor vehicles, ships, trucks, pipelines, trains and railway tracks. Iron is the most used metal accounting for about 95 per cent of the total metal tonnages produced worldwide.

http://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/minerals/mineral-resources/aimr/iron-ore

11

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

12 What is the result of his discovery?




14 If the first block of time below represents 60,000 years, and then each other block of time represents 25 years starting at 1700 and continuing until today, in which block of time did this story take place? Write the main date or dates for this event in that block.



16 Why is Australia such a mineral-rich country?

Analysing the story

17 There are several people who make comments about this event. Summarise what these people say are the significant aspects of the story and what these can tell us about the event (see table on page 12).

18 What is the main message or meaning in this segment about what happened in Australian History?



20 Look at the statistics on the table below. What do they tell you about the development of iron ore in Australia over the last 10 years?

Creating the story

21 Look at the way the filmmakers have created the story to appeal to the audience. Comment on how they have used these aspects of filmmaking:

TIMELINE 2

2004-5 2005-6 2006-7 2007-8 2008-9 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14

Production (million tonnes/ annum

233 243 258 291 317 385 398 454 512 631

Production Value (A$ million)

8302 12699 15732 21949 33633 35325 57579 60799 56098 73732

Employees 12585 13727 16203 18,387 23,185 26,051 27,537 30270 37526 47429

12

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

Tim Flannery

Dick Smith

Roger Climpson

A. This tells me that . . . B. This tells me that . . . C. This tells me that . . .

D. This tells me that . . . E. This tells me that . . . F. This tells me that . . .

G. This tells me that . . . H. This tells me that . . . I. This tells me that . . .

13

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

• Computer effects• Music to create mood• Narration to tell the story• Reconstructions or re-enactments

to give a feeling for the times• Editing to influence the rhythm and

movement of the story• Use of experts to help provide

facts and to apply the story to today


Extending the story

22 Look at this information about iron ore and Australia’s economy on pages 14-18.

In the table below write what it tells you about iron ore and Australia today.

WA Mineral and Petroleum Statistical

Digest 2013-14 PDF booklet pages 11-12-13-14 -15-16) http://www.dmp.wa.gov.au/docu-ments/Digest1314.pdf

Finding out more

23 Research the latest iron ore price. What are its implications for Australia?

Figure 9 Western Australian Mineral and Petroleum Exports 2013–14 – Total Value $118.7 Billion Source: DMP

Petroleum 19%

Heavy MineralSands* 0.5%

Iron Ore 59%

Diamonds 0.3%

Nickel 2%

Base Metals 2%

Alumina 3%

Gold* 10%

Other 4.2%

3%

10%4.2%

0.5%

2%

0.3%

19%

59%

2%

* Includes $3.9 billion of gold and $151 million of heavy mineral sands refined/processed and exported from Western Australia, but produced from mining operations in other States, Territories and overseas.

Figure 11 Western Australian Merchandise Exports by Country 2013–14 – $131.8 Billion Source: ABS

China 54%Thailand 1%Japan 18%Taiwan 2%South Korea 8%Indonesia 1%Singapore 3%USA 1%India 1%Other 9%Malaysia 2%

18%

2%

1%

9%

54%

1%1%

1%

8%

3%

2%

Note: These percentages are based on data which includes $15.3 billion of

A

B 14

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

HEADING

Western Australian Merchandise Exports by Country Figure 12 Australian Merchandise Exports 2013–14 $274.5 Billion Source: ABS

WA 48%TAS 1%NT 2%ACT 0%NSW 13%VIC 9%QLD 16%SA 5%

5%

13%

9%

2%1% 0%

48%

16%

Note: These percentages are based on data which includes $15.3 billion of re-exported goods and of no State origin available and account for around 6% of the total.

Figure 14 Iron Ore Exports – Total Value $70.2 Billion Source: DMP

8%

77%

12%

2%

1%

China 77%

Japan 12%

South Korea 8%

Taiwan 2%

Other 1%

C

D 15

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

HEADING

Australia’s iron ore exports, accounting for 77 per cent or $54 billion of the total amount shipped in 2013–14.

