Great South Land: Introducing Australian history (FutureLearn)

Great South Land: Introducing Australian history (FutureLearn)

Get an introduction to Australian history starting with Aboriginal deep time. Explore convictism, colonialism and more. Travel back in time to discover Australian history. On this course you will take a journey through Australian history. You will examine a range of periods and topics including Aboriginal deep time history, transportation and convictism and colonialism.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see FutureLearn's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

This course will also introduce you to the skills and approaches used in the academic study of history – especially the study of Australian history – and help you to understand issues in contemporary Australia in context.
This course is part of the program The Australian Experience, which is one of the building blocks that leads to a degree in Bachelor of Arts.

What topics will you cover?

  • Traditional Aboriginal society
  • Background to the British colonisation of Australia
  • Convictism
  • Relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Apply a developing understanding of core historical concepts.
  • Demonstrate basic knowledge of key themes, events, and people in the history of Australia’s First Nations and the early decades of European occupation of the continent.
  • Interpret the Australian past within a local and global context.
  • Explain the contested nature of Australia’s early European history.
  • Identify foundational scholarly sources (primary and secondary, oral and written) relating to Australia’s early history.
Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

African development – from the past to the present (Coursera) Coursera
Lund University

African development – from the past to the present (Coursera)

African development – from the past to the present -- offers a unique economic history perspective on Africa's development. Over a period of five weeks, the course covers a logical account of historical events and decisions that have shaped the current political-economical landscape of Sub-Saharan Africa - from the pre-colonial and the colonial era, to the era of liberalisation, modern day Africa and the future prospects of the continent.

Jun 1st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Corpus Linguistics: Method, Analysis, Interpretation (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Lancaster University

Corpus Linguistics: Method, Analysis, Interpretation (FutureLearn)

Get a practical introduction to the methodology of corpus linguistics for researchers in the social sciences and humanities. Learn how to build and query corpora in this practical course On this course, you’ll get a practical introduction to corpus linguistics, an extremely versatile methodology of language analysis using computers.

Sep 16th 2024
5-12 Weeks
UFOs: Scanning the Skies Teach-Out (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Michigan

UFOs: Scanning the Skies Teach-Out (FutureLearn)

Explore possible explanations for UFO sightings as you delve into fascinating accounts of unidentified flying objects. Unpack the myths and facts surrounding UFOs. Following the release of the U.S. Pentagon UFO report, there has been a surge of interest in unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs). People across the world are gripped by the history of UFOs and the stories told by those who have witnessed them.

Feb 7th 2022
2 Weeks
Casing the Joint: Introducing Histories of Australian Crime (edX) EdX
The University of Newcastle, Australia,NewcastleX

Casing the Joint: Introducing Histories of Australian Crime (edX)

Learn about approaches to the study of the history of crime and punishment, especially in Australia. Crime holds a special place in Australian history, having facilitated colonisation, provided its most celebrated anti-hero in Ned Kelly and been used to sell millions of newspapers, books and movie tickets. Drawing upon a rich array of digital history resources, this course offers you a guided tour of the origins of Australian underworlds and of the study of the history of crime and punishment.

No sessions available
3 Weeks
Noongar Language and Culture (edX) EdX
Curtin University,CurtinX

Noongar Language and Culture (edX)

Learn about the Noongar people of Western Australia, their culture and their language. Noongar people are the original inhabitants of the vast geographical area in the south-western corner of Western Australia. They have been there for over 45,000 years. Through the millennia, ancient wisdom and culture have guided the people throughtheir interactions with the land, nature, and with one another.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Understanding the Australian economy: An introduction to macroeconomic and financial policies (Coursera) Coursera
The University of Sydney

Understanding the Australian economy: An introduction to macroeconomic and financial policies (Coursera)

This four-week, four-module course explores selective aspects of the Australian economy, with emphasis on macroeconomic and financial policies. The course introduces participants to several key attributes of the Australian economy and discusses how they are influenced by both domestic and international forces. We will examine some of the key issues and dilemmas facing the Australian economy and how policymakers can deal with them using monetary and fiscal policies.

May 11th 2026
4 Weeks
First Peoples to the Early Republic: Born in Colonialism (Canvas.net) Canvas Network
Seattle Central Community College

First Peoples to the Early Republic: Born in Colonialism (Canvas.net)

This course will explore Native American cultures and the impacts of colonial and U.S. government policies on them; European colonization with particular focus on the British in North America; the War for Independence against Britain and the framing of the U.S. Constitution; as well as the formation of political parties in the early republic.

No sessions available
No Information
Charles Darwin, Evolution and Tropical Australia (CDU) Open Education
Charles Darwin University

Charles Darwin, Evolution and Tropical Australia (CDU)

This free, open course is offered by Charles Darwin University to provide an introduction to Charles Darwin, the theory of evolution, Alfred Russel Wallace, and an overview of adaptation of tropical organisms in the Northern Territory of Australia. You will experience highly engaging interactives, videos and innovative media. This course won Blackboard's 2014 Exemplary Course Award and Director's Choice for Courses with Distinction.

Self-Paced
Self-Paced
The Life and Afterlife of Mary Queen of Scots (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Glasgow

The Life and Afterlife of Mary Queen of Scots (FutureLearn)

Explore the 16th century life of Mary Queen of Scots, and her place in cultural history in the centuries that followed. Discover the life and lasting legacy of Mary Queen of Scots. Mary Queen of Scots was born and ascended to the throne of Scotland in 1542, before being forced to abdicate in 1567. She was married three times, first to the king of France, and then to two noblemen from the British Isles, one of whom was spectacularly murdered.

Mar 13th 2023
3 Weeks
Exploring Stone Age Archaeology: The Mysteries of Star Carr (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of York

Exploring Stone Age Archaeology: The Mysteries of Star Carr (FutureLearn)

Discover Star Carr, one of the world's most important archaeological sites, and learn what life was like over 10,000 years ago. Learn about the incredible discoveries at Star Carr. Star Carr is one of Britain’s most important archaeological sites. Because of extraordinary conditions of survival, we have uncovered the oldest known house in Britain, the earliest evidence of carpentry in Europe and the oldest complete bow in the world. These and other discoveries help us interpret what life might have been like over 10,000 years ago.

May 30th 2022
4 Weeks
Decolonising Education: From Theory to Practice (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Bristol

Decolonising Education: From Theory to Practice (FutureLearn)

Get to grips with the nature of the colonial legacy on our current state of knowledge and learning practices. Decipher how to decolonise educational practices. Recent world events including the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, the Rhodes Must Fall campaign and the pulling down of the Colston statue in Bristol point to a rapid rise in concern about the persistence of colonial thinking and practices in our current institutions. This course will help you to understand the nature of the colonial legacy on our current state of knowledge and learning practices, and how decolonisation of the curriculum is important for social and epistemic justice.

Available now
4 Weeks