Lesson plan

Wonthaggi

Wonthaggi is a town located south east of Melbourne via the South Gippsland and Bass highways, in the Bass Coast Shire of Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. Known originally for its coal mining, it is now the largest town in South Gippsland, a regional area with extensive tourism, beef and dairy industries. The name "Wonthaggi" is an Australian Aboriginal name meaning "home" from the Boonwurrung (south-central Kulin). It was used in the area some time before 1 August 1910 when the town was founded. The Boonwurrung Aboriginal people were custodians of this stretch of coast for thousands of years prior to White settlement. The Boakoolawal clan lived in the Kilcunda area south of the Bass River, and the Yowenjerre were west of the Tarwin River along what is now the Bunurong Marine and Coastal Park. Middens containing charcoal and shellfish mark the location of their campsites along the coast. Coal was discovered by explorer William Hovell at Cape Paterson in 1826, and was subsequently mined from the Powlett River fields in the region, between 1859 and 1864. However transporting the coal by whale boat through the surf to larger ships anchored offshore proved costly and dangerous and mining activity was soon curtailed. The coastal sands off Wonthaggi occasionally uncover the remains of ships wrecked along the coast.…

Back to article

Article summary

Wonthaggi is a town located south east of Melbourne via the South Gippsland and Bass highways, in the Bass Coast Shire of Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. Known originally for its coal mining, it is now the largest town in South Gippsland, a regional area with extensive tourism, beef and dairy industries. The name "Wonthaggi" is an Australian Aboriginal name meaning "home" from the Boonwurrung (south-central Kulin). It was used in the area some time before 1 August 1910 when the town was founded. The Boonwurrung Aboriginal people were custodians of this stretch of coast for thousands of years prior to White settlement. The Boakoolawal clan lived in the Kilcunda area south of the Bass River, and the Yowenjerre were west of the Tarwin River along what is now the Bunurong Marine and Coastal Park. Middens containing charcoal and shellfish mark the location of their campsites along the coast. Coal was discovered by explorer William Hovell at Cape Paterson in 1826, and was subsequently mined from the Powlett River fields in the region, between 1859 and 1864. However transporting the coal by whale boat through the surf to larger ships anchored offshore proved costly and dangerous and mining activity was soon curtailed. The coastal sands off Wonthaggi occasionally uncover the remains of ships wrecked along the coast.…

Key claims

  1. date of formation: 1910 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  2. publication date: 2012 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. The record states that the date of formation is "1910". What evidence would count against this claim?
  3. The record states that the publication date is "2012". What evidence would count against this claim?
  4. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  5. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

  1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1378415718

Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.