South Korea (eight per cent) and Taiwan (two per cent).

around 76 per cent of the sales value of the State’s iron

Milli

on to

nnes

$ M

illion

Figure 15 Iron Ore Quantity and Value by Quarter Source: DMP

90

100

110

120

130

140

150

160

170

180

Jun-14Mar-14Dec-13Sep-13Jun-13Mar-13Dec-12Sep-1212,000

13,000

14,000

15,000

16,000

17,000

18,000

19,000

20,000QuantityValue

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1998

1997

1996

1995

1994

Figure 16 China’s Crude Steel Production and Iron Ore Imports Source: TEX Report and Interfax China Ltd

Milli

on to

nnes

Crude Steel ProductionIron Ore Imports

E

F 16

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

HEADING

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

Figure 17 China’s Iron Ore Imports by Country for 2013 Source: TEX Report

Milli

on to

nnes

Aust

ralia

Braz

il

Sout

h Af

rica

Indi

a

Sier

ra L

eoneIran

Ukra

ine

Cana

da

Russ

ia

Indo

nesia

Peru

Chile

Mal

aysia

Othe

rs

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

20132008200319981993198819831978197319681963

Milli

on to

nnes

Rest of AustraliaWestern Australia

Figure 18 Iron Ore Quantity Source: DMP and BREE

G

H 17

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

HEADING

Figure 19 Iron Ore Fines (Average TSI price 62% Fines CFR China) Source: Metalprices

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

150

160

170

180

Jun-14Dec-13Jun-13Dec-12Jun-12Dec-11Jun-11

CFR/

Tonn

e

USA$A$

I

18

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

HEADING

19

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

SEGMENT 3

» SNOWY MOUNTAIN SCHEME

In 1949, Australia sets itself an ambi-tious post-war plan: to build the most complex hydroelectric power scheme in the world. Mountains will be moved and rivers turned inland for what will be one of the civil engineering won-ders of the modern world. The scheme requires a huge workforce of more than 100,000 men. Many will come from war-ravaged Europe. They arrive as part of the biggest immigration wave since the gold rush, remaking the face of Australia.


1 Look at the map and diagrams of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme. Read this information and mark the appropriate letter beside the map or diagram where it best fits.

A The purpose of the Snowy Mountains Scheme is to collect, store and divert water for electric-ity generation and for irrigation on the western side of the Great Dividing Range.

A major source of water in the

Alpine area comes from melting snow in Spring.

Together with rainfalls, much of this water naturally flows south-eastwards, where opportunities for intensive agriculture on a large scale are limited by the climate and soil.

However, if this water could be diverted to the western side of the mountain range, it could be used to boost and regulate the flow of the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers and help provide reliable water for these fertile irrigation areas.

To do this, the Scheme has two separate but interconnected developments:

B The Snowy-Murray Diversion collects water from the Snowy River and its tributaries and stores it in Lake Jindabyne and Lake Eucumbene. When required, water is pumped from Lake Jindabyne to Island Bend or gravity-fed from Lake Eucumbene and then sent through a huge transmountain tunnel to the western side of the Range.

C The power in the falling water spins the turbines in the Murray 1 and Murray 2 Power Stations to activate generators which produce electricity.

D The water is then held in the Hume Reservoir and released in con-trolled flows into the Murray River for irrigated agriculture and river management.

E The Snowy-Tumut Diversion collects the headwaters of the Murrumbidgee and Eucumbene Rivers and some of the Tumut River. This water is stored in Lake Eucumbene. From here it flows by gravity through a transmountain tunnel and joins the waters from the Tooma and Tumut Rivers in Tumut Pond Reservoir.

F The power in the water as it falls

20

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

down the steep western side of the mountain generates electricity in two underground power stations, Tumut 1 and Tumut 2 and through Tumut 3 Power Station, the biggest one of all.

G The water is held in Blowering Reservoir before being discharged through one more power station into the Tumut River and then into the Murrumbidgee for irrigation.

H The Murrumbidgee River eventu-ally flows into the Murray River near Robinvale, Victoria.

Put the elements of how water is converted into energy (in the table below) in the correct sequence 1 - 9, and identify where they appear on the diagram.


