Colonising Australia

Setting: The year is 1779. Britain has just lost the War of Independence in America and the
reports from Captain Cook and Joseph Banks expedition on The Endeavour have just been
published. The British House of Commons has called an emergency meeting, inviting its
Ministries to debate the need to establish a new colony - possibly in the Great Southern Land
that has recently been discovered by Cook.
Instructions: In small groups of three-four, students will be assigned a British Ministry
(Ministry of Criminal Justice, Ministry of Economics and Trade, Ministry of Colonial
Expansion, Naval High Command, Military High Command) and will be expected to make a
submission to the British House of Commons arguing for the need to colonise the Great
Southern Land. The teacher will give each group a telegram (see below) which contains vital
information relating to the context of the meeting, as well as key issues that affect their
Ministry. The teacher will encourage students to designate roles (scribe, analyst, presenter),
and they will be given approximately 25 minutes to highlight, analyse and pull out the key
information from within their telegram. The students will then reconstruct their text, in the
form of a paragraph response (argument), which will be submitted to the British House of
Commons. The students will then have to verbally respond to a series of questions in a mock-
debate, which will involve the teacher holding up a series of word cards containing some of
the units key terminology, which the students will have to concurrently incorporate into their
dialogue. For students who are disengaged from the activity, or do not wish to work in a
group, they will be encouraged to act as the judging panel for the presentations, and will have
to mind-map or jot down notes summarizing the arguments of each group. The teacher will
assist the judging panel to decide which group best incorporated the key vocabulary and
made the most convincing argument.
Telegraph Date: 1779
From: British House of Commons

To: Ministry of Criminal Justice

You have been invited to make a presentation to the British
House of Commons concerning the potential colonisation of
the Great Southern Land. Read the following information
relating to your Ministry carefully, and prepare a response.

Your country (Britain) has just lost the American War of

Independence. You can no longer send your convicts across the
Atlantic Sea to the American colonies you once had.
Industrialisation has drawn many people towards the cities. Your
prisons are starting to become overcrowded. There is a lot of crime
and not enough space in the jails to take anymore prisoners.
Disease is beginning to spread through the jails. Youve considered
taking your prisoners to the West Coast of Africa, but the climate
is too hot, the seas are too rough and the local Indigenous
population are too aggressive.
Why should you colonise the Great Southern Land?

You need to:

Designate roles within your group. You will need a scribe,
analysts and presenter.
Use a highlighter to find the main points in your telegram.
Using these points, construct a structured paragraph response
that argues why your country needs to colonise the Great
Southern Land.

Be prepared to present your response.

Telegraph Date: 1779
From: British House of Commons

To: Naval High Command

You have been invited to make a presentation to the British
House of Commons concerning the potential colonisation of
the Great Southern Land. Read the following information
relating to your Department carefully, and prepare a
response.

Your country (Britain) has just lost the American War of

Independence and you no longer have access to the American
timber that you need to build and repair your ships. You are
excited by the reports from The Endeavour about the abundance
of giant pine trees and flax on Norfolk Island which is not too far
off the coast of the Great Southern Land. Your navy needs these
resources to continue their exploration of the seas and maintain
their maritime dominance. If you dont find a new supply of
timber quickly, your status as a naval superpower might decline,
and your colonies might be exposed to external threats.

Why should you colonise the Great Southern Land?

You need to:

Designate roles within your group. You will need a scribe,
analysts and presenter.
Use a highlighter to find the main points in your telegram.
Using these points, construct a structured paragraph response
that argues why your country needs to colonise the Great
Southern Land.

Be prepared to present your response.

Telegraph Date: 1779
From: British House of Commons

To: Ministry of Economics and Trade

You have been invited to make a presentation to the British
House of Commons concerning the potential colonisation of
the Great Southern Land. Read the following information
relating to your Ministry carefully, and prepare a response.

Your country (Britain) has just lost the American War of

Independence and you no longer have access to the abundance of
natural resources that the American colonies provided you. You
are excited about Joseph Banks descriptions of the wonderful
plant species and fertile soil at Botany Bay. These could open up
fantastic opportunities for agriculture and trade. You are also
aware of the need to establish a trading port closer to China and
South America. These new trade routes could increase your
countrys wealth and status considerably. The proximity of your
port to the whaling industry in the Pacific might open up further
trade opportunities.
Why should you colonise the Great Southern Land?

You need to:

Designate roles within your group. You will need a scribe,
analysts and presenter.
Use a highlighter to find the main points in your telegram.
Using these points, construct a structured paragraph
response that argues why your country needs to colonise
the Great Southern Land.

Be prepared to present your response.

Telegraph Date: 1779
From: British House of Commons

To: Military High Command

You have been invited to make a presentation to the British
House of Commons concerning the potential colonisation of
the Great Southern Land. Read the following information
relating to your Department carefully, and prepare a
response.

Your country (Britain) has just lost the American War of

Independence and you are worried because your great imperial
rival, France, has just allied themselves with every other major
power in Europe, including Russia, against you. You are worried
for the safety and security of your colonies in the Pacific. What
will happen if the French decide to invade? You need a military
outpost to be able to defend your colonial interests as soon as a
threat arises. If you lose any more colonies, your status as a
global military power might be affected. Colonising the Great
Southern Land could ensure the stability of your Empire for
centuries to come.
Why should you colonise the Great Southern Land?

You need to:

Designate roles within your group. You will need a scribe,
analysts and presenter.
Use a highlighter to find the main points in your telegram.
Using these points, construct a structured paragraph
response that argues why your country needs to colonise
the Great Southern Land.

Be prepared to present your response.

Telegraph Date: 1779
From: British House of Commons

To: Ministry for Colonial Expansion

You have been invited to make a presentation to the British
House of Commons concerning the potential colonisation of
the Great Southern Land. Read the following information
relating to your Ministry carefully, and prepare a response.

Your country (Britain) has just lost the American War of

Independence. Your great imperial rival, France, has just allied
themselves with every other major power in Europe, including
Russia, against you. You have also heard rumours from across
the English Channel that France is planning an expedition to
colonise the Great Southern Land before you do. You are worried
about how this might affect your status as a global power. Having
explored most of the world, you know that there is only a limited
amount of land that has yet to be colonised. This could be your
last opportunity to claim strategic territory and vital resources for
the expansion and prosperity of your empire.
Why should you colonise the Great Southern Land?

You need to:

Designate roles within your group. You will need a scribe,
analysts and presenter.
Use a highlighter to find the main points in your telegram.
Using these points, construct a structured paragraph response
that argues why your country needs to colonise the Great
Southern Land.

Be prepared to present your response.

 Colonise Indigenous

Aboriginal France

Ships Resources

Sea America
However Nation

Territory Wealth

Power Trade

Explore Island