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no specific mention of individuals; thus reinforcing the passivity attributed to this group in
the retelling or reporting of historical events. Demonstrating the exclusion of Indigenous
Australians from national history, in the Grade 6, Term 1, 2 and 3 unit of work titled
‘Australia’ (Department of Education, 1964, pp. 20-22) Indigenous Australians are not
included at all.
It can be seen, therefore, that throughout this era, Indigenous Australians are significantly
underrepresented and are not included as forming either a significant part of the Australian
history curriculum content or having a role or even a presence in contemporary Australian
society. Exceptions to this are noted and analysed further in this chapter.
6.2.3 Key textbooks and related school curriculum documents.
Textbooks selected for analysis are predominately placed in two categories. The first are the
government published and sanctioned textbooks, Social Studies for Queensland schools
series covering school grades 4 to 8; and Queensland School Readers covering school grades
from Preparatory (pre-grade 1) to grade 8. Used throughout this era with their publication
ceasing in the early 1970s they were still in use in some schools until as late as the 1980s. In
addition, a periodical published and supplied to school students at a small cost by the
Department of Education, the School Paper represented the official knowledge of the
Department of Education at updated intervals. Therefore, both the Queensland Readers and
editions of the School Paper form a part of the analysis of curriculum materials for this era.
The second category is textbooks written by Queensland-based authors such as school
inspectors and school teachers. This second type of textbook, although not officially
published or endorsed by the Department of Education, was nevertheless in such widespread
use throughout high schools in Queensland that they form an important part of the canon of
textbooks used in this era. Regarding the place and importance of textbooks in general, the
syllabus states,
The text-books already supplied by the Department can be used by both teachers and
children as reference books. They, or any other texts, are not, however, adequate as
the only sources of information. They should, at all times, be used purposefully and
not viewed as the sole means of instruction. No text-books can be regarded as setting
up either maximum or minimum requirements. (Department of Education, 1964, p.
1)
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