Origins of Bushranging

Active learning works well for this topic because students often come with romanticized ideas of bushrangers they’ve picked up from films or stories. Hands-on activities let them test these ideas against real historical evidence, turning abstract concepts like justice and survival into tangible discussions.

• Year 5
• HASS
• 3 activities
• 20 min–50 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze the social and economic conditions in colonial Australia that contributed to the rise of bushranging.
2. Explain the direct connection between the convict system and the emergence of early bushrangers.
3. Compare the motivations and public perception of early bushrangers with later figures like Ned Kelly.
4. Classify the different types of bushrangers based on their origins and activities during the colonial period.

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 20 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Why Go Bush?

Students are given a short 'backstory' of a fictional convict or poor selector. They discuss with a partner the specific reasons why this person might choose a life of crime in the bush over their current situation.

Prepare & details

Analyze the societal factors that contributed to individuals becoming bushrangers.

Facilitation Tip: During Think-Pair-Share, circulate and listen for students to move beyond vague answers like 'they were poor' to cite specific laws or events from the 1820s Convict Code.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Gallery Walk

⏱ 40 min·Individual

Gallery Walk: Bushranger Profiles

Stations around the room feature different bushrangers like Ben Hall, Captain Thunderbolt, and Mad Dog Morgan. Students collect evidence of their crimes and any 'good' deeds reported by the public to build a profile.

Prepare & details

Explain the connection between convictism and early bushranging.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 50 min·Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Bushranger's Toolkit

Groups research the technology of the time, such as horses, telegraphs, and firearms. They create a 'survival guide' explaining how bushrangers used the landscape and technology to evade the police.

Prepare & details

Compare the motivations of early bushrangers with later figures like Ned Kelly.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Teaching This Topic

Start with the big picture: bushranging spanned a century and changed with each new wave of settlement. Avoid telling students what to think about these figures; instead, give them the raw materials—newspaper clippings, folk songs, police reports—and let them build their own analysis. Research shows that when students compare contradictory sources, they develop critical thinking faster than through lecture alone.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students questioning stereotypes, using primary sources to explain motivations, and clearly distinguishing between fact and folklore. They should articulate how economic hardship and legal harshness pushed people into the bush, not just memorize names or dates.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Gallery Walk: Bushranger Profiles, watch for students assuming all bushrangers fit the Robin Hood mold.

What to Teach Instead

Have students focus on the 'Motivation' section of each profile card and compare it to the 'Public Reaction' section; ask them to note how many profiles include violence against civilians and how many mention redistribution of wealth.

Common Misconception

During Collaborative Investigation: The Bushranger's Toolkit, watch for students thinking bushranging only existed during Ned Kelly’s time.

What to Teach Instead

In the timeline section of the toolkit, ask students to mark the earliest entry (late 1700s bolters) and the latest (1880s), then discuss why the activity includes objects from both periods, like a convict’s leg-iron and a gold-panning dish.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

After Think-Pair-Share, facilitate a class debate using this prompt: 'Was it the harshness of the law or the lure of gold that most significantly contributed to people becoming bushrangers?' Ask students to cite specific evidence from the lesson, such as the 1852 Gold Fields Act or the 1830s Assignment System.

Quick Check

During Gallery Walk, hand out a Venn diagram template and ask students to complete it using the profiles they examine, comparing an early bushranger like Mary Ann Bugg with a later one like Ned Kelly.

Exit Ticket

After the Bushranger's Toolkit activity, collect index cards with two sentences explaining how being a convict might lead someone to become a bushranger and one sentence explaining why some people might have supported bushrangers.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Ask students to research a bushranger not covered in class and create a one-page profile linking their actions to a specific colonial policy.
• Scaffolding: Provide a sentence starter for students who struggle, such as 'The law made it hard for _____ to _____ because _____.'
• Deeper: Invite students to write a short newspaper article from 1852 reporting on a bushranger’s arrest, using language and tone appropriate to the time.

Key Vocabulary

Convictism	The system of transporting convicted criminals from Britain to penal colonies in Australia, establishing a large population of forced laborers.
Ticket of Leave	A document granted to convicts that allowed them conditional freedom to work and live outside of a penal settlement, but with strict conditions.
Goldfields	Areas in colonial Australia where gold was discovered, attracting large numbers of people and leading to significant social and economic upheaval.
Social Bandit	A term used to describe outlaws who are perceived by some segments of society as folk heroes or rebels fighting against oppressive systems.