Exploring+Australia

Australia
 * The country of Australia covers an entire continent! Flip through the photos to introduce yourself to the people and places of Australia. The information you will find at National Geographic Kids web site describes the geography which includes everything from cities and farms, rain forests and the famous Australian outback. Read about the Great Dividing Range and the Great Artesian Basin and find out why the ecosystem is unusual. There are facts about Australia's deadly species of animals. The history of Australia is also described and the people and culture are discussed.
 * URL: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com

Sorry Day and the Stolen Generations
 * Since the earliest days of European occupation, Aboriginal children have been removed from their homes. Although Aborigines at first willingly sent their children to school, soon the government was accusing them of neglect in order to remove children and assimilate them. Children as young as four were taken from their mothers to be raised in dormitories far from the government settlements where their parents were sent. Since the 1990s, Australians have recognized their wrong and apologized to the Aborigines but only in 2008 has Parliament offered an official apology for the prior wrongs of the government of Australia.
 * URL: http://www.culture.gov.au

Australia's Prime Ministers
 * Meet the many men and one woman who have served as Prime Minister in Australia. There are 27 prime ministers profiled at this site. Use the images provided to explore the life and times of individual prime ministers and read information about the role of the spouse of the prime minister. Use the fast facts section for fun details and view the dynamic timeline to see highlights of the times of Australia's prime ministers. The galleries include audio, video and photographs.
 * URL: http://primeministers.naa.gov.au

Australian Biography: Extraordinary Australians Talk About Thier Lives
 * One of the best ways to learn more about a country is through the influential people of their society. The collection on this web site features biographies of many important Australian citizens. Each featured person has their own page filled with a written biography, live videos of interviews, television transcripts from the interviews, and more. You can choose an individual right from the main page or access an index that gives brief summaries of the lives of these influential Australians.
 * URL: http://www.australianbiography.gov.au

Australia's Prime Ministers
 * If you are learning about the history of Australia, look at this web page to learn about the first three prime ministers. Before 1901, Australia was divided into separate colonies. The Commonwealth of Australia was established in 1901, and the early prime ministers had a big job because they had to create the government for this new and huge country. Find out about Edmund Barton, Alfred Deakin, and John Watson on this page. You will learn about their schooling and the highlights of their careers.
 * URL: http://www.kidcyber.com.au

Australia: Statistics
 * A map of Australia and a list of general statistics are presented to you be World Health Organization. These general statistics are followed by data from the Global Health Observatory and links to a country profile and links to information and statistics on disease outbreaks and crises, mortality rates and burden of disease, child malnutrition, and nutrition. There is also an immunization profile and links to information and statistics on national health accounts and risk factors such as alcohol and road safety.
 * URL: http://www.who.int

Australia
 * When someone talks about the land down under, they are probably talking about Australia. Australia has many famous places, and you can see them at this Time for Kids Online web site. There is the Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef, Kangaroo Island with wonderful wildlife, and the Tasmania Wilderness area. Watch a quick slideshow of Aussie animals and get the hang of Aussie slang words. Don't forget to read the fact file and to take the quiz.
 * URL: http://www.timeforkids.com

Documenting a Democracy
 * Explore 110 documents that form the foundation of Australia's democracy. Presented by the National Archives of Australia, this site tells Australia's story with primary source documents. Documents are divided by state and territory with a separate section for documents that apply to the entire commonwealth. These documents help you trace Australia's foundation, colonial history, and the shaping of the government since federation. Investigate how boundaries were formed. Although British law forms most of Australia's laws, the laws of Australia really go back to Aboriginal times.
 * URL: http://www.foundingdocs.gov.au

Australian History: Colonisation (1788-1900)
 * The first European to sail along the coast of Australia was James Cook in 1770. Follow the history of the colonization of Australia at this web site. Find out how the convict settlement started by the British government in Australia allowed Britain to also claim the island continent. Read about the government of early Australia and the exploration of the country by Australian explorers. There is information about the convicts sent to Australia in the 1700s and 1800s, the discovery of gold and the bushrangers that roamed the countryside.
 * URL: http://www.australianhistory.org

