A practical perusal of past, present and future developments in teaching history in Australian schools

History curriculum reform proposals and debates are a persistent feature of the contemporary educational landscape in England and, very probably, a ‘sign of the times' that can reveal a great deal about contemporary predicaments and concerns. History curriculum controversy is also a global phenomenon and one that can fruitfully -and, perhaps, only truly -be understood in a comparative context.

In Teaching History 137 Peter Seixas reported on recent controversies and developments in British Columbia. In this article, Stephanie Burley provides a narrative of recent curriculum reform controversies and processes in Australia and an account of key features of the emerging Australian National History Curriculum.