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Part A: Australia post-1945: notes

HSC Studies of Religion II · exam Thursday 22 October 2026

NotesMaster answersPast questionsPractise

1. Format and mark splits

Format: Questions 1–10 multiple choice (1 mark each) + Question 11 (5 marks, ~150–200 words). Section I (Parts A + B) = 30 marks, about 50 minutes, so about 25 minutes for Part A. SOR I uses the identical Part A questions.

Syllabus dot points: the Dreaming (kinship, ceremonial life, obligations to land and people); the continuing effect of dispossession (separation from land and kinship, the Stolen Generations); Land Rights (Native Title, Mabo, Wik; importance of the Dreaming); changing patterns of adherence 1945–present (census); the present landscape (Christianity as the major tradition, immigration, denominational switching, New Age religions, secularism); ecumenical movements (NCCA, NSW Ecumenical Council); interfaith dialogue; Aboriginal spiritualities and religious traditions in Reconciliation.

2. Skeletons

1. A1 · Aboriginal spirituality as determined by the Dreaming (kinship, ceremonial life, obligations)

Q: Explain how Aboriginal spirituality is determined by the Dreaming.

The Dreaming is the metatemporal reality in which Ancestral Beings shaped the land, created life and established the Law. It is not only past but ongoing, so it determines every dimension of Aboriginal spirituality. Through kinship, the Dreaming places each person within a web of relationships (moiety, skin names and totems) that sets obligations to people, species and country. Through ceremonial life, such as song, dance, painting and initiation, communities re-enact Dreaming stories at sacred sites, renewing the land and passing on Law. Through obligations to land and people, custodians care for country because the land is the living expression of the Ancestral Beings, inseparable from identity. Since kinship, ceremony and obligation all derive from the Dreaming, it is the foundation of Aboriginal spirituality, law and identity.

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2. A2 · Continuing effect of dispossession (land, kinship, Stolen Generations)

Q: (2015) In what ways has dispossession continued to affect Aboriginal spiritualities? Feedback: focus on continuing effects on spirituality, not culture in general.

Because Aboriginal spirituality is grounded in the Dreaming and expressed through country, dispossession continues to damage it at its source. Separation from the land has severed many communities from sacred sites where ceremonies and Dreaming stories were maintained, so spiritual knowledge tied to place cannot always be passed on. Separation from kinship groups disrupted the totemic and skin-name relationships that determine ritual obligations. The Stolen Generations compounded this: the Bringing Them Home report (1997) concluded that between one in three and one in ten Indigenous children were forcibly removed between about 1910 and 1970. Many grew up without language, Law or knowledge of their country, and intergenerational trauma persists today. Yet the revival of language, ceremony and return to country, supported by native title, shows that Aboriginal spiritualities continue to resist the effects of dispossession.

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3. A3 · Land Rights: Native Title, Mabo, Wik, and the importance of the Dreaming

Q: (2023) Explain the relationship between the Dreaming and the land rights movement.

The Land Rights movement is fundamentally spiritual, because in the Dreaming the land is a living relationship, not a commodity. Its importance lies in the custodial obligations that Dreaming Law places on Aboriginal people. Legal milestones recognised this connection:

  • Mabo v Queensland (No 2) (3 June 1992) rejected terra nullius and recognised native title, which rests on continuing connection to country under traditional laws and customs.
  • The Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) created the framework for claims.
  • Wik Peoples v Queensland (23 December 1996) held that pastoral leases do not necessarily extinguish native title and the two can coexist (later restricted by the Native Title Amendment Act 1998).

Because claims require evidence of ongoing ceremony, stories and kinship ties to country, the Dreaming is both the motive for and the proof in land rights. Regaining land allows ceremonies at sacred sites to resume, restoring spiritual life. The closing of the Uluru climb on 26 October 2019 shows Anangu Law being respected.

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4. A4 · Changing patterns of religious adherence 1945 to present (census)

Q: Outline changing patterns of religious adherence in Australia since 1945, using census data.

Christianity has declined from near-universal identification to a minority:

  • Christianity fell from 86.2% (1971) to 52.1% (2016) and 43.9% (2021).
  • Catholics overtook Anglicans as the largest denomination in 1986 (26.1% vs 23.9%).
  • Anglican identification fell to 9.8% (2021); Catholic was 20.0%.

"No religion" rose from 0.8% (1966) to 30.1% (2016) and 38.9% (2021). It passed Anglicans in 2006 and was moved to the first response option in 2016.

