Citizenship History and Symbols 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which Indigenous Australian people are the traditional custodians of the land around Sydney Cove, where the First Fleet arrived in 1788?
- Wiradjuri people
- Gadigal people (Correct answer)
- Arrernte people
- Ngunnawal people
Correct answer: Gadigal people
The Gadigal people of the Eora nation were the traditional custodians of the land around Sydney Cove where the First Fleet first settled.
Question 2: What does the Commonwealth Star on the Australian flag represent?
- The six states and the territories (Correct answer)
- The six founding colonies only
- The Southern Cross constellation
- The British Commonwealth nations
Correct answer: The six states and the territories
The Commonwealth Star (also called the Federation Star) has seven points representing the six states and the combined territories of Australia.
Question 3: In what year did the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) achieve self-government?
- 1975
- 1988 (Correct answer)
- 1991
- 2001
Correct answer: 1988
The ACT achieved self-government in 1988, gaining its own Legislative Assembly.
Question 4: What is the name of Australia's national floral emblem?
- Waratah
- Sturt's Desert Pea
- Golden Wattle (Correct answer)
- Kangaroo Paw
Correct answer: Golden Wattle
The Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha) was officially proclaimed Australia's national floral emblem in 1988.
Question 5: Which explorer first circumnavigated and mapped the Australian continent, confirming it was a single landmass?
- James Cook
- Abel Tasman
- Matthew Flinders (Correct answer)
- Arthur Phillip
Correct answer: Matthew Flinders
Matthew Flinders completed the first circumnavigation of Australia between 1801 and 1803, confirming it was a single continent.
Question 6: What does the Torres Strait Islander Flag's central symbol — a white dhari (headdress) — represent?
- The sea and fishing traditions
- The Torres Strait Islander people (Correct answer)
- Peace between Islander communities
- Connection to the sky and stars
Correct answer: The Torres Strait Islander people
The white dhari (traditional dance headdress) at the centre of the Torres Strait Islander Flag symbolises the Torres Strait Islander people themselves.
Question 7: Which decade saw the peak of the Australian gold rushes that dramatically increased the colonial population?
- 1830s
- 1840s
- 1850s (Correct answer)
- 1870s
Correct answer: 1850s
The Australian gold rushes peaked in the 1850s, particularly after gold was discovered in New South Wales and Victoria in 1851, attracting hundreds of thousands of migrants.
Citizenship History and Symbols 2
Which Indigenous Australian people are the traditional custodians of the land around Sydney Cove, where the First Fleet arrived in 1788?