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supporting PM Howard’s call for a “...root-and-branch renewal of the teaching of Australian
history” (Melleuish, 2006, p. 15) disagreed with Taylor’s and D. Henderson’s view
describing it as a “...commitment to lowest-common-denominator, social-studies history”
(Melleuish, 2006, p. 15), referring to D. Henderson’s letter to the editor, where she describes
“during the past 30 years, the teaching of history in Australia has been transformed from rote
learning...which students were expected to recall in examinations—to an emphasis on
inquiry-based learning...This has provided a corrective sense of balance..” (D.Henderson,
2006, n.p.)
After the national history summit was held, Donnelly published his own recommendation of
what should form the basis of an Australian history curriculum starting with “pre-European
settlements” and concluding with “1975: Dismissal of the Whitlam government...” (Donnelly,
2006d, p. 21). Greg Melleuish, a participant of the history summit also contributed an
overview of what should form the national curriculum, starting with “At the beginning of the
European presence” and ending with “Australia since World War II” (2006, p. 21). He went
on to recommend when students should study history, stating “I suggest that Australian
history be taught over two years: Year 9 dealing with the 19 th century and Year 10 with the
20 th century” (Melleuish, 2006, p. 21). Primary school students, Melleuish asserted should
deal more with local and state history, writing:
We should not just want to have a simpler version of the curriculum for primary
schools
...
Study of Australian history at primary school would have fairly modest aims. It
should provide students with basic knowledge on which they could build when they
come to study Australian history in secondary school. (2006, p. 21)
The issue of a national curriculum attracted sustained interest not just from leading and highprofile
historians and educators, but also from the general public and at-the-coalface teachers.
The sustained interest generated is evident, in part, by the quantity of Letters to the Editor
published in both The Australian (see, for example, The Weekend Australian, 2006 October
7-8, p. 16) and as relevant to the Queensland context, The Courier Mail. In these forums a
variety of viewpoints are expressed divorced from party political spin. As an example, Jack
Gould a retired teacher from Ashgrove, Queensland supports the creation of a national
curriculum from what he calls mismanaged state education, writing:
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