Non-Christian religions grew through immigration: Islam 3.2%, Hinduism 2.7%, Buddhism 2.4% (2021). Hinduism had the largest increase between 2016 and 2021 (+243,700), followed by Islam (+209,150).

Australia has moved from a Christian-majority, largely Anglo-Celtic society to a multifaith and increasingly secular one (ABS, Religious affiliation in Australia, 2022).

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5. A5 · The present landscape: Christianity as the major tradition, immigration, denominational switching, New Age, secularism

Q: (2020) "Without mass migration the Australian religious landscape would look very different today." How accurate is this statement?

The statement is largely accurate for religious diversity, but less so for the overall shape of the landscape.

  • Immigration: post-war European migration (Italian, Greek, Maltese) boosted Catholic and Orthodox churches. From the 1970s, Southeast Asian migrants brought Buddhism, and later Middle Eastern and South Asian migration grew Islam (3.2%) and Hinduism (2.7%, the largest increase, +243,700 between 2016 and 2021).
  • Christianity remains the major tradition (43.9%), partly sustained by migrant Christians.
  • But the biggest change is secularism. "No religion" reached 38.9% in 2021. That change comes from the Australian-born population, not migration (NESA's 2020 sample answer reaches the same conclusion).
  • Denominational switching (e.g. from mainline Protestant churches towards Pentecostal churches) and New Age spiritualities also reflect internal choice.

So migration created diversity, while secularisation and switching have reshaped the landscape most.

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6. A6 · Ecumenical movements: NCCA and NSW Ecumenical Council

Q: (2024) With reference to ONE organisation, describe the impact of a Christian ecumenical movement in Australia.

The National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) was inaugurated on 3 July 1994, replacing the Australian Council of Churches. Its most significant impact was that the Catholic Church became a full member for the first time, uniting Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox churches (now about 19 member churches) in common witness. The NCCA's impact is practical:

  • Act for Peace is its international aid agency.
  • It promotes shared prayer, such as the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
  • It advocates on justice issues; NESA's 2024 sample answer cites its support for the Everybody's Home campaign against homelessness.
  • In May 2022 it joined religious leaders in supporting the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

By helping churches act together, the NCCA expresses Jesus' prayer "that they may all be one" (John 17:21) and makes Christianity's voice in Australian society more unified.

(NSWEC alternative: members include Orthodox, Protestant and, since 2021, the Catholic Dioceses of Bathurst, Parramatta and Wagga Wagga. Founding date uncertain: sources say 1970, 1982 or 1984, so do not quote a year.)

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7. A7 · Interfaith dialogue in multifaith Australia

Q: (2022) Explain the importance of interfaith dialogue in Australia. / (2025) Why is religious dialogue important in Australia post-1945?

Interfaith dialogue, meaning conversation and cooperation between different religions (unlike ecumenism, which is within Christianity), is important because migration has made Australia multifaith. Christianity is 43.9%, while Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism together exceed 8% (2021). Dialogue builds social cohesion by replacing suspicion with understanding, especially after events that have strained community relations. Examples:

  • The Australian Partnership of Religious Organisations (from 2003) brings national faith bodies together.
  • The Columban Centre for Christian–Muslim Relations promotes understanding (cited in NESA's 2021 MG).
  • Melbourne hosted the Parliament of the World's Religions in 2009.

Dialogue also enables joint action on shared concerns such as Reconciliation and refugees. NESA's 2021 sample cites the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies' Shabbat for Aboriginal leaders (Dec 2019). Dialogue therefore turns diversity into a strength. The 2022 stimulus captures this: interfaith "is something we are".

New evidence ✓ verified

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8. A8 · Aboriginal spiritualities and religious traditions in the process of Reconciliation

Q: (2021) How have religious traditions engaged with the process of Aboriginal reconciliation? Feedback: refer to more than one tradition.

Religious traditions have engaged with Reconciliation by acknowledging past harm, recognising Aboriginal spirituality and working for justice.

  • Catholic Church: at Alice Springs (29 November 1986), Pope John Paul II told Aboriginal people the Church "will not be fully the Church that Jesus wants her to be until you have made your contribution to her life".
  • Uniting Church:
    • The Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress was formed in 1985.
    • A Covenant with the Congress was made in 1994.
    • Its 2009 revised Preamble acknowledges the Church's complicity in dispossession and that "the Spirit was already in the land revealing God to the people through law, custom and ceremony".
  • Ecumenically: the NCCA backed the Uluru Statement in 2022.
  • Beyond Christianity: the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies hosted a Shabbat for Aboriginal leaders in 2019 (NESA 2021 MG).