3 What is hydro-electricity?

4 Where is the Snowy Mountains

hydro-electricity scheme?

5 Who was brought in to build the development?

6 Why were these people brought in?

7 What did they have in common?

8 Why were the men building tunnels?

9 How many men died in building the whole scheme?

10 What changes did they bring to the area?




12 If the first block of time below represents 60,000 years, and then each other block of time represents 25 years starting at 1700 and continuing

TIMELINE 3

Pipes carry the water from the reservoir to the power station. The water gains pressure as it flows from the reservoir to the power station through the pipes.

Rain and snow fall on the mountains

The force of the water turns the turbine blades.

The water is returned to the river for the environment and for irrigation.

This causes the generator with electro magnets to rotate to produce electricity.

Transformers change the voltage of the electricity for transmission.

Transmission lines carry electricity to towns and cities.

Tunnels bring the water from one side of the range to the other side.

Water is stored in reservoirs.

21

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

until today, in which block of time did this story take place? Write the main date or dates for this event in that block.



14 What changes did the workers bring to the nation?

Analysing the story

15 There are several people who make comments about this event. Summarise what these people say are the significant aspects of the story and what these can tell us about the event on the table on page 22.




18 A key feature of the Snowy scheme was the almost complete lack of friction between differ-ent migrant groups, even though many came from countries that had until recently been at war, so were recent enemies. Why did that happen? Look at each piece of the following evidence and decide what possible explanation of harmony it is suggesting, and add that to this table on the right. Then, when you have finished looking at all the evidence, decide how you would rate each possible explanation: very significant, of some significance, or of little or no significance. One example has been done to help you.

Possible explanation Source/s Significance

Provided alternative non-national identity (‘Snowy people’) A Very

22

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

Tim Costello

Siobhan McHugh

Todd Russell

Charlie Teo

Rebecca Gibney

Curtis Stone

23

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

Hein Bergerhausen in Brad Collis, Snowy. The Making of Modern Australia, Tabletop Press, Canberra, 2000 page 102

SOURCE D ENGLISH LANGUAGE CLASS FOR RECENTLY-ARRIVED MIGRANTS

See the photograph on this page.

www.vrroom.naa.gov.au/records/?ID=18990

SOURCE E FORMER SOLDIERS SHARING EXPERIENCES

Reminiscences recall that Germans worked well with their former wartime enemies, except for the Poles. The clue to all this is that soldiers share common experiences. Indeed many ex-enemy former soldiers seem to have been accepted into the Cooma RSL club. Those who found it harder to forgive were those, like the Poles, Croatians and Serbs, who had

the same nationality accumulated in one area . . . also, people who had a position of authority in their own country, like policemen, or people who held rank in the army, tried to do the same to their countrymen out here. We were very careful about giving them jobs, because they stood over their own people.

Allen Clarke in Siobhan Mc Hugh Snowy. The People Behind the Power, William Heinemann Australia, Melbourne, 1989, page 176

SOURCE C ITALIANS AND SPAGHETTI

The Italians, however, had the hard-est time with the English-style cook-ing. Spaghetti, spaghetti, spaghetti, they demanded. The Australian cooks had no idea what they were talking about. Finally, the Italian contract-ing firm engaged to build houses for the Authority staff set up its own mess, and had spaghetti sent from Melbourne.

SOURCE A SNOWY PEOPLE

‘They were a motley lot, but they worked together and got the job done — and that’s what they were there for. People didn’t care what Joe Blow had done before, so long as they built the dams and the tunnels.’

‘We knew that the progress of the Scheme depended on the people be-ing contented, being happy and work-ing together as a team, so we used to take great pains to see that the people felt at home with us ... The whole ob-jective was to make them feel at home in the Snowy and to feel they weren’t any longer Czechs or Lithuanians or Germans, they were Snowy People.’

Siobhan Mc Hugh Snowy. The People Behind the Power, William Heinemann Australia, Melbourne, 1989 page 45

SOURCE B UNDERMINING OLD CONNECTIONS

We learnt from experience not to have

24

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

So the coppers lock up then — unfair you’ll agree —Four Italians, three Germans, two Yugoslavs and me.

