School Certificate practice exam

School Certificate 2005

Whitlam a culture of hope?

‘by the 1970’s Whitlam had become a symbol of cultural hope for the protest generation of the sixties’

What do you think is meant by this phrase?

Identify the policies and the context (early 1970’s Vietnam fresh in everyone’s mind) that may have contributed to this statement.

Read through the policies of the Whitlam Government and discuss how they affected people at that time.

Research information about Gough Whitlam

8th September 2008

Research Gough Whitlam

-outline what Gough’s policies were

- find out why he was so well received in 1972

Take these notes in your History/Geography book.

3. Sample extended response questions from School Certificate 2007

1. Examine the challenges and responses to human rights OR reconciliation for 

Australia. 

In your answer provide: 

• a definition of human rights OR reconciliation; 

• some challenges for Australia; 

• some responses to these challenges by individuals OR groups OR governments. 

 

 

2. Using Source J and your own knowledge, outline the actions Aboriginal people have

 

taken in their struggle for land rights in the post-war period.

 

 

3. Describe the problems faced by ONE of the following groups in their struggle for 

rights and freedoms. 

• A migrant group in the post-World War II period 

• Enemy aliens in World War I or World War II 

• Women during the Great Depression 

• Women’s liberationists in the post-World War II period 

• The stolen generations.

School Certificate Practice Exam

Click on this link to find the Board of Studies homepage:

Practise Exams

Scroll down the page until you see the heading HSC and SC Test Yourself, click on this link and it will take you to a place where you can practice your skills.

Good luck!!

More on events in Thailand

Refer to link on the rhs under D.F.A.T links called ‘Stranded in paradise’ to learn more about Australians stranded in Thailand.

Smith urges caution in Thailand

August 31st, 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

Australian travellers caught up in Thailand’s political protests are not in danger provided they stay away from the demonstrations, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith says.

The department of foreign affairs estimates about 300 Australians have been directly affected by anti-government protests in Thailand that have forced the closure of three airports in the country’s south, including the popular holiday destination of Phuket.

Mr Smith said the protests had caused delays and frustration to Australian travellers in Phuket, about 20,000 of whom were visiting the tourist haven at any one time.

But no Australians were believed to be in danger at this stage, he said.

“Providing Australians stay away from demonstrations … our assessment at this stage is that there is no direct or immediate threat to them,” Mr Smith told reporters in Perth.

“Of course, there’s inconvenience and frustration, but Australians in Phuket or Thailand should speak to airlines or travel agents before making plans to travel.”

He said the department’s best estimates put the number of Australians directly affected by the protests in the hundreds, and probably a “ballpark figure” of about 300.

Before Phuket airport resumed flights, about 15,000 airline passengers had been stranded since anti-government protesters marched on the island’s airport on Friday, forcing a cancellation of all the nearly 120 daily flights.

Similar protests closed down the airport in nearby Krabi and the southern commercial centre of Hat Yai, although Hat Yai had since reopened.

The anti-government protests are centred on Bangkok, where up to 25,000 people have occupied the main government complex calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej.

The protests turned violent on Friday when activists clashed with police, and about 35 people were injured.

Mr Samak, who again insisted he would not resign, has so far resisted invoking emergency rule, which would see the army called in.

Force Aborigines ‘to work or cut dole’

August 21, 2008 – 5:49AM

Welfare laws should be overhauled to force Aborigines to take jobs or face immediate cuts to their dole payments, indigenous leader Warren Mundine says.

The Labor powerbroker told The Australian that the federal government should introduce hardline welfare reforms that force Aborigines to take work all over the country.

Mr Mundine said welfare reforms started with the quarantining of payments in the Northern Territory but must now extend to the reform of labour laws.

“How stupid does Australia look when we are flying people in from overseas to do these jobs,” Mr Mundine told The Australian.

“There’s not enough encouragement in the system to get people off the dole and into these jobs,” he said.

“If you’re not prepared to put your hand up for a job, no matter where it is, we shouldn’t have to continue paying the dole.”

Cape York indigenous leader Noel Pearson joined Mr Mundine in attacking the government’s proposal to import 2,500 workers from Tonga, Vanuatu, Kiribati and Papua New Guinea to fill seasonal shortages.

“It would be a tragedy if it had to be farmed out to other nations,” Mr Pearson told The Australian.

MPs seek forced sales of water rights

August 22, 2008 – 5:51PM

Farmers could be forced to sell their water to the federal government as momentum grows for compulsory acquisitions.

With the crisis in the Murray-Darling Basin worsening, the government has $3.1 billion to spend buying water rights so that it can return more water to the parched river system.

