ACTF

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

Australia was booming in the 1880s, with high wages and new jobs attracting many migrants. While some people enjoyed progress, First Nations Australians faced harsh rules that limited their freedom and culture.
  • 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. While colonzier society celebrated prosperity and progress, First Nations communities endured dispossession and exclusion, yet maintained cultural continuity through community, storytelling and resilience.

Provocation Question

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

Clip 1: Children's Games

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.

Tuning In

Reflect on the clip and as a class, discuss the following questions: 

  • What do these games tell us about what life was like for children in the 1880s?
  • Why do you think children played games like blind man’s bluff back then? 
  • Why does Alexandra say the land, the tree and the marble belong to her?

Finding Out & Sorting Out

In groups, play a game of blind man's bluff. Then reserach and compare the games children's played in the 1880s to the games you play with your friends and family today? What is the same and what is different. Create a poster sharing your findings and present it back to the class.

Making Connections

As a class, have a discussion about ownership and belonging. Discuss the following questions:

  • How do Alexandra’s words about the land, tree and marble make you feel?
  • What do they tell us about who had power at that time?
  • Think about the First Nations girl Victoria sees briefly. Why do you think the filmmaker chose to show her for only a moment in this scene?
  • How does this connect to the impact of colonizers on First Nations peoples sense of belonging in the 1880s?

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.

Tuning In

Watch the clip and listen carefully to what they talk about and notice the different attitudes and beliefs. As a class, discuss the following questions:

  • What do family meals in the 1880s tell us about daily life?
  • Why did people believe in superstitions like hiding a cat in the roof for luck?
  • What do Victoria’s mother’s comments about Miss Müller tell us about women’s roles at the time?
  • What foods can you spot in the scene? How are they different from what families eat today?

Finding Out & Sorting Out

Research what families ate in the 1880s and compare it to what your family eats today. Look for the types of food, how people got their food and what was considered a special treat. Think about how social class and money affected meals – what foods were common for most families and what was rare or a delicacy for wealthier households? Create a simple chart or draw two plates, one showing an 1880s meal and one showing a modern meal and label the differences.

Making Connections

As a class, discuss the following questions:

  • What does sharing food mean in your family or community? Does it show care, celebration or something else?
  • Why do you think eating together can make people feel like they belong?

Write a journal entry and anser the question, what does belonging at the dinner table mean to me?

Then, think about this question and write a response: If someone new joined your family meal, what could you do to help them feel welcome?

Clip 3: Treasured Objects

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.

Tuning In

Asa class, discuss the superstition and hope in the 1880s. Answer the following questions: 

  • Why do the children believe these objects will protect their family?
  • What do these objects tell us about superstition and hope in the 1880s?
  • How do possessions show resilience in hard times?
  • If you had to choose one object to protect your family, what would it be and why?

Finding Out & Sorting Out

In pairs, research superstitions and explain why people believed it. Share your finding back to the class and discuss the simliarities between these superstitions. 

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 in the clip, and whose are silenced?
  • Why do you think people followed superstitions in the past? Do we have similar beliefs today?
Objects hold meaning. Victoria and her siblings hide special objects around their house to bring good luck. Make a list of the treasured objects you would choose from your own home. Next to each object, write why it is special and how you think it could help your family.

Extension Challenge

Design your own 'lucky object' and explain its meaning?

 

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

Additional Clip: 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.

INSERT CLIP

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

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Additional clip: Food and chores

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