Now we’re back in that tunnel, as broke as can be, For it cost us a fortune to bail our-selves free. And before you start laughing, let me make it clear —It was worth it Australia, for the sake of your beer.

For we may not be Diggers, but we’ll have you know, We dig Digger beer, up here in the snow!

Siobhan Mc Hugh Snowy. The People Behind the Power, William Heinemann Australia, Melbourne, 1989, page 191

SOURCE I LETTER FROM A PROSPECTIVE MIGRANT

I would like to work in peace and qui-etness again, which one was not able to do in Germany since 1933. I want to ensure a good future for my wife and my little daughter, in a country which has great possibilities and wherein free people are living.

Before the war I was living in the centre of Germany but after I had lost everything through the Russians, I fled to Western Germany, where I am now living in the British Zone.

Through the circumstances at the moment in Germany, I have no money to pay the trip to Australia for me, my wife and my little daughter. If we could conclude a contract, can you please advise me the money for the trip. If I have beginning my work, I will pay off the money to you. I would be glad, if you can do that for me and my family. Beside my testimonial I enclose an indenture of apprenticeship.

Brad Collis, Snowy. The Making of Modern Australia, Tabletop Press, Canberra, 2000 page 98

SOURCE J FRIENDSHIP AND TOLERANCE

Whereas many of the newcomers

staggered off to the barracks, arm in arm, their friendship unaffected.


SOURCE H ‘THE COOMA CAVALIERS’ BY ULRICK O’BOYLE

From Jindabyne tunnel and round Island Bend, We boys go to Cooma our money to spend, And we’ll buy youse one beer there if you happen to see, Four Italians, three Germans, two Yugoslavs, and me.

It’s dark in that tunnel and work she is rough, By the time it hits payday, we all have enough.So we rush into Cooma to have us one spree, Four miners, three fitters, two chip-pies, and me.

We pull up in Sharp Street by the Alpine Hotel,If you’ve been to Cooma you’ll know this place well, And before we get inside our order rings out:Four vinos, three schnappses, two slivovitz, one stout.

The barman stood up then with a snarl on his face, He said: ‘You Europeans, you’re a flip-ping disgrace. Stop drinking those queer drinks if you want to stop here, Become integrated ‘n drink our Aussie beer!’

So we switched on to schooners, and to the bar’s cheers, Sang ‘Waltzing Matilda’ and ‘Click Go the Shears’, For hours and hours, without any cease —‘Til the sudden arrival of the Cooma police.

In a furious moment the whole bar was cleared And no sign remained of those Aussies that cheered,

witnessed massacres of civilians on a scale not seen before in this century. Australians could not understand all this because they had never had that experience.

www.powerhousemuseum.com/hsc/snowy/impact.htm#impact_society

SOURCE F THE YUGOSLAVS

[Snowy worker] Pat O’Dea believes the tensions increased from the mid-fifties with the arrival of more and more Croatians in Australia: ‘The Serbs were here first. They’d been the allies of the British in the war and I suppose they felt this was their country, the Croatians shouldn’t have been allowed in ... And then of course, you’d talk to the Croats and they’d tell you what the Serbs had done to them prior to the war and most of them had photographs to keep them on the boil. It really was bad.’

It was little wonder then, that on the Snowy, the simple title of ‘Yugoslav’ hid an explosive mixture of those who had been deeply traumatised and those who had participated to some degree in the brutalisation . . . And some of these carried their passion for vengeance to their newly adopted country and into the Snowy camps.


SOURCE G FORMER ENEMIES

Men developed a strong solidarity. Years of working side by side, away from routine society, forged bonds that gradually outweighed the ancient national prejudices. On one occasion at Cabramurra, during the screening of a movie on the evacuation of Dunkirk, two men started arguing about the accuracy of what was being shown. One had been a Messerschmidt pilot strafing the boats; the other had been part of the rescue fleet under attack. On the Snowy, they were the best of mates, and neither knew till that moment that each had been pitted so closely against the other. The lively discussion continued in the wet can-teen till the early hours, when the pair

25

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

of white bread with cold lamb and tomato sauce. It rarely varied. The newcomers, however, tucked enthusi-astically into black bread and cheese, sausage and garlic. The Australian children looked on with mingled awe and disgust. They had never be-fore encountered garlic. Its pungent odour repulsed them and the migrant children were quickly dubbed ‘garlic munchers . . .