Currently, farmers only have to sell if they want to – and if they like the government’s price.

But the Greens and Independent Senator Nick Xenophon plan to join forces in the Senate in a bid to make the water buy-backs compulsory.

The government has repeatedly rejected compulsory acquisition and some farmers and irrigators strongly oppose such a move, but Senator Xenophon said it was the best way forward.

“If you want to give the Murray-Darling Basin a fighting chance, then compulsory acquisition, obviously on just terms, is the way to get things done,” he told AAP.

Senator Xenophon said forced buy-backs should apply fairly across the whole basin – which means Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia.

The government does not hold a majority in the Senate so will have to horse-trade with the Greens and two independent senators to pass much of its legislation.

The South Australian senator warned he would stand firm on the Murray issue.

“What the government needs to know is that this is the biggest issue facing my state … they can expect me to be absolutely determined to get a fair result for my state,” Senator Xenophon said.

Greens water spokeswoman Rachel Siewert said her party would table amendments to the Water Act to allow for the compulsory acquisition of water, which is currently not permitted.

“Of course, most people want to have a choice,” Senator Siewert told AAP.

“But we’re talking about a system now that has been grossly over-allocated, and unless we do something … we’re not going to be able to save that system.

“I appreciate it is a very emotional issue.”

Victorian Farmers’ Federation (VFF) water spokesman Richard Anderson said many farmers were warming to the idea of compulsory buy-backs.

“I’ve got a lot of members here in Victoria that think that’s the way to go,” he told AAP.

“I get a lot of people that say to me you know, why not, why not just take a hit and that’s it.”

However, Mr Anderson said the VFF’s position remained to oppose compulsory acquisitions.

Meanwhile, federal Liberal leader Brendan Nelson said he would table legislation in parliament next week to provide $50 million to the communities and businesses of the lower lakes area, which is at the Murray’s mouth in South Australia. He announced the proposed fund recently.

Campaigning for the Mayo federal by-election in South Australia, Dr Nelson said the $50 million would go towards projects identified by the Liberals and local people.

“Everything from water carting to the preservation of turtles, to the compensation of businesses, to the lifting of boats that are stuck in the mud,” Dr Nelson said.

He said he would be shocked if the other parties did not support the fund.

Dr Nelson also announced the Liberals would support a Greens bill to hold a Senate inquiry into solving the Murray-Darling’s problems. The inquiry now seems set to go ahead.

He said the Liberals would oppose the building of a weir across the Murray River, which would be a preliminary step to flooding the lower lakes with seawater.

Shale oil project not in my backyard: MP

August 22, 2008 – 5:52PM

The Bligh government is under pressure from within its ranks to veto a proposed multi-million dollar shale oil project in north Queensland.

Whitsunday MP Jan Jarratt said there were too many unanswered questions about the proposed shale oil mine at Proserpine and she was unable to support it.

Queensland Energy Resources is investigating a plan to mine up to 1.6 billion barrels of oil from the McFarlane deposit, south of Proserpine. Mining will not start for several years, if approved.

Ms Jarratt said residents in her electorate had objections.

“This project, unlike other industrial projects that we’ve had around the region, has triggered an unprecedented level of anxiety in the community, and opposition as well,” Ms Jarratt said.

“At the end of the day, the community is adamant, and I represent this community.”

Her constituents had raised concerns over environmental integrity, effects on health and its incompatibility with a local tourism industry based on the Whitsunday Islands and surrounding environment.

“I’ve come out and taken what is pretty well an unprecedented step, I think, to let the Premier know this industry is not compatible with the values of this region,” Ms Jarratt said.

She said the process to arrive at an environmental impact statement will take years.

“For this to be hanging over this community for five or six years is not good for the health of the community,” she said.

Ms Jarratt said already business investors had put their plans on hold until the mining proposal was settled.

“I haven’t had anyone, other than the company, come to me to say this a project that will bring good things to this region,” she said.

Since revealing her opposition she had received a “great” reception from the community, Ms Jarratt said.

Conservationists fear the project could affect tourism in the Whitsundays region, pollute the Great Barrier Reef and Goorganga wetlands, pose risks to health and disrupt local farming operations.

A spokeswoman for Mines Minister Geoff Wilson declined to comment on Friday, instead referring AAP to the premier’s office.

A spokesman for Premier Anna Bligh said: “The premier is taking a close interest in this project.”

Queensland Energy Resources corporate affairs director Simon Eldridge said he was disappointed by Ms Jarratt’s views, which he said were “premature in our view”.

“We will continue to meet her and brief her, as we would with any and all stakeholders, but we don’t propose to further a public debate with her about it,” he said.