Cultural collisions

Learn about the early encounters and collisions of culture between the Aboriginal peoples of Western Australia and a variety of newcomers since 1616.

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 and artworks from the Museum’s collections.

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

Student experience

Students will investigate:

• Recognise the diversity of pre-colonial and colonial relationships and encounters with Aboriginal peoples
• Hear case studies of early contact in WA, including the Dutch, British 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

“Links perfectly with the year 4 – 6 history curriculum.”

Skills development

This program links to the following strands of the Western Australian Curriculum:

Year 4

First contacts

• The diversity and longevity of Australia's first peoples and the ways they are connected to country/place (e.g. land, sea, waterways, skies) and their pre-contact ways of life (ACHASSK083)
• The nature of contact between Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples and others (e.g. the Macassans, Europeans) and the impact that these interactions and colonisation had on the environment and people's lives (ACHASSK086)

Year 5

The Australian colonies

• The patterns of colonial development and settlement (e.g. geographical features, climate, water resources, transport, discovery of gold) and how this impacted upon the environment (e.g. introduced species) and the daily lives of the different inhabitants (e.g. convicts, free settlers, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples) (ACHASSK107)
• The economic, social and political impact of one significant development or event on a colony and the potential outcomes created by 'what if…?' scenarios (e.g. frontier conflict; the gold rushes; the Eureka Stockade; the Pinjarra Massacre; the advent of rail; the expansion of farming; drought) (ACHASSK107)

Year 6

A diverse and connected world

• Australia's connections with countries (e.g. trade, migration, tourism, aid, education, defence, sport) and how these connections change people and places (ACHASSK141).

Australia as a nation

• Experiences of Australia's democracy and citizenship, including the status and rights of Aboriginal people and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples, migrants, women and children (ACHASSK135).

Trade-offs and impacts of consumer and financial decisions

• Choices about the use of resources result from the imbalance of limited resources and unlimited wants (i.e. the concept of scarcity) (ACHASSK149).

Trade-offs and impacts of consumer and financial decisions

• Decisions about the alternative use of resources result in the need to consider trade-offs (e.g. using the land to grow crops or to graze cattle) (ACHASSK149)