Show Notes
Have you ever told the truth but it felt like no one listened? This episode is all about truth-telling. Hey History! follows Travis Lovett, a proud Gunditjmara/Kerrupmara man and Commissioner at the Yoorrook Justice Commission, on a 400km 'Walk for Truth' across Victoria. Who is Travis Lovett, and why is he going on a really, really long walk? What is the Yoorrook Justice Commission? What is 'truth-telling', and how can it happen with history?
Host Axel Clark and students from St Patrick’s Primary School join Travis on his Walk for Truth through Port Fairy. Hear: Why telling the truth is important—at school, at home, and in Australian history. That 'history' isn’t fixed — it changes when new voices and stories are heard. What is a 'commission'? What difference does it make when we tell the truth about history? How the Yoorrook Justice Commission has gathered stories and evidence over 4 years.
Voices Travis Lovett, Yoorrook Justice Commissioner 2021-2025 Olga Lyons, Principal, St Patrick's Primary School, Port Fairy Victoria Dr Matthew Keynes, Research Fellow, Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne Aunty Nellie Flagg's testimony to the Yoorrook Justice Commission (excerpt) Uncle Henry Atkinson's story shared with the Yoorrook Justice Commission Year Three and Four students of St Patrick's Primary School, Port Fairy Victoria Rosa Ellen (voice actor for news report)
Credits Hosted by Axel Clark. Made on Gadigal and Gunditjmara Country by Jane Curtis. Executive producers are Clare Wright and Anna Clark. Production assistance from Alexandra Morris. Thanks to all the students whose voices you hear in this episode and their schools and teachers: St Patrick's Primary School, Princes Street Primary school, Marrickville West Primary School, La Perouse Primary School, and Yirrkala Bilingual School.
Hey History! is produced by the Australian Centre for Public History at UTS and UTS Impact Studios. Impact Studios' executive producer is Sarah Gilbert. Thank you This episode was made possible by Dusseldorp Forum, a family foundation committed to a just and equitable Australia, one that is caring, ethical and honours our First Peoples. Special thanks to Principal Olga Lyons and St Patrick's Primary School Port Fairy, Rosa Ellen, Rachel Fyfe and the Yoorrook team.
More from Hey History!
How do we teach the Frontier Wars with honesty, care, and confidence? You'll hear from filmmaker Rachel Perkins, leading academic and advocate Professor Marcia Langton, Culture is Life CEO Belinda Duarte, senior secondary history teacher Bill Lewis, and Professor Melitta Hogarth of Ngarrngga at Melbourne University. Together they dig into the questions many teachers are sitting with: What does truth-telling actually look like in practice? How do we teach histories of colonial violence with care? How can non-Indigenous teachers approach this work without fear of getting it wrong?
Nearly half of Australian teachers say they don't feel confident to teach First Nations history, according to research. Historian and educator Associate Professor Al Fricker explains why so many teachers feel underprepared — and why it's not a personal failing. He offers some straightforward first steps, including where to find good resources and how to start building real connections with your local First Nations community. How can you embed First Nations perspectives and knowledge in your curriculum? And what are some ways to embed them across your whole school? You'll also hear from teachers around Australia sharing what’s worked in their classrooms and schools: using the AIATSIS languages map, teaching the Frontier Wars through local history, trying the Eight Ways Pedagogy, and building a curriculum map so Aboriginal perspectives aren't left to chance. Resources and tipsheet Associate Professor Al Fricker’s recommended resources made by or with First Nations people Ngarrngga: free, high-quality curriculum resources and professional development modules, spanning all subject areas from Foundation to 10. A collaboration between the Faculty of Education, Indigenous Studies Unit and Indigenous Knowledge Institute at the University of Melbourne. Australians Together: free curriculum resources, covering key learning areas from Foundation to Year 10. A non-profit organisation developing resources with First Nations Educators. Matilda Education: progressive, research-based, differentiated print and digital content for your classroom - content that matches the latest Australian curricula. Indigenous Education in Australia Learning and Teaching for Deadly Futures: an essential, practical resource for pre- and in-service educators on creating contexts for success for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Based on the latest research and practice, this book provides an in-depth understanding of the colonised context within which education in Australia is located, with an emphasis on effective strategies for the classroom.
You know history is complex. How do you teach that in the classroom? We unpack what 'complexity' in history means and how to bring it to life for your students. As history educator Jonathon Dallimore puts it, “Factual information… is not sufficient. Information doesn’t guarantee that you actually have insight." Because there’s the past (everything that’s happened) and then there’s history: the way we interpret, debate and make meaning of the past. You’ll hear from experienced teachers and history educator Jonathon Dallimore, on why history is complex, with examples, and how to teach contestability and historical thinking skills to junior and secondary students. Students are already debating the world around them. This is about helping them bring those skills into history. Resources and tipsheet A Practical Guide for Secondary School Teachers. By Jonathon Dallimore Teaching history, teaching complexity: Agora, Vol. 53, No. 3, Dec 2018, 36-39 (free download for members of the History Teachers Association of Victoria) ‘Historical time’ helps students truly understand the complexity of the past – and how they fit into it: The Conversation https://doi.org/10.64628/AAO.nfmakjwre Free professional development tipsheet for this episode (in Teacher Downloads)
Practical strategies to help you confidently teach history involving trauma and conflict. You’ll learn how to: build trust use different techniques so everyone can ask a question respond to challenging or confronting student questions support students with personal connections to the content use frameworks like Safely In, Safely Out to manage sensitive material, and how to look after yourself as a teacher when the content feels heavy.
Want to try creative history lessons that students won’t forget? Hear expert teachers bring history alive in the classroom. From 'Top Secret' source investigations and historical group chats, to escape rooms, courtroom trials, video games, and history festivals. Ideas that spark curiosity, deepen thinking, and get students genuinely engaged. If you haven’t listened to Creative History Teaching, start there first. Then dive into this episode for more ambitious, high-impact ideas you can adapt for your own classroom. Resources and tipsheet First Fleet Database: University of Wollongong Convicts research guide National Library of Australia Epic Escape Rooms ebook by Chad Cary Chad Cary’s Instagram: Innovative and Engaging Teaching Strategies Chad Cary’s Facebook group: Innovative and Engaging Teaching Strategies Teaching the World Peace Game by John Hunter: TED Talk Ben Lawless’ board game for grade 6+ Earthcraft Free professional development tipsheet for this episode (in Teacher Downloads)