ACTF

1898: Rowley

A young boy with tousled red hair sits on the ground, wearing a white collared shirt and a dark vest over brown trousers. He has a serious expression and wears black shoes, with a neutral background that enhances his appearance.

Rowley is a larrikin boy living in Sydney in 1898. He spends his days roaming the streets, dodging chores, and dreaming of adventure. His family struggles with poverty during the depression, and Rowley often finds himself in trouble with authority. Through his eyes, we glimpse the tensions of the 1890s: strikes, hardship, and the growing call for Federation. Rowley’s story highlights resilience, humour, and the everyday lives of working‑class families in a decade of change.

 

1890s Decade Overview

The 1890s were a time of hardship in Australia, with banks collapsing, unemployment rising and major strikes failing. During this struggle, ideas of Federation grew stronger, and First Nations people were excluded and faced harsh restrictions.

  • 1890 Maritime strike begins, exposing tensions between workers and employers.
  • 1891 Shearers’ strike; defeat leads to creation of Labor Leagues. First draft of the Australian Constitution prepared.
  • 1892–93 Banking collapse and economic depression deepen hardship.
  • 1894 South Australian women gain the right to vote and stand for parliament—the first in Australia.
  • 1897–98 Constitutional conventions held; Federation debates intensify.
  • 1898 First referendum on Federation held in several colonies.
  • 1899 Second referendum on Federation; majority support achieved. Boer War begins; Australian troops sent overseas.
  • 1901 Federation achieved; Commonwealth of Australia proclaimed.

First Nations Focus:

While not foregrounded in this episode, students can explore how First Nations Australians were excluded from Federation negotiations and denied recognition in the Constitution. Colonial governments imposed restrictions on movement, employment, and cultural practices. Some leaders were given breastplates as symbolic titles, but these were imposed without consultation and reflected inequality rather than genuine respect. Despite exclusion, First Nations communities maintained cultural continuity through kinship, storytelling, and resilience. Their absence from Federation debates highlights the injustice of nation‑building that ignored the continent’s oldest custodians.

Provocation Question

What does it mean to build a nation, and whose voices are heard, or silenced in the process?

Clip 1: 1,000 Good Deeds

Rowley is working to complete his 1,000 good deeds. Rowley believes that completing 1,000 good deeds will bring his father home. He collects manure, firewood, and spies on private school cadets who are practising to become soldiers.

Tuning In

As a class, discuss the following questions:

  • Why does Rowley believe doing chores and good deeds will help his family?
  • What kinds of chores does Rowley do, and why were these important in the 1890s?
  • How do his actions show responsibility and hope?
  • Why do you think Rowley and his friend like watching the cadets at military training?

Finding Out & Sorting Out

Make a class mind map of family life and children’s responsibilities in the 1890s.

Making Connections

Write a short reflection: “If I had to do 1,000 good deeds for my family today, what would they be?”

Clip 2: Early Photography

Rowley visits Mr Merry, a photographer and boarder in Rowley's house. Mr Merry gives Rowley a photograph of the brickworks where Rowley's father worked. His mother asks Rowley about his 'book of good deeds' and Rowley explains that when he gets to 1,000 his father will come home.

Tuning In

As a class, discuss the following questions:

  • How did photography help families remember people and places?
  • What does the brickworks photo tell us about work and community identity?
  • Why does Rowley believe his good deeds will bring his father back?

Finding Out & Sorting Out

In pairs, complete one of the fllowing activities and then share your findings with the class:

Option 1: Research early photography in Australia and create a timeline showing how cameras and photos changed over time.

Option 2: Look closely at the brickworks photo. What does it show about work, industry and community in the 1890s? Add labels or captions to explain your ideas.

Option 3: Write a diary entry from Rowley’s perspective about his father and the photo. How does the photo make him feel?

Option 4: Design a chart for Rowley’s 1,000 good deeds. What chores or tasks would you include? Why do you think these mattered to families in the 1890s?

Making Connections

Rowley’s hope shows how families coped with hardship in the 1890s. As a class, discuss why people believed in rituals or promises like Rowley’s. Do we have similar hopes or traditions today?