The Bombing of Darwin Interactive
 * During World War II, the Japanese worked to conquer Asia, Indonesia, Singapore, and New Guinea. Australia needs your help. Become a defense expert and decide how to protect Darwin from a Japanese attack. Make decisions about where to put men, guns, and planes. Choose locations for strategic defense and decide how to train troops. Don't take too long to make your decisions because the Japanese may attack before the changes can be made to Darwin's defenses.
 * URL: http://www.nma.gov.au

Wildlife of Sydney
 * From ants to whales, the wildlife of Sydney, Australia is introduced at the web site of the Australian Museum Online. You can click on an animal group to explore or you can enter a word in the search box. For each animal group, there is an overview of the group and fact files about individual animals. Use the map of Sydney to learn more about the many animal habitats there. Spend some time on the fun learning activities where you can reassemble animal body parts, test your habitat knowledge and explore life cycles.
 * URL: http://australianmuseum.net.au

Voyages 1801-1803
 * The online exhibition South Land to New Holland, Dutch Charting of Australia, from the National Library of Australia describes the ships and ship captains that guided the discovery of the continent. This page section of the expedition timeline describes the historical importance of Nicholas Baudin, French commander of the ship Geographe, and his surveyor Louis de Freycinet. There is a brief note about the famed meeting between Baudin and English explorer Matthew Flinders in the waters of southern Australia, later called Encounter Bay in their honor. Use the voyage page links to learn more about the exploration of Australia.
 * URL: http://www.nla.gov.au

Animal Bytes: Wombats
 * The San Diego Zoo web site describes the wombat as one of the oddest-looking animals you will ever see. Several photographs of the wombat are shared at this site. Check out the box with quick facts about length, weight, life span and conservation status. Learn more about these cute animals that have short tempers. Find out about different wombat species, see how fast they can run and get details about their eating habits. You can also learn about wombat babies.
 * URL: http://www.sandiegozoo.org

Truganini
 * The Companion to Tasmanian History provides a drawing of the Aboriginal woman named Truganini and discusses her life. See how her life changed from the ways of her traditional culture after Europeans invaded Tasmania. Read about GA Robinson and how Truganini traveled with him to teach him the Aboriginal language and culture. There is information about the unsuccessful resettlement of the remaining Aboriginal people. Learn about Truganini's early lifestyle in Oyster Cove. Follow links in orange to learn more about Truganini and early Aboriginal life in Australia.
 * URL: http://www.utas.edu.au

Feral Animals in Australia
 * The animals native to Australia have to compete with other species that have been introduced to the continent. Learn about the impacts of introduced animals on the soil, water, and native plants and animals and discover why their populations have not diminished. Read about different management and control methods and look at the Australian pest animal strategies. Information is available for specific animals of concern including the cane toad, European wild rabbit, feral water buffalo and others.
 * URL: http://www.environment.gov.au

A Diverse People
 * The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in the Australian Government compiled this demographic profile, which analyzes the contributions of indigenous and migrant cultures to the development of modern society in Australia. Population statistics from the era of European colonization in the late eighteenth century and as a result of immigration and refugee or humanitarian programs are used to explain how diversity has shaped government policies in the past and present. The unique role of indigenous peoples in contributing to the nation's cultural identity is also discussed.
 * URL: http://www.dfat.gov.au

Australian Folk Songs
 * The traditional cultural practices of Australia's Aboriginal people continue despite the suffering they endured during the 1700s and 1800s. One of the ways in which they preserved different parts of their heritage is through their music and songs. Find out about the different types of music styles that make up Aboriginal music and learn about common themes in these songs. The concept of Dreamtime in Aboriginal music is explained and the instruments used are described.
 * URL: http://spotlightonmusic.macmillanmh.com