THE PATRICK DURACK STORY - PART 1 FROM IRISH POVERTY TO CATTLE BARON OF THE KIMBERLEY

This is part 1 of a 2 part series which has an eventual focus on beef cattle raising in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
Part 1 follows the early life of Patrick Durack, the eldest son of the Durack family who emigrated to Australia in 1853. This story has many historical links. It starts with reasons for emigration (“Irish Potato Famine” leading to poverty and starvation); "the Victorian goldrush of the 1850’s); the successes and failures of early cattle raising ventures in Queensland and N.S.W; the interest in gaining land holdings in the Kimberley, and the epic cattle drive to take cattle overland to stock the developing properties in the Kimberley.
The 9 events listed on screen 2 (given as an attachment) can be approached as a research-by-computer activity. This could be used within the classroom or set as an out of the classroom activity.
The same 9 events on screen 3 (given as an attachment) are designed for an in-classroom teacher direction approach. Through observation and teacher direction/discussion students should be able to write down answers to the 9 listed events.
This approach is more closely supported by the pages from screen 4 onward.
The long cattle drive planned by Patrick Durack is part of the epic drives of Australian history. The 10 listed problems on screen 7 are given more attention in screens 9, 10 and 11. This unit ends with the surviving cattle arriving in the Ord River District. The Durack story continues with Unit 2 dealing with cattle raising in the Kimberley - challenges, changes and developments.