Digital Classroom | National Library of Australia (NLA)

Digital Classroom

Explore Australia's history at the National Library's Digital Classroom, aligned with the Australian Curriculum. With over 10 million items, we support diverse learning styles, fostering inquiry-based learning for students to analyse sources and draw conclusions about the Australian story.
Showing 1 - 12 of 25 results
Man leaning against gate

Sievers, Wolfgang, 1913-2007. (1991). [Photograph of Wolfgang Sievers], Berlin, Germany, 1991 [picture] / Wolfgang Sievers. nla.gov.au/nla.obj-161009403

Wolfgang Sievers

Topic

Wolfgang Georg Sievers, AO (1913–2007) was a well-known modernist photographer who documented Australian architecture and industry over a career spanning almost 60 years.

Humanities
Technologies
Year 5
Year 6
Architecture and design
Photography
Science and technology
Gold Digging Boardgame

(1855). [Board game titled: Race to the gold diggings of Australia] [realia]. nla.gov.au/nla.obj-139615708

The promise of gold

Topic

Race to the Gold Diggings of Australia is a boxed, children’s board game produced in England around 1855. It is the earliest known board game that has Australia as its theme.

Humanities
Year 5
Australian history
First Australians
A photograph of the Sydney Opera House during the day. The Opera House is framed by the hanging branches of a large tree. In the foreground is a wrought iron fence.

Don McMurdo, [Sydney Opera House], nla.gov.au/nla.obj-146290294

Stage performance

Topic

Drama in Australia is celebrated at all levels of skill and involvement. 

Arts
Year 5
Year 6
Performing arts
A sepia image of a weather almanac for 1894.

New South Wales weather almanac for ... : a general handbook for the year, 1894, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-406743496

Recording weather

Topic

In colonial Australia, there was a useful household book called an almanac. It contained lots of information, including weather forecasts and pictures of the flags used to signify approaching storms.

Humanities
Science
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6
Environment and biodiversity
Geography
Sheet music featuring an illustration of a child looking out an open window

Edith Harrhy & Bronnie Taylor, Songs for young Australians [music] / words by Bronnie Taylor ; music by Edith Harrhy, 1941, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-175231656

Presenting weather

Topic

The weather is an important part of our lives, and this is reflected in the arts and other sources we consume.

Humanities
Science
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6
Environment and biodiversity
Geography
A black and white photograph of a billboard advertising the 'Big Show of 1936', a variety performance

(1936). Frank Neil presents new international variety stars in the Big show of 1936. nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2404782107

Performing arts in Australia

Topic

Sydney’s first theatre was said to be opened in 1796 and was managed by Robert Sidaway.

Arts
Year 5
Year 6
Performing arts
Ballerina Justine Summers strikes a pose for the camera. She is standing en point wearing a black tutu. She is standing infront of a textured curtain. She is staring directly at the camera.

Jim McFarlane, Justine Summers in "Divergence", the Australian Ballet, 1994, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-136367403

On stage

Module

This resource is aligned to the Australian Curriculum: The Arts for years 5 & 6 students.

Arts
Year 5
Year 6
Performing arts
Kylie Minogue wearing a red dress and with her arms in the air

Matthew Sleeth, Australian singer Kylie Minogue performs at the Tour of Duty concert at Dili Stadium, East Timor, 21 December 1999, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-147368307

Music

Topic

One of the world’s oldest music traditions that is still performed is the bunggul ceremony. This can be seen annually at the Garma Festival held in Gulkula, a sacred site in north-east Arnhem Land. The Garma Festival runs for four days and observes the traditions and customs of the Yolngu people.

Arts
Year 5
Year 6
Performing arts
stacks of aluminium profiles

Sievers, Wolfgang, 1913-2007. (1965). Aluminium profiles at Comalco's plant at Yennora, New South Wales, 1965, 3 [picture] / Wolfgang Sievers. nla.gov.au/nla.obj-160295127

Modernism

Topic

Modernism was a cultural movement that influenced visual arts, architecture, music, literature and design in the first half of the twentieth century.

Humanities
Technologies
Year 5
Year 6
Architecture and design
Photography
Science and technology
an image of a map showing an outline of the eastern half of Australia with about 30 towns down the side with their minimum and maximum temperatures.

WEATHER MAP, 9 am 3 FEBRUARY, 1877. (1877, February 5). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 6. nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13389140

Mapping weather

Topic

In 1877, meteorologist and astronomer Henry Russell produced the first published weather map for the colony of New South Wales.

Humanities
Science
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6
Environment and biodiversity
Geography
A photo of a tattered old blue book.

Burke and Wills Expedition (1860-1861) & Burke, Robert O'Hara, 1821-1861 & Wills, William John, 1834-1861 & King, John, 1841-1872 & Hawkins, F. H & Roberts, D. W. (1860). Papers relating to the Burke and Wills Expedition, 1860-1861 [manuscript]. nla.gov.au/nla.obj-229121922

Inland adventures

Topic

The Burke and Wills Expedition (also known as the Victorian or the Australian Exploring Expedition), was organised by the Royal Society of Victoria. It was the first expedition to cross the Australian continent from south to north.

Humanities
Year 5
Australian history
First Australians
A portrait of a man. He has dark skin and hair. He is an Australian Indigenous man and is wearing a European style officers coat and trousers. His trousers are tattered at the cuffs. He is holding a tricorn hat in the air. In the background sailing ships can be see on the harbour. A large fort can be seen on a spit of land.

Earle, Augustus, 1793-1838. (1826). Portrait of Bungaree, a native of New South Wales, with Fort Macquarie, Sydney Harbour, in background [picture] / [Augustus Earle]. nla.gov.au/nla.obj-134114940

Indigenous experiences

Topic

Augustus Earle (1793–1838) was an artist working in the colony of New South Wales around 1825. He painted several portraits of Bungaree, a notable Aboriginal leader.

Humanities
Year 5
Australian history
First Australians

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