Australian history has been divided into two parts;
Hard Luck for early Australia and 100 Not Out for the twentieth century.
The title Hard Luck illustrates the tough life for the first white Australians as
well as the difficulties between the British and the indigenous inhabitants.
 Students are entertained with verse, music, stories and Australian paraphernalia relating to those early days.
Geoffrey recounts the way life may have been during the 19th century. He looks at the journey of people in early Australia; from the indigenous people to a diverse selection of white settlers originating in a penal colony.
Over that first 100 year period, we see convicts, emancipists, squatters, settlers, soldiers, bushrangers, shepherds, gold seekers, drovers and many others. The qualities of people ranged from severe brutality to courage in the fight to tame a harsh land. The development of the major agricultural industries was a powerful progression in the nineteenth century. The ‘good old days’ contained hardships for pioneers and difficulties facing women in a desperate colony.
A highlight of the show is the hilarious job interview for a shepherd and house maid by an early Squatter.
A variety of traditional Australian songs and poems, pertinent to the topics, are splashed about in this performance as well as original pieces which are all tied together with dialogue about important parts of our history.
Geoffrey uses characterisations to bring the poems to life and encourages students to clap and sing along with the choruses of the songs as well as answering questions regarding early Australian history. The idea of making history fun to listen to, enables the students to better retain information.
The format of the show is similar between the primary and secondary levels but the material is adapted accordingly.
Upon booking a performance, teachers may choose
from a number of Nineteenth century topics.
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