It usually took a few weeks for the migrant children to settle down. The Australians were distrustful and some-times cruel. The newcomers were frequently baited and ridiculed and kept on the outside of friendship cir-cles. But in time the barriers did break down. Once the migrant children had a reasonable spoken English, the teachers would get them to stand in front of the class and talk about their home countries and communities and explain their customs and home life. In this way, the Australians began to learn of the hardships many of the new children endured in postwar Europe.


SOURCE O A ‘FAIR GO’

Eventually, out of an unspoken belief in giving a person a ‘fair go; the locals accepted migrants as individuals. The first workers to arrive had been displaced persons. When they had arrived, hollow-cheeked and devoid of possessions, they had to be taken to the general store by Authority staff to be kitted out with such basic needs as clothes, dinner plate and a knife and fork. The people who witnessed these poignant transactions were deeply moved, but in no way did this diminish the broader resentment against the Snowy ‘invasion’ and the inconven-iences it caused.


SOURCE P STATUS RATHER THAN NATIONALITY

When language was a bit of a problem

Intelligence Organisation is under-stood to have a list of about 200 suspected war criminals who lived in Australia at some stage after the war. While it is possible that some of these migrants were knowingly sponsored by the federal government, it is unlikely that anybody who had been involved in atrocities would have sought work on the Snowy Scheme. The presence of so many Germans and former slave labour camp inmates would have significantly increased the risk of detection.


SOURCE M AUSTRALIANS FEEL LIKE STRANGERS

I can remember being asked a ques-tion a very long time ago from a reporter looking for the sensational, as they quite often do. He said, ‘With all the different nationalities out here who were the hardest to get on with?’ I said, ‘The old Australians’, and that was true because the old Australians, they were established here, they to a degree resented those migrants coming in here. I can remember them sitting on the seats down the town grumbling – those bloody wogs com-ing in here taking the bread out of our mouths, living off the smell of an oily rag, greasy bastards, they can go back home to where they came from. But the opportunity was there for them too. If they didn’t want to take it, that was their problem. If these other peo-ple wanted to work good luck to them and they did and they made Australia a better place too.

Interview with Frank Rodwell, 2008

SOURCE N CHANGE IN THE SCHOOLYARD

In the schoolyard Australian children who had little concept of a world beyond the Monaro, were suddenly confronted by children who appeared to them like creatures from another planet.

Lunchtime produced further differenc-es. The Australians took sandwiches

found the local Australians hostile and resentful, Sybille [wife of the German pilot Hein] found them to be the most tolerant and helpful people she had ever met:

‘I didn’t know what a pound or shilling was. I had to open my purse and let them take out the right amount. As I learned the currency I became aware that no one ever took a penny more than the correct amount.’ . . .


SOURCE K RACIAL STRIFE

The only experiences the Authority itself had of racial strife was between Poles and Germans

. . . The Poles, from the moment they learned of the Germans’ presence, gathered nightly in a large group, armed themselves with bricks, lumps of wood and even shotguns and marched on the German barracks. Every night, the residents of the once sleepy little town were awakened to the sounds of a riot as about two hundred Poles launched bricks and rocks into the German quarters, yelled obscenities and cries of vengeance and fired shotguns into the air. In the still of the night, the noise reverberated through the valley . . . In the end [local policeman] Bill Holmes telephoned the commissioner, Bill Hudson, and pleaded with him to aban-don his initial decision to segregate the nationalities. Hudson obstinately refused, arguing that it was better to keep language groups together.

It took three weeks, a mounting pile of broken glass, and increasing com-plaints from the town to force Hudson to relent and issue the order for all na-tionalities to be randomly mixed. There was no more trouble over nationality from that moment on.


