← Aboriginal Studies syllabus

NSWAboriginal Studies

Core Part 1: Aboriginality and the Land

6 dot points across 6 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How did colonisation dispossess and dislocate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from Country, and what were the consequences for law, culture and survival?

Analyse the processes of dispossession and dislocation that followed British colonisation and their impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and Country
A clear answer on dispossession and dislocation for HSC Aboriginal Studies. Covers terra nullius, frontier violence and the wars of resistance, introduced disease, removal to missions and reserves, the breaking of connection to Country, and Aboriginal resistance and survival, centring Aboriginal agency.
6 min answer →

How did government policy towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples change from protection to self-determination, and who held the power to decide in each era?

Analyse the changing government policies of protection, assimilation, integration, self-determination and reconciliation and their impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
A clear answer on the eras of government policy for HSC Aboriginal Studies. Traces protection, assimilation, integration, self-determination and reconciliation, explains who held decision-making power in each era, and evaluates the shift from control over Aboriginal peoples to control by them.
6 min answer →

What is reconciliation, how has it unfolded in Australia, and does symbolic reconciliation deliver substantive justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples?

Evaluate the reconciliation process in Australia, including symbolic and substantive reconciliation, and its contribution to social justice
A clear answer on reconciliation for HSC Aboriginal Studies. Covers the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, the 2000 bridge walks, Sorry Day, the 2008 National Apology, the distinction between symbolic and substantive reconciliation, and how to evaluate whether reconciliation has delivered social justice.
6 min answer →

How did the Mabo decision overturn terra nullius, and what did the recognition of native title actually change for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples?

Evaluate the significance of the Mabo decision in overturning terra nullius and establishing native title in Australian law
A focused answer on the Mabo decision for HSC Aboriginal Studies. Covers Eddie Koiki Mabo and the Meriam people, the High Court's rejection of terra nullius, the recognition of native title at common law, the legislative response and the limits of the decision, centring Aboriginal agency.
6 min answer →

What is the relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the land, and why is Country central to law, identity and the Dreaming?

Examine the spiritual, cultural and economic relationship Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have with the land and how the Dreaming connects people to Country
A clear answer on the relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the land for HSC Aboriginal Studies. Explains the Dreaming, Country, the spiritual and economic connection to land, custodianship rather than ownership, and why this relationship frames the whole Aboriginality and the Land core.
6 min answer →

What were the broad social, cultural, economic and political impacts of colonisation on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and how do they continue today?

Evaluate the ongoing social, cultural, economic and political impacts of colonisation on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
A clear answer on the ongoing impacts of colonisation for HSC Aboriginal Studies. Covers social, cultural, economic and political consequences, intergenerational trauma, the loss of land and language, denial of citizenship and rights, and continuing structural disadvantage, while centring Aboriginal resilience and self-determination.
6 min answer →