 

Clip 3: Workers' Rights & Clip 4: Founding the ALP

Clip 3: Workers' Rights

Rowley tells his mother that he went to see the manager of the brickworks about getting his father a job. His mother eventually tells Rowley what caused Rowley's father to leave home. Rowley learns of his father's involvement in sticking up for the workers and his eventual sacking.

Watch Clip 4: Founding the ALP

In this clip, Rowley and Tom Müller visit Mr Merry when he is convening a meeting of the newly formed Labor Party. They are discussing the development of a new brickworks and are concerned with protecting the rights, health and safety of workers. Rowley and his mother discuss Rowley's father and his employment at the brickworks.

Tuning In

As a class, discuss the following questions: 

  • What does this reveal about workers’ struggles in the 1890s?
  • How did strikes and unions shape family life?
  • Should workers risk their jobs to stand up for rights?
  • Why was the Labor Party founded in the 1890s?
  • How did workers’ rights connect to Federation debates?
  • What does Rowley’s father’s story tell us about courage and sacrifice?

Finding Out & Sorting Out

In pairs or small groups, complete one of the following activities and then share back to the class:

Option 1: Design a newspaper front page with headline and article: “Workers Demand Fair Treatment in 1898.” Include an image or drawing.

Option 2: Create a venn diagram comparing Rowley’s father’s struggle with modern workers’ rights. What is similar? What is different?

Option 3: Create a poster promoting workers’ rights in 1898. Use bold slogans and images.

Once everyone has shared back their findings hold a class debate exploring the question, “Should all workers receive equal recognition and protection?”

Making Connections

Rowley’s story reveals how family, work, and activism shaped nationhood.

As a class, create a KWHL chart about Federation:

K: What do you already Know about Federation?
W: What do you Wonder or want to find out?
H: How will you find out the answers?
L: After completing the research, what have you Learned?

As a class, discuss the following questions:

  • What does Federation mean to different people in Rowley’s world?
  • Whose voices were heard during Federation, and whose were silenced?
  • How do stories of work and struggle shape civic identity?

Extension Challenge

In small groups, create a podcast or letter about what Federation meant for families like Rowley’s.

Australian Curriculum Links

Explore how work, activism, and exclusion shaped civic identity and community life in the lead-up to Federation.

Year

Content Description

Inquiry Sprint Link + Student Activity Prompts

CCP Integration

Year 3

AC9HS3K02 Significance of individuals, events, places and developments in the local community

Tuning In: Explore Rowley’s “good deeds” and family roles. Create pictorial timelines of civic rituals and chores.

Explore civic rituals, family resilience, and community care

Year 3

AC9HS3K01 Importance of Country/Place to First Nations Australians

Finding Out: Investigate exclusion from Federation debates. Compare civic service and kinship care.

Honour cultural continuity and civic exclusion

Year 4

AC9HS4K01 Role of individuals, events and groups in shaping communities

Sorting Out: Analyse Rowley’s father’s activism. Use source evidence to explore workers’ rights and civic courage.

Explore civic resilience and shared memory

Year 4

AC9HS4K02 Changes in daily life and perspectives over time

Going Further: Compare family roles and activism across generations. Pose questions about hardship and civic pride.

Reflect on emotional and cultural continuity

Year 5

AC9HS5K02 Causes and effects of change in Australian society

Finding Out: Research strikes and the rise of the Labor Party. Interpret historical sources and discuss civic reform.

Examine civic responsibility and recognition

Year 5

AC9HS5K01 Significance of First Nations Australians’ experiences and contributions

Making Connections: Pose questions about exclusion from Federation. Use evidence to explore cultural resilience.

Honour silenced voices and civic pride

Year 6

AC9HS6K02 Significance of migration and cultural diversity in Australia

Making Connections: Investigate civic rituals and shared identity. Communicate findings through annotated maps or visual timelines.

Link Federation to cultural inclusion and belonging

Year 6

AC9HS6K01 Key historical events and developments shaping Australian society

Going Further: Pose questions about Federation and activism. Analyse sources and share interpretations through dramatic performance.