SOURCE L WAR CRIMINALS (1)

The Australian Security and

26

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

Creating the story

20 Look at the way the filmmak-ers have created the story to ap-peal to the audience. Comment on how they have used these aspects of filmmaking:

• Computer effects• Music to create mood• Narration to tell the story• Reconstructions or re-enact-

ments to give a feeling for the times


• Use of experts to help provide facts and to apply the story to today


Extending the story

21 Create a cartoon that com-ments on some aspect of the Snowy scheme.

Finding out more

22 The Snowy scheme has had many impacts on Australia. Many have been positive – such as providing clean electricity and al-lowing irrigated agriculture. Some have not been positive — for example, the scheme has greatly reduced the flow of the Snowy River (where Banjo Paterson’s Man From Snowy River came from).

Research the economic, so-cial, environmental and cultural impacts of the scheme, and the attitudes of its supporters and critics. How would you evaluate the scheme? Could a scheme like this be built today? Explain your views.

to become a citizen . . . otherwise I would only be half here.’ . . .

But Hein also pointed out a perceived difference between the early post-war migrants and others who followed later: ‘We tried to settle quickly. In Cooma we didn’t form a German Club like others later did in the cities. In Cooma we all became Australians.’


SOURCE S THE ORGANISATION

So how do I explain that the work was done so well by people from so many different nationalities? It was because we had something to aim for. I guess it goes back to Bill Hudson. He was a very wise person. He instilled into us the necessity of doing things and doing it properly, cooperation, as-sistance and I guess we did that, and a lot of the folks who came out here brought with them their expertise. The Snowy Authority was innovative, they tried new things, perfected things, as I mentioned they were the first organisa-tion in Australia to have seatbelts in their vehicles and all the testing for the seatbelts was done here in Cooma. The Snowy Authority was the first organisa-tion as I understand to engage a female engineer and it was amalgamated into an organisation that was very proficient, had a goal set for us to aim for which we achieved and achieved very, very well. And I think it is something that we can proudly look back on and I would say in future if there are other organi-sations that wish to get things done as well and effectively as the Snowy Scheme they should also set high standards to ensure that everybody gets a fair go and you have opportuni-ties to better yourself and to better the job that you do.


19 After you have done this, com-plete the sentence: Former enemies were able to work harmoniously on the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme because . . .

the migrants may have tended to stay together a little bit, but in the camps, the smaller camps like the ones that I was in when I was a plant operator, you generally find there’d be tables set up that would hold about a dozen or so people. But the foreman, the big heavy truck drivers, the dump truck drivers and the plant operators, they would tend to congregate at one table. It was a little bit like a king table, I suppose, where they considered themselves to perhaps be a bit of an elite and it didn’t matter where you came from, whether you were German, Yugoslav or what, it was the job you did that mattered, not where you came from.


SOURCE Q RIVALRY

The massive influx of migrants into a concentrated area, such that they became a dominant part of the popu-lation, often proved a difficult test of Australians’ confidence in themselves.

This could be seen in the obvious resentment displayed by young local men towards the large numbers of migrant workers who came into town every weekend. The young migrants had healthy pay packets and treated the local girls with a stylish respect. The Australians, not known for their deference to the opposite sex, often found themselves outmanoeuvred and outclassed. Their only allies were local parents who tried where possible to prohibit their daughters from mix-ing with the foreigners. Girls who did date migrants were often branded by the local community as sullied. Over the years, however, quite a number ignored the threatened stigma and married workers from overseas . . .

SOURCE R NATURALISATION

Hein, like all the migrant workers who stayed, was a particularly proud Australian. He sought naturalisation the moment his five years of residency had passed. ‘I am Australian. I think of myself in no other way. I knew I would feel this way, that’s why I stayed,’ he said simply. ‘I could not live here and be a German. Once I had decided to stay I believed I owed it to the country

27

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

SEGMENT 4

» MELBOURNE OLYMPICS & TELEVISION

In 1956, the Olympics come to Melbourne. Three thousand ath-letes compete from 72 countries, before a sellout crowd of more than 100,000. The ‘56 Olympics will also be the first major television event in Australia – but only if Seven’s first time TV Director Alf Potter can put together the greatest show on Earth. Dawn Fraser, Betty Cuthbert, Murray Rose and Shirley Strickland are the first Olympians to be projected into our homes. Australia, one of the most widely spread nations on Earth, ben-efits more from this new technology than just about anywhere else. Just as the Overland Telegraph defeated the tyranny of distance, connecting us to the world, TV will shrink the continent, allowing people to watch and share the same experiences.


