1888: Victoria

A child in a dark blue dress, with long sleeves and a gathered waist, stands in an expressive pose with arms raised. She wears a woven headpiece that covers her eyes, creating a playful and whimsical atmosphere. The background is black, highlighting her figure.

Victoria and her family have just moved into the terrace house that her father has built. She'll do anything to ensure that they stay there forever, but financial worries loom in the background. Through playful games, family rituals, and treasured objects, Victoria begins to notice the contrasts between wealth and struggle, tradition and superstition, and inclusion and exclusion. Her encounters with Alexandra Owen, Miss Müller, and her own family reveal the social hierarchies of the time, while the Centennial optimism of the 1880s masks deeper inequalities

1880s Decade Overview

The 1880s were years of prosperity in Australia, part of the “long boom” from 1870 to 1890. Wages were high, land speculation flourished, and migrants were attracted by stories of abundance. —Australians were said to eat meat daily. Building societies and banks expanded, while trade unions grew stronger as workers sought fair wages and conditions. The first women’s trade union, the Tailoresses Union, was formed in Melbourne in 1882, and campaigns for women’s suffrage gained momentum with leaders like Catherine Helen Spence and Rose Scott. Yet alongside this optimism, First Nations Australians faced increasing restrictions under Protection Boards, which controlled movement, employment, and cultural practices, and removed children from families. The decade reflected both prosperity and progress for some, and dispossession and exclusion for others.

1880 Ned Kelly captured and executed; King Street in Sydney paved with wooden blocks.
1882 Tailoresses Union formed in Melbourne, Australia’s first women’s trade union.
1883 NSW Aboriginal Protection Board established, following Victoria’s lead.
1885 First women’s suffrage bill introduced in South Australia (unsuccessful).
1886 Shearers’ Union formed by W.G. Spence, growing rapidly to 9,000 members.
1887 Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee celebrated across the colonies.
1888 Centennial International Exhibition opens in Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building; Henry Lawson’s first story published; Louisa Lawson launches The Dawn, advocating women’s rights.
1889 Henry Parkes delivers the Tenterfield Oration, calling for Federation.

First Nations Focus:

During the 1880s, Aboriginal Protection Boards in Victoria and New South Wales imposed strict controls over First Nations peoples, limiting freedom of movement, employment, and family life. Legislation such as the Victorian Half‑Caste Act (1886) forced many to leave missions and reserves, causing deep disruption. While settler society celebrated prosperity and progress, First Nations communities endured dispossession and exclusion, yet maintained cultural continuity through kinship, storytelling , and resilience.

Provocation Question

What does prosperity mean, and who benefits or is excluded from it?

Tuning In

Begin by watching Clip 1: Children's Games

In this clip, Victoria and her siblings are playing blind man’s bluff under the fig tree when Alexandra Owen arrives and claims the marble. Alexandra’s words reveal her sense of ownership over the land, the tree, and even the marble, while the brief glimpse of a First Nations young girl raises questions about belonging and exclusion.

As a class, discuss the following questions:

• What do Victoria’s games tell us about children’s lives in the 1880s?

• Why does Alexandra claim the land, the tree, and the marble as hers?

• Why might the filmmaker only show a glimpse of the Indigenous girl?

In pairs, complete the following activities:

• Compare traditional games with the ones you play today.

• Write down the rules of a favourite game, then invent a new one for your class to play.

• Reflect: “What does belonging mean in my family or community?”

Finding Out

Watch Clip 2: Victoria's Family Supper

At dinner, Victoria’s family shares food and conversation, while superstition and social expectations creep in. Her mother comments on Miss Müller’s work, revealing attitudes towards women’s roles, while the Irish tradesman suggests hiding a dead cat in the roof for luck.

As a class, discuss the following questions:

• What do supper rituals reveal about family life in the 1880s?

• Why did people believe in superstitions like hiding a dead cat in the roof?

• What do we learn about women’s roles from Victoria’s mother and Miss Müller?

Complete one of the following activities:

• Option 1: Write journal entries from Miss Müller’s and Victoria’s mother’s perspectives.

• Option 2: Compare food sources in 1888 with what families eat today.

Sorting Out

Watch Clip 3: The Horse and Carriage

In this clip, Miss Müller is picked up by the newly furbished horse and carriage owned by the Müller Horse & Carriage Company. Victoria follows the carriage until Miss Müller is let off at the cemetery. Victoria runs into the Irish tradesman and learns that her father is having financial difficulties. This is also confirmed when she arrives home to hear her parents arguing.

As a class, discuss the following questions:

• What does Miss Müller’s carriage ride reveal about social status?

• How does Victoria discover her father’s financial difficulties?

• What role did transport and industry play in prosperity?

In pairs, complete the following activities:

• Research horse‑drawn carriages and Cobb & Co.

• Create a mini‑booklet of “Ten modern uses for the horse and carriage.”

• Write a newspaper advertisement for a carriage company in 1888.

Going Further

Watch Clip 4: Treasured Objects

In this clip, Victoria and her siblings hide treasured objects around the house to ward off bad luck. Their ritual shows how superstition and hope shaped family resilience.

As a class, discuss the following questions:
• Why do the children believe these objects will protect their family?

• What do the objects reveal about superstition and hope?

• How do possessions reflect resilience in hard times?

Complete one of the following activities:

• Option 1: Create a time capsule with objects that represent your own life.

• Option 2: Write a letter from Victoria to the future, describing her hopes.

• Option 3: Compare cultural symbols of luck across different societies.

Making Connections

Victoria’s story shows how prosperity and inequality shaped everyday life in the 1880s.

