Transport
Air travel
Before the Boeing 747 aeroplane was created, flying overseas was slow and expensive. The arrival of the Jumbo Jet made international flights faster, cheaper and more accessible for people to travel to places such as London, New York and Tokyo.
Con Aslanis, ‘Qantas want us’, c.1975, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2825910466
Con Aslanis, ‘Qantas want us’, c.1975, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2825910466
Activity 1
Take time to observe this poster from Qantas Airways. Examine each character closely. Ask students to 'Step Inside' this poster and select their favourite person – imitating their pose or action.
Reflect:
- What might this person be thinking?
- What could they be feeling?
- What are they doing or saying?
Students can then draw themselves as the person in the poster, write a short diary entry on their thoughts and feelings, or act out the scene imagining that they are in this campsite queue for an international Qantas flight.
Trains
Over time, the way we’ve travelled has changed, and so has the way we power our transport.
From using coal to power steam engines to using clean energy from renewable sources to move trains, railways have not stopped improving since being invented.
Ian Mitchell & Australian News and Information Bureau, Steam locomotive hauling a passenger train on the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, 1970, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-137739465
Ian Mitchell & Australian News and Information Bureau, Steam locomotive hauling a passenger train on the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, 1970, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-137739465
John L Buckland, The "Indian-Pacific" in Avon Valley near Perth, Western Australia, 1970, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-155052548
John L Buckland, The "Indian-Pacific" in Avon Valley near Perth, Western Australia, 1970, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-155052548
Activity 2
Display the two photos of trains side by side. Encourage students to observe and describe:
- What do the trains look like?
- What could they sound like?
- What could they be used for?
Activity 3
As a class, research and label the different parts of a steam and diesel train. List the differences and similarities and sort into a Venn Diagram. Discuss:
- Do you think travel has changed since the 1970’s?
- How has technology changed the speed and comfort of travel?
- Have you ever ridden in a steam train? What was it like?
More to explore
Kathy Weeden reading her book Phonobet, illustrated by Kim Drane and published by NLA Publishing, at Enlighten at the Library 2024
