Local history: how to study your area's past

Learn how to research the history of your local area using different sources

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Try each question. If you're stuck, leave it and come back. The answer key is on the last page.

1
What is a 'primary source' in history? A) Something made or written at the time of the event being studied B) Any book written after the event C) A teacher's lesson notes D) Only a textbook
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2
What is a 'secondary source' in history? A) Something written or made later that describes or studies the event B) A diary written at the time of the event C) A photo taken on the day D) A newspaper from that exact week
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3
True or false? Old photographs of your local area are useful primary sources for studying local history. A) True B) False
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4
What is 'local history'? A) The history of a particular town, village or area B) The history of outer space C) Future news D) A weather forecast
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5
Fill in the blank. When older people tell stories about their own past, this is called ___ history.
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6
Match each type of source to an example. Match each item on the left to one on the right. Left: Photograph, Oral history, Map, Census Right: A picture of your high street in 1920, An interview with your grandparent, A drawing showing roads and buildings, An official list of people in homes
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7
Where can you find old documents and photographs about your local area? A) At a local archive, library or museum B) Only in fairy tales C) Inside computer games D) On TV cooking shows
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8
Why should historians be careful when using a single source? A) It might be biased, incomplete or inaccurate B) Sources never give true information C) Sources are always perfect and never need checking D) Old sources are not allowed to be used
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9
Put these steps for a local history project in a sensible order. Put these in order: Share what you have learned, Choose a local question to investigate, Look at the sources and decide what they show, Find primary and secondary sources
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10
Which question is a good starting point for a local history project? A) How has my high street changed over the last 100 years? B) What is the capital of Australia? C) How many planets are in the solar system? D) What is 12 multiplied by 12?
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Answer key

Local history: how to study your area's past · for parents and teachers

1
Something made or written at the time of the event being studied
A primary source was created at the time of the event. Examples include diaries, letters, photographs, objects and newspaper articles from the period.
2
Something written or made later that describes or studies the event
A secondary source is created later and tells us about an event using primary sources. Most history books and articles are secondary sources.
3
True
Old photographs are excellent primary sources. They show what places, people and life looked like at the time the picture was taken.
4
The history of a particular town, village or area
Local history is the study of the history of a particular place, like a village, town or city.
5
oral
Oral history is the spoken memories of people who lived through events. Interviews with older relatives can be a valuable source for local history.
6
Photograph → A picture of your high street in 1920; Oral history → An interview with your grandparent; Map → A drawing showing roads and buildings; Census → An official list of people in homes
Different sources tell us different things. Photos show appearances. Oral history captures memories. Maps show places. Censuses list people and households.
7
At a local archive, library or museum
Local archives, libraries and museums keep historical records, photographs, maps and objects. Many also have websites you can search.
8
It might be biased, incomplete or inaccurate
Every source has limits. It might be biased, missing information or even wrong. Historians compare several sources to build a fuller picture.
9
Choose a local question to investigate, Find primary and secondary sources, Look at the sources and decide what they show, Share what you have learned
A good local history project starts with a question, gathers different sources, examines them carefully, and then shares the findings with others.
10
How has my high street changed over the last 100 years?
Good local history questions are about your area, can be answered using historical sources, and compare the past with the present.