As a class, discuss the following questions:

• What does prosperity mean to different groups in Victoria’s world?

• How do class, gender, and exclusion shape identity?

• Whose voices are heard, and whose are silenced?

Interview a family member about traditions or stories of resilience and then create a podcast or letter about prosperity and inequality in today compared to the 1880s.

Australian Curriculum Links

Explore how prosperity, class, superstition, and exclusion shaped civic identity and community life in the 1880s.

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: Compare traditional vs modern games. Create pictorial timelines of children’s play and family rituals.	Explore civic rituals, family resilience, and community care
Year 3	AC9HS3K01 Importance of Country/Place to First Nations Australians	Tuning In: Contrast Alexandra’s claim of land with Barangaroo’s words in My Place.	Honour cultural continuity and civic exclusion
Year 4	AC9HS4K01 Role of individuals, events and groups in shaping communities	Finding Out: Analyse Miss Müller’s independence and Victoria’s mother’s views. Create journal entries comparing women’s roles.	Explore civic resilience and gender perspectives
Year 4	AC9HS4K02 Changes in daily life and perspectives over time	Sorting Out: Investigate transport and prosperity. Compare horse‑drawn carriages with modern transport.	Reflect on continuity and change in daily life
Year 5	AC9HS5K02 Causes and effects of change in Australian society	Going Further: Explore superstition and treasured objects. Create a time capsule of resilience.	Examine civic responsibility and cultural beliefs
Year 5	AC9HS5K01 Significance of First Nations Australians’ experiences and contributions	Making Connections: Discuss exclusion from prosperity. Compare Alexandra’s privilege with Indigenous presence in the episode.	Honour silenced voices and cultural resilience
Year 6	AC9HS6K02 Significance of migration and cultural diversity in Australia	Making Connections: Investigate prosperity and inequality. Create a “Prosperity Memory Board.”	Link prosperity to cultural inclusion and belonging
Year 6	AC9HS6K01 Key historical events and developments shaping Australian society	Taking Action: Build a class “Prosperity Time Capsule.” Connect artefacts to broader civic identity.	Explore civic values and community care

Examine how family life, superstition, and social roles shaped character, storytelling, and identity in the 1880s.

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 belonging and play. Write a short response: “What does belonging mean in my family?”	Family · Belonging
Year 3	AC9E3LY06 Create imaginative texts with characters and settings	Tuning In: Invent a new game and write its rules.	Creativity · Tradition
Year 4	AC9E4LE01 Analyse characters’ feelings, motivations and actions	Finding Out: Compare Miss Müller’s independence with Victoria’s mother’s views. Create a character map.	Gender roles · Family
Year 4	AC9E4LY06 Create persuasive and reflective texts	Sorting Out: Write a persuasive advertisement for a carriage company in 1888.	Prosperity · Status
Year 5	AC9E5LE01 Analyse how historical and cultural contexts shape characters and events	Going Further: Write a diary entry about treasured objects and superstition.	Belief · Resilience
Year 5	AC9E5LY06 Create multimodal texts using narrative and informative elements	Going Further: Create a digital time capsule with artefacts and notes.	Family Civic Identity
Year 6	AC9E6LE01 Respond to texts shaped by historical and cultural contexts	Making Connections: Reflect on prosperity and exclusion. Write a commemorative poem or speech.	Nationhood Inequality
Year 6	AC9E6LY06 Create texts that integrate ideas and perspectives	Taking Action: Design a class anthology of prosperity stories linked to the time capsule.	Memory · Community

Country/Place: Contrast Alexandra’s claim of land with the silent presence of the Indigenous girl, highlighting how Aboriginal people were excluded under Protection Acts yet maintained cultural continuity.

Culture: Explore superstition, tradition, and resilience across communities, while recognising how First Nations voices were marginalised in the prosperity of the 1880s.

People: Acknowledge the role of Aboriginal families and leaders in sustaining kinship and cultural identity despite restrictive policies.

Asia and its Diversity: Use migration and labour debates of the 1880s to explore cultural contribution and diversity.

Achievements and Contributions: Celebrate the roles of migrant families, women’s unions, and working‑class communities in shaping civic life and activism.

Asia/Australia Connections: Reflect on how prosperity, tradition, and storytelling foster belonging and shared identity across cultures

Additional Resources

Episode Stills

Three young children, dressed in vintage clothing, are sitting on a bed in a softly lit room. Two girls, one with auburn hair and the other with braided red hair tied with a blue bow, appear excited as they gather around a small wooden box. A boy with curly red hair, dressed in a sailor-style outfit, is reaching into the box, contributing to the joyous atmosphere. The room features a blue wall and a mirror reflecting their playful expressions.

Victoria, Wesley and May with their treasures

Two girls in vintage dresses, one with a blue bow, are interacting with a white cockatoo perched on a stick. A boy in a black shirt watches the scene, while a wooden fence and grassy area create a rustic backdrop.

Victoria, Wesley and May feeding the cockatoo

A young girl with curly hair, wearing a simple, faded beige dress, is standing near a bush, partially hidden. She appears to be holding something in her hands and looking intently at her surroundings.

A girl appears

A young girl in a blue dress stands on a staircase, looking displeased while clutching a man's hand. The man, dressed in period clothing with sideburns, gazes at her, creating a tense atmosphere. Dust covers the stairs, suggesting neglect.

Victoria talking to her father

A woman dressed in a long black Victorian-style dress and hat stands in conversation with a man wearing a white shirt, vest, and a grey hat. The man holds a suitcase and is standing on a dirt path surrounded by trees and gravestones.

Miss Müller speaking with the Irish tradesman

Additional clip: Food and chores

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