1 Imagine that you have been asked to film a race at school. It is the 100 metres sprint. You have three people to help you. Each of them has a cam-era. These camera operators cannot move, as the resultant film will be too jerky. So you have to decide — where do you place the three cameras, and what do you tell each operator to focus on so that by putting all three results together you will get the most informative and most interesting and dramatic result? Create a sketch of the track, showing where you will locate the cameras, and what instructions you will give the operators. Then show the sequence you will select to tell the story.


2 Who is Alf Potter?

3 What event does he have to record?

4 What is his job?

5 Why is he so new at this job?

6 Why is his job so important?

7 What does he do that is new and innovative?




9 If the first block of time below represents 60,000 years, and then each other block of time represents 25 years starting at 1700 and continuing

until today, in which block of time did this story take place? Write the main date or dates for this event in that block.



11 How do the Olympic Games influ-ence Australian national identity?

Analysing the story

12 There are several people who make comments about this event. Summarise what these people say are the significant aspects of the story and

TIMELINE 4

28

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

what these can tell us about the event. See table on page 28.




15 Imagine that it is 1956 and you have been asked to give a talk about what impacts TV might have on Australia. Prepare a set of impacts under these headings:

• Economic• Social• Political• Environmental• Cultural

The extract above will give you some ideas.

Creating the story



to give a feeling for the times


• Use of experts to help provide facts and to apply the story to today


Extending the story

17 Watch a sport broadcast now and compare its technology and tech-niques with that of the 1956 Olympic Games.

Finding out more

18 Research the heroes of the 1956 Olympic Games.

The introduction of television had an impact on many facets of Melburnians’ lives. Taste-makers - such as architects, cooking experts, fashion designers, interior designers and journalists writing for magazines such as Australian Home Beautiful - advocated homes that were designed and organised around the demands of watching television. Furniture stores featured the TV divan, the TV lounge, the TV suite, the TeleVue arm lounge suite, the TV chair, the Tele-chair and the Viewmaster, sofas and chairs specially designed for ‘televiewing’. Set low so that viewers’ eyes were more-or-less level with the television screen, their comfort allowed users to sit for long periods, while their lightness allowed them to be moved nearer to the set. Offering to solve the problem posed by friends and neighbours dropping by to view the still scarce sets, one local manufacturer boasted: ‘No more worrying about how all your guests or all the family can enjoy direct TV viewing, for the Nashline lounge adds longer length to its beautiful new square-line design so that not three but four people may be accommodated in super soft rubber foam all-over comfort’.

With family shows scheduled around dinnertime, people started to eat in the living room, creating a market for stain-resistant vinyl upholstery and unbreakable plastic crockery. Casseroles could be prepared ahead, freeing the housewife to share in the family viewing and reducing the number of dishes to be cleared away in prime viewing time. Fashion designers created clothes that assisted the TV hostess with her duties. TV jackets, waist-length fur coats in either mole with fox trim or suede with mole trim with ‘sleeves to the elbow to simplify the hostess’ duties of serving food during TV shows’, were ‘specially designed for television viewing’ by Furs Renee of Collins

Street, Melbourne. Gradually television began to interfere with religious observance as well, with many Protestant churches forced to reconsider their traditional evening services when congregations chose to stay home to watch the British Forsyte saga, televised by the ABC in 1968.