Explore civic values and community care

 

Explore how work, activism, and civic identity shape character development, emotional resilience, and storytelling in 1890s Australia.

Year

Content Description

Inquiry Sprint Link + Student Activity Prompts

Thematic Integration

Year 3

AC9E3LE01 Respond to literary texts by sharing personal connections and reflections

Tuning In: Reflect on Rowley’s “good deeds.” Write a short response: “What would I do to bring someone home?”

Family · Civic Identity

Year 3

AC9E3LY06 Create imaginative texts with characters and settings

Going Further: Write a short story or comic strip imagining Rowley’s chores or spying on cadets.

Courage · Family

Year 4

AC9E4LE01 Analyse characters’ feelings, motivations and actions

Finding Out: Compare Rowley’s hope with Evelyn’s grief. Use a character map to track emotions and decisions.

Grief · Family

Year 4

AC9E4LY06 Create persuasive and reflective texts

Making Connections: Write a persuasive letter to Mr Merry or a civic leader about workers’ rights.

Civic Identity  Courage

Year 5

AC9E5LE01 Analyse how historical and cultural contexts shape characters and events

Sorting Out: Explore Rowley’s father’s activism. Write a journal entry from his perspective.

Work

Civic Identity

Year 5

AC9E5LY06 Create multimodal texts using narrative and informative elements

Going Further: Create a podcast or digital slideshow about Rowley’s family and community care.

Family

Civic Identity

Year 6

AC9E6LE01 Respond to texts shaped by historical and cultural contexts

Making Connections: Reflect on Federation and exclusion. Write a commemorative poem or speech.

Nationhood  Exclusion

Year 6

AC9E6LY06 Create texts that integrate ideas and perspectives

Taking Action: Design a class anthology of Federation stories. Include student-written pieces inspired by Rowley’s episode.

Memory  Courage  Community

 

Country/Place: Compare Rowley’s family survival strategies with First Nations kinship and  cultural continuity, especially during exclusion from Federation.

Culture: Explore storytelling, resilience, and civic pride across communities, highlighting how First Nations voices were silenced in Federation debates.

People: Recognise the role of Elders, workers, and community leaders in shaping values, resilience, and civic responsibility.

Asia and its Diversity: Use Federation-era migration and labour debates to explore cultural contribution and diversity.

Achievements and Contributions: Celebrate the roles of migrant and working-class families in shaping civic life and activism.

Asia/Australia Connections: Reflect on how civic rituals, activism, and storytelling foster belonging and shared identity across cultures.

Additional Resources

Episode Stills

A horse-drawn carriage stands on a dirt path, illuminated by the soft glow of the sunset. A child walks beside the carriage, pushing a small cart, while trees and gravestones are visible in the background.

Rowley chasing after the coach

A boy runs excitedly towards a man with a suitcase, while a woman smiles joyfully behind them in a sun-dappled park. The scene captures a warm reunion surrounded by trees and a slightly hazy background.

Rowley chasing after the coach

A group of boys dressed in early 20th century school uniforms stands in line, each holding wooden sticks. They wear white sashes across their torsos, while a man in formal clothing and a top hat stands slightly apart, observing them. The background features lush greenery and a bright, clear sky.

Private school students practising their marching

A woman in period attire carefully prepares a meal at a rustic table, spreading food on slices of bread with a child seated nearby. An oil lamp casts a warm glow in the dimly lit room, creating a cozy, historical atmosphere.

Rowley with his mother

A group of nine men stands in a straight line against a brick wall, wearing light-colored clothing and wide-brimmed hats. Their expressions vary, and they seem to be dressed in a rustic style, reflecting an earlier time period.

The brickworkers

A man in a formal suit and top hat sits on a park bench, engaged in conversation with a boy dressed in period clothing, who holds a glass in his hands. Behind them, a lush green landscape and a building with shuttered windows create a historical setting.

Mr Merry and Rowley talking together

A weathered industrial building with rusted metal and brick exteriors looms in the background. In the foreground, a team of horses pulls a wooden cart while a person tends to barrels scattered around, surrounded by dust and smoke.

Rowley at the brickworks

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