The Hon Julie Bishop MP
Minister for Education, Science and Training
Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600

Dear Minister,

Archaeology and Australia's National History Curriculum

Working collaboratively with the Australian Archaeological Association, the World
Archaeological Congress is pleased to tender the submission ‘A Past for all Australians:
Archaeology and Australia's National History Curriculum’. This proposal is written to
encourage the Australian government to develop the new national curriculum so that it
includes archaeological knowledge and methods for understanding the past.

Integrating archaeology into a National History Curriculum provides an unprecedented
opportunity to move Australia from a position where we are lagging behind
developments in other nations, to one where we are amongst the world leaders on this
issue.

History curricula require students to become familiar with the methods of history, and
archaeology is undoubtedly one of these. Archaeology is also the only historical
research tool that extends its methodology across the entire continuum of Australian
history. Archaeology does not rely only on the written word, but draws on a range of
tangible objects and their context within a physical setting. Through archaeology,
students will learn a scientific means for understanding the past, and develop deeper
knowledge of the global firsts in human evolution and the unique accomplishments
achieved by Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians who did not leave a written
record.

This submission consists of an overview document, and a number of cascading
documents. The documents included in this submission are:

• Cover letter from the President of the World Archaeological Congress.

• Cover letter from the President of the Australian Archaeological Association.

• Overview document: ‘A Past for all Australians: Archaeology and Australia's
National History Curriculum’.

• Cascading document: Archaeological Periods in Australian History.

• Cascading document: Teaching Archaeology in Schools: International Developments.

• Cascading document: Teaching Archaeology in Schools: Internet Examples.

• Cascading document: Ten Principles for Teaching Archaeology in Australian Schools.

• Cascading document: Research Team.

• Cascading document: Course profile: Interdisciplinary Studies (Ireland).

The development of a National History Curriculum provides a wonderful opportunity for us to
enhance the teaching and learning of Australian history. This opportunity will be enriched
substantively through the inclusion of archaeology in the curriculum.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Yours sincerely,

Claire Smith, President

Click here to view the full submission (PDF)