These actions show traditions moving from mission paternalism towards partnership, though Reconciliation remains unfinished; the 2023 Voice referendum was defeated.

New evidence ✓ verified

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9. NESA sample answers for Question 11

Read the full nesa sample answers for question 11 in Master answers →

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3. Quote and evidence bank

ABS Census 2021 (abs.gov.au/articles/religious-affiliation-australia):

Item Figure
Christianity 43.9% (2016: 52.1%; 1971: 86.2%)
Catholic 20.0% (2016: 22.6%)
Anglican 9.8% (2016: 13.3%; −604,900)
No religion 38.9% (2016: 30.1%; 1966: 0.8%)
Islam / Hinduism / Buddhism 3.2% / 2.7% / 2.4%
Largest increases 2016–21 Hinduism +243,700; Islam +209,150; Sikhism +84,500
Catholic overtakes Anglican 1986 (26.1% vs 23.9%)
No religion overtakes Anglican 2006 Census (no religion 19.4% vs Anglican 18.7%)
"No religion" first option from 2016 Census
Lowest / highest no religion NSW 33.2% / Tasmania 50.0%
Migration waves post-WWII Europe; 1960s Middle East; 1970s Southeast Asia; 2000s humanitarian and skilled

Aboriginal spirituality and land:

Reconciliation and religion:

Ecumenism:

Interfaith: APRO (from 2003, per NCCA); Columban Centre (NESA 2021 MG); Document on Human Fraternity (4 Feb 2019); A Common Word (13 Oct 2007).

Sources: ABS Religious affiliation in Australia (2022); AustLII (Mabo [1992] HCA 23; Wik [1996] HCA 40); AIATSIS; humanrights.gov.au (Bringing Them Home); ncca.org.au; nswec.org.au; Uniting Church Assembly; vatican.va; NESA MGs 2020, 2021, 2024.

4. Stimulus and exam tips

MCQ traps (Part A)

  1. Ecumenism ≠ interfaith. Ecumenism is between Christian denominations (NCCA, NSWEC, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity). Interfaith is between religions (APRO, the Columban Centre). The 2024 Q11 and the 2016 Q1 tested this.
  2. Denominational switching ≠ conversion ≠ secularism. Moving from a Catholic to a Pentecostal church is switching (2025 Q1, "Alex"). Leaving religion is secularisation.
  3. Mabo vs Wik vs Native Title Act.
    • Mabo rejected terra nullius (1992).
    • The Native Title Act is legislation (1993).
    • Wik concerns pastoral leases and coexistence (1996).
    • The 1998 Amendment Act restricted Wik.
  4. Kinship = the system of relationships (2022 Q1 stem). Totem = a spiritual link to a species. Dreaming = the metatemporal source of Law.
  5. Census reading.
    • "No religion" ≠ atheist. Read whether a figure is a percentage or a number, and whether it refers to the 2016 or 2021 census.
    • Christianity is still the largest grouping (43.9% vs 38.9%), even though no religion is larger than any single denomination.
  6. Stimulus MCs: identify the organisation's type (ecumenical / interfaith / aid) before the content.

5. Marker feedback

Marker feedback to obey

Verbatim from the NESA "Marking feedback" sections (exam packs).

2015: Section I — Question 11

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

  • identifying the effects of dispossession on Aboriginal spiritualities
  • supporting the response with reference to specific aspects of Aboriginal spiritualities
  • integrating relevant and accurate terminology throughout response. Candidates need to improve in the following areas:
  • addressing the specific requirements of the question by focusing on the continuing effects of dispossession on Aboriginal spiritualities rather than the past effects
  • referring to the effects on Aboriginal spirituality rather than the effects on culture
  • using correct terminology when referring to aspects of Aboriginal spiritualities and dispossession
  • making specific reference to aspects of Aboriginal spiritualities rather than generalisations about land and Dreaming.
2016: Section I — Question 11

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

  • providing reasons for the importance of the Land Rights movement for Aboriginal Australians, particularly in relation to the Dreaming
  • identifying landmark legal milestones in the Land Rights Movement
  • integrating relevant terminology throughout the response. Candidates need to improve in the following areas:
  • addressing the specific requirements of the question which focused on the importance of the Land Rights Movement, not a description of legal cases
  • integrating the most relevant aspects of the quote
  • using specific and relevant examples in relation to the Dreaming and the Land Rights Movement to support the response.
2017: Section I — Question 11

In better responses, students were able to:

