The Cummeragunja walk-off 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that the following lessons may contain images, names and voices of people who have died.

Overview

During these lessons students will explore the Cummeragunja walk off. 

Students will:  

• conduct research into the Cummeragunja walk off 

• write a newspaper article about the Cummeragunja walk off 

• write a report about local Aboriginal missions or statements. 

Content: 

Background to the struggle of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for rights and freedoms before 1965, including the 1938 Day of Mourning and the Stolen Generations. 

Students: 

• outline the rights and freedoms denied to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples before 1965 and the role and policies of the Aboriginal Protection Board, eg the control of wages and reserves 

• investigate and explain the role of ONE individual or group in the struggle for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' rights and freedoms.

Outcomes:  

• HT5-3 explains and analyses the motives and actions of past individuals and groups in the historical contexts that shaped the modern world and Australia 

• HT5-10 selects and uses appropriate oral, written, visual and digital forms to communicate effectively about the past for different audiences 

In this lesson, students will research the Cummeragunja walk off using a range of sources, making notes to support a written response later in the learning sequence. They will consider the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in relation to the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

Content: 

Background to the struggle of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for rights and freedoms before 1965, including the 1938 Day of Mourning and the Stolen Generations. 

Students: 

• outline the rights and freedoms denied to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples before 1965 and the role and policies of the Aboriginal Protection Board, eg the control of wages and reserves.  

Outcomes:  

•  HT5-3 explains and analyses the motives and actions of past individuals and groups in the historical contexts that shaped the modern world and Australia 

In this lesson, students will review their research from the previous lesson to create a plan and write a newspaper article about the event and its significance in the Aboriginal rights movement. 

Content: 

Background to the struggle of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for rights and freedoms before 1965, including the 1938 Day of Mourning and the Stolen Generations. 

Students: 

• outline the rights and freedoms denied to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples before 1965 and the role and policies of the Aboriginal Protection Board, eg the control of wages and reserves 

• investigate and explain the role of ONE individual or group in the struggle for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' rights and freedoms. 

Outcomes: 

• HT5-3 explains and analyses the motives and actions of past individuals and groups in the historical contexts that shaped the modern world and Australia 

• HT5-10 selects and uses appropriate oral, written, visual and digital forms to communicate effectively about the past for different audiences 

In this lesson, students will engage with current research about the lived past experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in relation to the Aborigines Protection Act, using archival evidence. 

Content: 

Background to the struggle of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for rights and freedoms before 1965, including the 1938 Day of Mourning and the Stolen Generations 

Students: 

• outline the rights and freedoms denied to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples before 1965 and the role and policies of the Aboriginal Protection Board, eg the control of wages and reserves

• investigate and explain the role of ONE individual or group in the struggle for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' rights and freedoms. 

Outcomes: 

• HT5-3 explains and analyses the motives and actions of past individuals and groups in the historical contexts that shaped the modern world and Australia

•  HT5-10 selects and uses appropriate oral, written, visual and digital forms to communicate effectively about the past for different audiences