About the object

Wendy Hill's 5th Class social studies book

Wendy Hill completed this page in her social studies book in 5th Class in 1968. Wendy attended the Opportunity Class (OC) at Beecroft Public school. 

On this page Wendy has hand-drawn and labelled a diagram of the geographical features of the Hunter Valley in New South Wales. She has used felt marker for the heading, biro pen for the labels and colour pencils for the diagram.  

This page is part of a set of lessons on the divisions of New South Wales – western plains, western slopes, highlands, coastal plains – their features, primary production and industries. 

All students in NSW studied exactly the same topics in social studies lessons at the same stages in their primary years. It was set out in the Curriculum for Primary Schools 1952 with revisions in 1961. 

When we compare social studies books in our collection from a variety of schools, the order of topics and content is almost identical. The presentation of work is also very similar.

Significance

Wendy Hill's social studies book demonstrates 

• the social studies curriculum followed at the time

• the content of social studies lessons

• the manner in which work was presented. 

It shows that students took great pride in their social studies books. Many kept them throughout their lives. 

Object details

Date –1968

Creator –Wendy Hill, 6th Class student

Place – Beecroft Public School

Materials – card, paper

Dimensions – height 22.7cm x width 17.3cm x spine 1cm

See

• What do you notice first about Wendy's pages?

• What page do you like best? Why?

• What detail is included on the Queensland map that the map of NSW is missing?

Think

• What has Wendy used for headings, writing, maps and pictures? 

• Why do you think Wendy kept this book until she was an adult?

Social studies books video

View the social studies books video in which ex-students of North Ryde Public School, Dianne and Robyn, recount their memories of social studies.

• What is your favourite subject at school?

Plastic map template, circa 1960

This green plastic map of Australia was used by students for mapping in their social studies and homework books. They were first made from Bakelite - the first plastic invented.

Students used a sharp lead pencil to trace around the outline. They dotted in the borders through the perforated lines on the stencil and traced in the rivers along the river lines.

Students then drew over the pencil using pen and added other details onto the map.

• What state and territory are missing from the map stencil?

Rubber stamp map of Australia, circa 1960

This rubber stamp of Australia includes the state borders and the Tropic of Capricorn line across the map. 

The outline and lines are raised. When the rubber surface is placed down onto the stamp pad the raised lines are coated with ink.

The stamp is pressed onto a page of a social studies book, creating an outline map of Australia. Students then traced the outlines in pen or pencil and added in other details.

Schools had large sets of rubber stamp maps of all the Australian states and countries of the world, including world maps.