  • provide clear detail of their understanding of kinship including: the complex nature of relationships, moiety, totems, ritual obligations, bloodlines, language, oral tradition
  • identify clear impacts; for example: the loss of …, disconnection from …, interruption of …, severing ties between …
  • provide a level of detail and depth of knowledge in their choice of examples and technical terminology related to Aboriginal spirituality and elements of the Dreaming; for example sacred totemic rituals
  • provide clearly and succinctly the links that exist for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people between their understanding of the land and kinship.
2018: Section I — Question 11

In better responses, students were able to:

  • accurately name two religious traditions that have clearly been affected by immigration in the Australian religious landscape
  • provide clear and accurate explanation of the statistical trends for each tradition, regions or country of origin, denominational variance, and reasons for changes to immigration trends
  • provide relevant terminology such as 'Immigration Restriction Act'. Areas for students to improve include:
  • making clear links between the changes in immigration and the effects of these changes
  • providing greater detail of the current Australian religious landscape
  • clearly identifying the syllabus contents being assessed.
2019: Section I — Question 11

In better responses, students were able to provide:

  • clear and accurate details about Aboriginal Spirituality and the links between spirituality and land
  • clear and accurate explanation of the importance of land due to the nature of Aboriginal spiritual ties to the land, including, but not limited to ancestral beings, sacred sites, totemic relationships and obligation to land
  • relevant terminology such as ‘kinship’ and ‘ceremonial life.’ Areas for students to improve include:
  • making clear links between Aboriginal Spirituality and land
  • providing specific examples of aspects of land that demonstrate the importance of the land to Aboriginal Spirituality
  • making use of the stimulus to support the response.
2020: Section I — Question 11

In better responses, students were able to:

  • identify a clear and explicit link between migration and the Australian religious landscape
  • present a detailed and reasoned judgement on the accuracy of the given quote
  • integrate accurate census data to show an understanding of the changes in the Australian religious landscape since 1945. Areas for students to improve include:
  • identifying how migration impacted the religious landscape in Australia since 1945 with accurate examples
  • including a range of specific religious traditions
  • showing an understanding of the census data and including relevant information to support the response.
2021: Section I — Question 11

In better responses, students were able to:

  • identify a clear and explicit link between religious traditions and the process of Aboriginal reconciliation
  • present a detailed and accurate explanation of the ways in which religious traditions have engaged with the process of Aboriginal reconciliation
  • demonstrate the relationship between religious traditions and Aboriginal reconciliation through the use of clear and explicit examples. Areas for students to improve include:
  • identifying the role of more than one religious tradition with the process of Aboriginal reconciliation
  • integrating a range of relevant examples to show the engagement of religious traditions in the process of Aboriginal reconciliation.
2022: Section I — Question 11

In better responses, students were able to:

  • provide a clear explanation of the importance of interfaith dialogue
  • engage with the stimulus throughout the response
  • integrate relevant examples of interfaith initiatives in Australia to support the response. Areas for students to improve include:
  • making explicit references to the stimulus
  • providing suitable examples as part of a detailed explanation.
2023: Section I — Question 11

In better responses, students were able to:

  • provide a comprehensive explanation of the relationship between the Dreaming and the land rights movement
  • use accurate examples to support the response, for example, land rights legislation such as the Native Title Act (1993) . Areas for students to improve include:
  • demonstrating a clear understanding of the Dreaming, the land rights movement and the relationship between them
  • providing relevant examples, such as the Wik decision, that are used clearly and accurately
  • providing information relevant to the question.
2024: Section I — Question 11

In better responses, students were able to:

  • identify the main aims of the Christian ecumenical movement
  • accurately describe specific initiatives or actions of the National Council of Churches or the NSW Ecumenical Council to demonstrate the impact of the ecumenical movement
  • clearly articulate the impact of the ecumenical movement on Australian society. Areas for students to improve include:
  • providing contemporary examples from the Australian context linked to the National Council of Churches (NCCA) or the NSW Ecumenical Council
  • making a clear distinction between ecumenism and interfaith dialogue, ensuring that any reference to interfaith dialogue is linked to the work of either the NCCA or the NSW Ecumenical Council.
2025: Section I — Question 11

In better responses, students were able to:

  • demonstrate a thorough understanding of why religious dialogue is important in Australia post-1945
  • support this understanding with integrated evidence drawn from relevant syllabus content, for example, ecumenism, interfaith dialogue, reconciliation and/or the current religious landscape. Areas for students to improve include:
  • choosing evidence that is directly related to Australia, religious dialogue and/or the response from religious bodies within the context of Australia.

6. Past questions

All Part A: Australia post-1945 past questions are on the Past questions tab, sorted by year, each with a link to practise it.

Part B: Religion and Non-Religion →