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College name: "WEA Sydney"
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Australian History - WEA Sydney

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Australian History Courses

Australian History Courses

Discover Australian history from the First Nations peoples to the modern nation we know today. Learn about early explorers, settlers, and bushrangers; the impact of gold, wool, and minerals; and the role of ANZACs in shaping identity. Explore the turning points of Australia’s history through the lives of prime ministers, inventors, and artists.


F2F ONL

Available Classes

$71.01 Limited inc GST / $64

Insanity in Colonial NSW

<p>Sanity collapsed in the colony ‘under the weight of the vast indifference of nature, of loneliness and mockery’ said historian Manning Clark, but what happened next? Colonial NSW was rife with

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Please be advised that the catalogue incorrectly states this course is held on 27 January.
F2F ONL

Available Classes

$51 Limited inc GST / $46

The Wallace Line - Where Australia Collides with Asia

<p>It was Alfred Russel Wallace who realised the Lombok Strait in Indonesia represents the biogeographic boundary between the fauna of Asia and Australia and subsequently named the Wallace Line. On

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$51 Limited inc GST / $46

The Wallace Line - Where Australia Collides with Asia

<p>It was Alfred Russel Wallace who realised the Lombok Strait in Indonesia represents the biogeographic boundary between the fauna of Asia and Australia and subsequently named the Wallace Line. On

...
F2F ONL

Available Classes

$71.01 Limited inc GST / $64

Bass and Flinders, those Bold and Lusty Young Sailors

<p>Matthew Flinders and George Bass may be known mostly for circumnavigating this country– and for naming the island they circumnavigated Australia! – but they were also adventurous enough to get in

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F2F ONL

Available Classes

$15 Limited inc GST / $0

Keith Suter Memorial Lecture 2026: Inventions, Ideas and Influencers

<p>WEA Sydney warmly invites our members and the wider community to attend the inaugural <strong>Keith Suter Memorial Lecture</strong>, to be held on Wednesday, 25 March 2026. Join us from <strong>5:

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F2F ONL

Available Classes

$51 Limited inc GST / $46

Welcome to Country

<p>Welcome to Country is a ceremony that’s been performed by First Nations people for thousands of years. In recent decades both Welcomes to Country and Acknowledgements of Country have become an

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$51 Limited inc GST / $46

Welcome to Country

<p>Welcome to Country is a ceremony that’s been performed by First Nations people for thousands of years. In recent decades both Welcomes to Country and Acknowledgements of Country have become an

...
F2F ONL

Available Classes

$39.01 Limited inc GST / $35

What Lies Beneath: A Deeper Dig into the Archives

<p><strong>In Association with the Royal Australian Historical Society.</strong></p>

<p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Christine Yeats</p>

<p>This course will offer practical guidance on how to unlock the

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$39.01 Limited inc GST / $35

What Lies Beneath: A Deeper Dig into the Archives

<p><strong>In Association with the Royal Australian Historical Society.</strong></p>

<p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Christine Yeats</p>

<p>This course will offer practical guidance on how to unlock the

...
F2F ONL
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Eleven "Plagues" of Sydney: Epidemics and their Impact

Since 1788, Sydney has faced repeated waves of epidemic disease that shaped the city’s development and social life. This course explores eleven major outbreaks, examining how fear, politics, medical knowledge and public behaviour interacted in times of crisis. We consider how responses to disease evolved over time and what these recurring patterns reveal about human nature, governance and resilience. Ideal for those interested in Sydney history, public health and the social impact...
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Available Classes

F2F ONL
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Henry Lawson and Banjo Patterson: The Great Bulletin Debate

Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson were rivals not only in literature but in their visions of Australian society. This lively session revisits their famous 1890s debate, often framed as city versus bush, and explores the deeper class tensions beneath it. Designed as an engaging one-night event, the course combines history, literature and cultural debate in an accessible format. SUGGESTED READING Any of Lawson’s or Patterson’s works, but a start would be: Paterson’s The Man from Snowy...
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Available Classes

F2F ONL
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Unpacking The Higgins/Lehrmann "Omnishambles"

The Higgins–Lehrmann case exposed deep tensions between law, politics and media in Australia. This course revisits the events and fallout, examining how legal processes, public commentary and institutional responses intersected. We explore why the case became so complex and contested, and what it reveals about justice, power and accountability in contemporary Australia. Suitable for thoughtful, critical discussion of a recent national controversy. DELIVERY MODE Face-to-face COURSE...
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Available Classes

F2F ONL
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How Paul Keating Revolutionised the Australian Economy

In the 1980s and early 1990s, Paul Keating played a central role in transforming Australia’s economy. This course examines the key reforms, political struggles and economic ideas behind that transformation, including deregulation, openness and productivity. We explore how these changes reshaped Australia’s place in the world and consider their long-term consequences for work, inequality and public debate today. Ideal for those interested in Australian politics, history and economic...
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Available Classes