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Historical Timeline Creation

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Historical Timeline Creation

Use the evidence cards below to create a timeline, then investigate sequence, cause and effect, and significance. Dates are in CE unless marked BCE. A timeline should place events in chronological order and show the time between them. For events with only a year, place the marker at that year.

Evidence cards

Read these independently written event cards. The cards provide the evidence you need for every task.

Before 1788 — Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples had lived on and cared for the continent for tens of thousands of years, with diverse cultures, languages and communities.

1788 — The First Fleet arrived at Warrane (Sydney Cove), beginning British colonisation. The arrival had profound and ongoing effects on First Nations peoples.

1851 — A major gold rush began in New South Wales. Gold discoveries drew people from around the world and contributed to rapid population growth and social change.

1901 — The six British colonies joined to form the Commonwealth of Australia. The new federal parliament began governing national matters, while states retained their own responsibilities.

1967 — In a national referendum, more than 90 per cent of voters supported changing the Constitution so the Commonwealth could make laws for Aboriginal people and Aboriginal people would be counted in national censuses. The vote did not itself grant citizenship; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples already had Australian citizenship.

1.Put the four dated events in chronological order, from earliest to latest. Write the year and a short event label for each.

2.Use the number line to mark the four dated events from the evidence cards. Label each point with its year. Which event is furthest to the right?

3.How many years passed between the start of the major New South Wales gold rush and Federation? Show the subtraction you used.

4.Which event came first: Federation or the 1967 referendum? How many years separated them?

Federation came first; 66 years separated them.
The referendum came first; 66 years separated them.
Federation came first; 67 years separated them.
They happened in the same year.

5.Match each event to a change described in its evidence card.

1851 gold rush
1901 Federation
1967 referendum

Six colonies joined to form a Commonwealth
Population growth and social change
Constitutional changes supported by more than 90 per cent of voters

6.Which statement is accurate according to the 1967 card?

The referendum created Australian citizenship for Aboriginal people.
More than 90 per cent of voters supported constitutional changes relating to Aboriginal people and the census.
The referendum immediately ended all discrimination.
The referendum established the Commonwealth of Australia.

7.The cards describe First Nations peoples living on and caring for the continent long before 1788, and the continuing effects of colonisation after that date. Write one example of continuity and one example of change suggested by the cards.

8.Choose one event from the cards that you think had a major effect on Australia. Give one piece of evidence from the card and explain why it matters. There can be more than one defensible choice.

9.Create a mini-timeline using the four dated events. Place each event in the correct order, label it with its year and write one short detail from its card beside it.