Digital resources tagged with ‘heroes and villains’

Aboriginal people and the colony of NSW

On January 26, 1788 the British arrived at what is now known as Sydney, New South Wales, with the intention of taking possession of the land in the name of the British Government and the King, and of staying.

Batavia Shipwreck Ruins

Stone ruins on Western Australia’s remote West Wallabi Island are the oldest structures built by Europeans in Australia and tell a tale of mutiny and murder.

Charles Darwin - the father of evolutionary biology

Dr Maryanne Demasi is a science journalist on the ABC science program Catalyst. In this clip she introduces us to the ‘scientific giant’, Charles Darwin.

Endeavour Journal

Written on board the Endeavour during his trip down under in 1770, James Cook’s journal records the beginning of Australia as we know it today.

Eureka Flag

Since it fluttered above a group of rebellious gold miners at the 1854 Eureka Stockade, the flag of the Southern Cross has become a symbol of democracy and defiance.

Francis De Groot’s Sword

When right-wing agitator Francis De Groot upstaged the 1932 opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and sliced through the ceremonial ribbon, the antique sword he wielded cemented its place as an Australian national treasure.

Governor Bligh - Hero or Coward?

Governor William Bligh destroys important documents as he hides from the New South Wales Corps troops who storm Government House and place him under "arrest". It is January 26, 1808.

John Macarthur - Rogue or Hero?

When John Macarthur arrives back in NSW from a failed court marshall in London with a land grant, he takes the best grazing land in the colony. No one can stop him now!

Ned Kelly's Armour

From violent cop killer to a champion of the working class, bushranger Ned Kelly is a solid gold Australian icon and folk hero.

The Magic Pudding Illustrations

Norman Lindsay’s The Magic Pudding is one of our best-loved children’s books and the central character, one of our great Australian anti-heroes.

Tom Roberts' Bailed Up

With its revolutionary approach to depicting the landscape and light, Tom Roberts’ Bailed Up is a painting that helped define Australia’s national identity.

Trade Routes

Australian ‘prehistory’ is the time before written language was used to record information. Culture was passed from one group to another, and from one generation to the next, in oral form, ceremonial dance, and through rock and bark visual art.