Cultural Collisions

Learn about the early encounters and collisions of culture between the Aboriginal peoples of Western Australia and a variety of newcomers.

Students critically examine First Contact experiences between Aboriginal peoples in our state, investigating the history of encounters with various visitors through industry, trade and colonisation. Evidence of these diverse relationships and their cultural, social, and economic consequences are examined through objects within the Connections and Ngallang Koort Boodja Wirn galleries.

Please be aware prior to booking that this program contains some challenging content, including the story of the Pinjarra Massacre.

Student experience

Students will:

• Recognise the diversity of pre-colonial and colonial relationships and encounters with Aboriginal peoples
• Hear first-contact stories about local Aboriginal peoples and British, French and Makassans in the Ngalang Koort Boodja Wirn and Connections galleries.
• Identify legacies of these early relationships, reflecting on their own attitudes and learning
• Record their findings on a sheet to take back to school

Program feedback

"It was very in depth and detailed.  The students were very engaged."

Curriculum links

Programs at the WA Museum support teachers in their delivery of the WA Curriculum. This program links to the following strands of the Western Australian Curriculum:

Year 4

• HASS
  History: 
  • The diversity and longevity of Australia’s first peoples and the ways they are connected to Country/Place and their pre-contact ways of life (WA4HAKUH1)
  • The nature of contact between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and others and the impact that these interactions and colonisation had on the environment and people’s lives (WA4HAKUH3)

Year 5

• HASS
  History: 
  • The patterns of colonial development and settlement and how this impacted upon the environment and the daily lives of the different inhabitants (WA5HAKUH2)
  • The contribution or significance of one individual or group in shaping the Swan River Colony, including their motivations and actions (WA5HAKUH3)

Year 6

• HASS
  Geography: 
  • The world’s cultural diversity, including that of its First Nations peoples who live in different regions in the world (WA6HAKUG2)
  • Australia’s connection with countries and how these connections change people and places (WA6HAKUG3)

All facilitated workshops are led by the Museum’s experienced Learning and Engagement team and have been curated using the Museum’s unique resources to provide a deeper learning experience in our specialist subject areas.

Your booking for a facilitated workshop will include all materials and activities for the duration of the program with no prior preparation required.

As part of all facilitated workshop bookings, you are welcome to explore the rest of the Museum free of charge pre or post workshop and do not need to make any additional bookings to do so.  WA Museum Boola Bardip is open daily from 9.30am to 5pm, with last entry at 4pm.