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Exploring a new continent

  Name:

Setting the Scene
Imagine you live in the 19th century, in the new colony of New South Wales or Perth. These colonies are coastal. No one knows what lies inland, or even how big the continent is. There are rumours that there is a huge inland sea in the middle of the continent, or perhaps vast, lush pastures where great herds of cattle and sheep can be grazed, or a huge amount of precious minerals and ores that can be mined. People who discover these places could become wealthy or famous, and would certainly become part of history, especially when they name their discoveries after themselves, and later on there are often statues or future landmarks named after them (for example, the Sturt Highway).

Your Task
You decide to set up an expedition to explore and map an area of inland Australia. Either on your own or as part of a group, plan your expedition. A big expedition that may last for months or even a year costs a lot of money, and you need funding. Write a proposal to wealthy people or the Royal Geographical Society detailing your plans. You need to provide enough detail to convince them that it would be a sound investment to back your expedition, and outline what benefits the investors would receive in return. Make an assessment of your chances of success. Start by checking Sydney and Perth on a modern map to see what settlers would have already known about the start of the expedition. Things to consider:

What do you hope to discover? In what direction do you want to travel?
What supplies and equipment will you need? How many people will take part?
Are there lessons for you from earlier expeditions? Which ones were before yours? What do you know about the inland?
What time of year should you travel? What sort of conditions should you be prepared for (weather, terrain, availability of wild food)?

Remember: the early settlers were European, so what they knew of plants, animals and climate were all different from what they found in Australia. In Europe things are in reverse: for example, the seasons are in different months, and north is cooler, south is warmer. Most Europeans had not experienced the harsh conditions that would face them in Australia.

Resources
These websites will help give you background understanding of what the early explorers faced so that you can base your proposal on facts.


http://kidcyber.com.au/topics/Austexplos.htm http://www.davidreilly.com/australian_explorers/
http://www.australianhistory.org/ausexplorers.php http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/australia.shtml
http://www.wilmap.com.au/atts/110.html http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/biogs/A060231b.htm
http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/biogs/A010527b.htm http://kyluka.com/briefing/Hamilton_Hume_explorer
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/4343016/Hamilton-Hume http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A010109b.htm?hilite=gregory%3Bblaxland
http://www.pacificislandtravel.com/culture_gallery/explorers/eyre.html http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/mrlaneis/ozedweb_h_oz_e_flinders.htm
http://www.vnc.qld.edu.au/enviro/flinders/mflind.htm Check the kidcyber Australia index for explorers by name (with the word 'explorer' after it)

The Process
Browse through websites to gather information that is relevant to your expedition. Consider the explorers whose expeditions were before yours, and read about their experiences. Make notes of information that you need, then organise them under useful headings. Make a rough draft of your proposal for expedition funding, and then work on your final copy. Present your proposal to the class, who will take on the roles of possible backers. Use maps and drawings to support your written and spoken presentation.

Evaluation
Write a paragraph assessing your project. Include your opinions about how good were your research, your mapping skills and your completed project.

updated June 2009©kidcyber