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 206 results
Woman sitting on a stool looking thoughtful in front of a red banner with the words 'The Sell: Australian Advertising 1790s to 1990s'
The Sell: Australian Advertising 1790s to 1990s

Module

Examples of advertising and media drawn from the National Library of Australia’s exhibition The Sell: Australian Advertising 1790s to 1990s and looks at their influence over time.

Arts
English
Humanities
Year 10
Art, drawing and illustration
Australian history
Literature and writing
fan depicting king parrot eating an Arnott's cracker

[Food industry - biscuits and cakes : trade catalogues ephemera collected by the National Library of Australia], nla.gov.au/nla.obj-84640628

Iconic brands and early ads

Topic

Advertising campaigns for iconic Australian brands and early ads.

Arts
English
Humanities
Year 10
Art, drawing and illustration
Australian history
Literature and writing
Colourful Billy Tea advertisement

(1930). The famous Billy Tea : with the distinctive flavour, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-138235161

Cup of Tea?

Topic

British tea culture, imported with the arrival of the British in Australia in 1788, has been adapted by Australians into something distinct from its roots. One of the key early differences is the use of the ‘billy’, a lightweight metal can used most commonly for boiling water or cooking over a campfire.

Arts
English
Humanities
Year 10
Art, drawing and illustration
Australian history
Literature and writing
simpson washer flyer

Simpson (Firm) (issuing body.) (1950). Hooray! It's washday! - my day off!. [Australia] Simpson

Selling modernity

Topic

The postwar era saw advertising reflect notions of the ideal Australian home, of masculinity and feminine beauty and of health.

Arts
English
Humanities
Year 10
Art, drawing and illustration
Australian history
Literature and writing
blue, yellow, and red poster advertising the beach

Gert Sellheim & Australian National Travel Association. (1936). Sunshine and surf : Australia, nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn6385925

Art in advertising

Topic

Poster artists working for The Australian National Travel Association (ANTA) had to decide which pictorial styles would best convey Australia’s attractions.

Arts
English
Humanities
Year 10
Art, drawing and illustration
Australian history
Literature and writing
Engineering faculty, interior with students

Wolfgang Sievers, Engineering faculty, interior with students, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology 1969, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-161377160

The message

Topic

The advent of the Internet has transformed the way advertising and consumers interact with each other. Because of the personal information we share either voluntarily or involuntarily online, advertising can now be targeted to a degree that would have boggled the minds of early advertisers.

Arts
English
Humanities
Year 10
Art, drawing and illustration
Australian history
Literature and writing
Five figures depicted on postcard with captioned rhyme.

May Gibbs, We are the Gumnut Corps, we're going to war / May Gibbs, 1916, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-153093166

Early children's fiction in Australia

Topic

The Library has an extensive collection of Australian children’s literature ranging from the first children’s book published in Australia to the latest releases.

English
Year 3
Photo portrait of Gillian Triggs with a small smile

Gillian Triggs interviewed for oral history

Gillian Triggs - Human Rights Lawyer

Topic

Gillian Triggs is a lawyer and former President of the Australian Human Rights Commission. She has held the position of Professor of Law at the University of Melbourne Law School and published books about her work to advocate for human rights in Australia.

Humanities
Year 10
Australian women
Law and legislation
Photo of Elizabeth Broderick with a large smile

Elizabeth Broderick, courtesy of Helen Melville

Elizabeth Broderick - Human Rights Lawyer

Topic

Elizabeth Broderick AO was Australia's longest-serving Sex Discrimination Commissioner, from 2007 to 2015. She was also Commissioner responsible for Age Discrimination from 2007 to 2011.

Humanities
Year 10
Australian women
Law and legislation
Top portion of a poster differently coloured side profiles of a face on a red background, with black text reading 'Universal Declaration of Human Rights'

United Nations Association of Australia, Collection of posters from United Nations Association of Australia (detail), 1978, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2847513995

The International Stage: Australian women lawyers as active citizens

Topic

This topic links the Australian Women Lawyers who have acted as active citizens on an international stage.  

Humanities
Year 10
Australian women
Law and legislation
Erika Feller

Erika Feller, photo courtesy of Kim Rubenstein

Erika Feller - International lawyer

Topic 

Erika Feller is a distinguished international lawyer and humanitarian advocate who has shaped global refugee protection through her groundbreaking work with the United Nations and her commitment to upholding human rights.

Humanities
Year 10
Australian women
Law and legislation
Catherine Branson

Catherine Branson

Catherine Branson - Former judge and human rights lawyer

Topic 

Catherine Branson QC, AC, former judge, and former President of the Australian Human Rights commission has also spent her career advocating for equality, gender issues, and the rights of marginalized communities in Australia and beyond.

Humanities
Year 10
Australian women
Law and legislation

Need help?

Our librarians are here to guide you.

Ask a librarian