With commercial stations deriving most of their material from the USA, and the ABC similarly dependent on Great Britain, television brought the world into suburban living rooms, but there was also some attempt to reflect the local. The earliest Australian programs owed much in both content and personalities to television’s predecessor, radio. HSV-7’s afternoon children’s variety show, The happy show, was presented in front of a live audience by Happy (Harry) Hammond with his trademark tartan hat and coat. The show, which had a regular cast of adult performers including Princess Panda (Lisner), Cousin Roy (Lyons) and Funny Face (Vic) Gordon, included comedy, dancing, games, magic, singing and animated cartoons, along with on-screen product promotion. Many of its young viewers would have stayed on to watch Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse Club, which was hosted locally by Uncle Doug (Elliot) (better known for his live commercials on World of sport) and, at the weekends, enjoyed the Peters fun fair, with clowns Zig (Jack Perry) and Zag (Doug McKenzie), who regularly led the Moomba procession, and the long-running Swallows juniors (later Brian and the juniors). Presented by newsreader Brian Naylor, this musical show started the careers of such Melbourne performers as Patti McGrath (later Newton), Jamie Redfern, Jane Scali and Debbie Byrne.

http://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM01477b.htm

29

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

Roger Climpson

Bruce McAvaney

Layne Beachley

TIMELINE 5

30

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

date or dates for this event in that block.



14 The Sydney Opera House is called an ‘icon’. What does this mean?

Analysing the story

15 There are several people who make comments about this event. Summarise what these people say are the significant aspects of the story and what these can tell us about the event on the table on page 31.


SEGMENT 5

» SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE

In 1955, Danish architect Jørn Utzon wins an international competition to design Sydney’s new opera house. His bold design promises to revolutionise Sydney’s harbour and put the city on the global cultural map. Problem is, as construction begins, no one knows how to build Utzon’s vision. Utzon will find the solution in his bath tub!


1 Think about the Sydney Opera House. List as many words as you can to describe it, and what it means to you.


2 Who is Jørn Utzon?

3 What is his job?

4 What challenge did his design have for the builders?

5 Why was Sydney building an Opera House?

6 How was Utzon’s design extraordinary?

7 Where did the inspiration come from?

8 How did Utzon solve the problem?

9 How long did the process take from design competition to opening of the completed building?

10 Why was Utzon not at the opening?




12 If the first block of time below represents 60,000 years, and then each other block of time represents 25 years starting at 1700 and continuing until today, in which block of time did this story take place? Write the main

31

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

Karl Kruszelnicki

Ian Hoskins

David Williamson

Marc Newson

Dannii Minogue

Noni Hazlehurst

32

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5



18 Look at these two cartoons (on the right) created during the building of the Opera House. For each identify what is being shown in the cartoon, and what its message is about the project.

Creating the story



to give a feeling for the times• Editing to influence the rhythm and

movement of the story• Use of experts to help provide

facts and to apply the story to today


Extending the story

22 Below is an illustration of how the Sydney Opera ‘sails’ relate to a sphere. Use an apple and create the sails for yourself.

Finding out more

23 Research to find out why Utzon never saw the Opera House completed.

Conclusion

This episode has presented five inci-dents or stories that the filmmakers argue helped to make Australia what

it is today

Do you agree with this assessment of each of the stories?

Are there alternative stories that might have been presented which explain equally as well or better who we are today?

You will get some ideas about this by looking at the National Museum of Australia website http://www.nma.gov.au/online_features/defining_moments for a list of 100 defining moments as suggested by the Museum.

Molnar, George, 1910-1998. “Architect? - What do they do?” 1966.

Molnar, George, 1910-1998. “Nothing to worry about, Miss Sutherland. Everything is proceeding according to schedule.” [Note: Miss Sutherland refers to famous Australian opera singer Dame Joan Sutherland] 1961.

This study guide was produced by ATOM. (© ATOM 2015)ISBN: 978-1-74295-557-5 [email protected]

For information on SCREEN EDUCATION magazine,or to download other study guides for assessment,

visit <http://www.screeneducation.com.au>.Join ATOM’s email broadcast list for invitations to

free screenings, conferences, seminars, etc.Sign up now at <http://www.metromagazine.com.au/email_list/>.

For hundreds of articles on Film as Text,Screen Literacy, Multiliteracy and Media Studies,

visit <http://www.theeducationshop.com.au>.

33

SC

RE

EN

ED

UC

AT

ION

© A

TO

M 2

01

5

Documents

EPISODE 6 Nation Building