Area of Study Discovery Frank Hurley – The Man Who Made History, directed by Simon Nasht St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014 St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014

St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014 Why select this text ? Accessible on all levels- ability to look at the layers in the text Rich in filmic quality Importance of moving students beyond the self discovery- merely an adaptation of belonging- fresh and interesting ideas. Looking closely at what the syllabus says- the reason for selection of texts. St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014 St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014

What the Syllabus says- relevant points This Area of Study requires students to explore the ways in which the concept of discovery is represented in and through texts. Discovery can encompass the experience of discovering something for the first time or rediscovering something that has been lost, forgotten or concealed. Discoveries can be fresh and intensely meaningful in ways that may be emotional, creative, intellectual, physical and spiritual. They can also be confronting and provocative. Fresh- students can consider the creative discoveries that Hurley made- i.e documentary form and use of composites as well as the obvious representation of the physical discoveries. What is important is that students understand the layers that exist in the documentary i.e – Nasht and what he is representing and Hurley- this will be important so they do not get caught up in the narrative St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014 St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014

St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014 They can lead us to new worlds and values, stimulate new ideas, and enable us to speculate about future possibilities. An individual’s discoveries and their process of discovering can vary according to personal, cultural, historical and social contexts and values. The impact of these discoveries can be far-reaching and transformative for the individual and for broader society St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014

St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014 Discoveries may be questioned or challenged when viewed from different perspectives and their worth may be reassessed over time. The ramifications of particular discoveries may differ for individuals and their worlds. Students consider the ways composers may invite them to experience discovery through their text and explore how the process of discovering is represented using a variety of language modes, forms and features. By considering both Hurley’s discoveries and his representations of these, as well as Nasht’s discoveries about Hurley’s work, the documentary offers students the opportunity to investigate and respond to different aspects of the Area of Study. What’s really special or exciting about this text is it really allows a thorough analysis of and exploration and question of how composers represent both their discoveries and themselves. We will have a look at this later Consider the documentary form- this is significant because he pioneered this form so this is an area that we should consider and what Hurley discovered about it as a means for documenting history- see handout 2- extract from book. St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014 St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014

St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014 In their responses and compositions, students examine, question, and reflect and speculate on: assumptions underlying various representations of the concept of discovery how the concept of discovery is conveyed through the representations of people, relationships, societies, places, events and ideas that they encounter in the prescribed text and other related texts of their own choosing how the composer’s choice of language modes, forms, features and structure shapes representations of discovery and discovering Through their analysis of the documentary, students will explore and question how composers represent both their discoveries and themselves. Consider the documentary form Through their study, students will consider that discoveries may be questioned or challenged when viewed from different perspectives and that the value attached to any discovery may be reassessed over time. St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014 St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014

St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014 Starting with the text Frank Hurley – The Man Who Made History, directed by Simon Nasht, is the story of Australian photographer Frank Hurley. A pioneer of Australian photography and documentary filmmaking, Frank Hurley captured some of the best-known images of the 20th century. He was the official photographer on both Douglas Mawson’s and Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic expeditions and served as war photographer during both World Wars. This 2004 television documentary examines the man behind the myth that Hurley created around himself, and explains how some of his iconic images were actually elaborate illusions. As one of the last great imperial adventurers, Frank Hurley took some of the earliest photographs of the world’s most remote places. His images are among the most valuable ever taken, although the authenticity of some of them has now been challenged. This documentary questions the validity of Hurley’s work, asking whether his images should be regarded as ‘fakes’ or whether they are acceptable composites, often combining elements from several negatives for dramatic effect. The documentary is engaging in its use of a blend of cinematic techniques to explore Hurley’s own experimental use of film as a pioneer of the documentary form. St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014 St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014

How to begin the study Introduction and consideration of other texts on the list. Spend a short time considering the other texts- asking students if they know- possible homework activity Prose fiction (pf) or nonfiction (nf) Bradley, James, Wrack (pf) • Chopin, Kate, The Awakening (pf) • Winch, Tara June, Swallow the Air (pf) • Bryson, Bill, A Short History of Nearly Everything (nf) • Guevara, Ernesto ‘Che’, The Motorcycle Diaries (nf) St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014 St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014

Drama or film or Shakespearean drama Drama (d) or film (f) or Shakespearean drama (S) • Gow, Michael, Away (d) • Harrison, Jane, Rainbow’s End from Cleven, Vivienne et al, Contemporary Indigenous Plays (d) • Lee, Ang, Life of Pi (f) • Shakespeare, William, The Tempest St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014 St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014

St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014 Media Media O’Mahoney, Ivan, Go Back to Where You Came From – Series 1, Episodes 1, 2 and 3 and The Response ut you must get to the text immediately to start a clear focus on it St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014 St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014

St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014 Poetry Dobson, Rosemary ‘Young Girl at a Window’, ‘Wonder’, ‘Painter of Antwerp’, ‘Traveller’s Tale’, ‘The Tiger’, ‘Cock Crow’, ‘Ghost Town: New England’ Frost, Robert ‘The Tuft of Flowers’, ‘Mending Wall’, ‘Home Burial’, ‘After Apple-Picking’, ‘Fire and Ice’, ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’ Gray, Robert ‘Journey: the North Coast’, ‘The Meatworks’, ‘North Coast Town’, ‘Late Ferry’, ‘Flames and Dangling Wire’, ‘Diptych’ Once considering these and providing follow-up activity(h/wk) We then move straight to the text – importance of this The text is rich with technique Nasht raises a number of assumptions about Hurley and challenges his representations of the discoveries he witnessed and indeed represented and how these were represented- challenging the validity of the form. In this sense the text is self reflexive as it questions the validity and indeed the notion of representing discoveries. Handout- for students St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014 St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014

Key ideas raised in the opening scenes The excitement of discoveries- the notion of the unknown The significance of representation and notions of discovery Varying nature of discoveries- physical, creative etc. Discovery and conquest going hand in hand I would probe the students spend some time on what is being set up in this introduction and on the notions of representation and text- it is a nice intro to Mod C and I think will lead to a more sophisticated response- having them consider the self-reflexive nature of the text Hurley’s discoveries as well as Shackleton etc Understanding the larger context for Hurley’s adventurous spirit-Empire He epitomized the ideals of the empire And his and Mawson and Shakleton’s discoveries/ explorations were inseparable from imperial and colonial power- and ambition- this will raise some interesting ideas about discovery St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014 St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014

St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014 “The Shackleton expedition was championed as an opportunity to increase British prestige, as well as undertake scientific, geological and zoological research, thus reinforcing the nexus between discovery and domination” Frank Hurley’s Antarctica Helen Ennis This is certainly another aspect worth considering- and how Nasht reflects on this notion of discovery and indeed Hurley’s representation. St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014 St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014

Nasht’s representations discovery In search of Hurley- discovering the truth of his images. Discovering who Hurley was- an artist or historian. Hurley’s daughters search for who their father was becomes simultaneous to Nasht’s and as such the viewers. St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014 St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014

St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014 Finally Central to what the students need to be considering is purpose- both Hurley’s and Nasht’s. Structure Meaning Form The purpose of the author is going to be important in this study, as it will be the guide to the structure and meaning of the text. Form will need to be thought of carefully – how does the form lend itself to the sense of discovery This naturally will lead students to consider the different aspects of discovery why, who what makes it a discover Last chapter of the video St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014 St Catherine's- Victoria Rennie- AIS English Conference 2014

Presented by Victoria Rennie St Catherine's, Waverley AIS English Conference 2014