Online exploration activity part 1
'Moving West' & 'The early years'

Multiple Choice Quiz & Mix and Match


1) As a young man John Curtin lived in Brunswick which is located in

One answer only.
   Sydney, New South Wales
   Adelaide, South Australia
   Melbourne, Victoria
   Perth, Western Australia

2) Brunswick at this time could be described as

One answer only.
   a working class suburb
   a middle class suburb
   a suburb of wealth and distinction
   a seaside suburb

3) John Curtin arrived in Perth in 1917 and soon he and his new wife Elsie began renting a small house in Cottesloe, a suburb which was

One answer only.
   a long way from Perth
   part of the port city of Fremantle
   between Perth and Fremantle
   far from public transport on the outskirts of Perth

4) Cottesloe’s main attraction in the 1910’s and 1920’s was its

One answer only.
   closeness to the ocean
   streets lined with Norfolk Pine trees
   wealthy residents and their distinctive houses
   hotels and tea houses

5) Comparing Curtin’s home in Cottesloe with the various homes that his family occupied in Brunswick one could say that

One answer only.
   the homes in Brunswick were very modest in comparison to Curtin’s home in Cottesloe
   the homes in Brunswick were less modest than the home Curtin built in Cottesloe
   the homes in Brunswick and Cottesloe were very similar in their styles of construction
   the homes in Brunswick and Cottesloe were different in their styles of construction but they were all modest homes

6) As a suburb, what did Cottesloe have to offer John Curtin, the newspaper editor and parliamentarian?

One answer only.
   sun, surf and fresh air
   cricket in summer and football in winter
   reasonable proximity by public transport to his work
   all of the above

7) Examine the coloured photograph of the view of the back of the house in 1998. What building stands near the back stairs?

One answer only.
   toilet (water closet)
   laundry
   garden shed
   kitchen

8) Suggest why this part of the house was built separately

One answer only.
   it was built as an after thought
   it was thought to be safer to have this room separate from the house in the event of fire
   it was cheaper to build it this way
   none of the above

9) Listen to the audio clip in which John Curtin's daughter, Elsie Macleod, talks about family outings to the beach. It is clear that:

One answer only.
   only John Curtin himself enjoyed the beach
   only the Curtin children enjoyed the beach
   the family never went to the beach
   the whole family enjoyed the beach


This test has been created using the CASTLE Toolkit


10) The table below contains descriptions of the Curtin family home and its surroundings. Match each description with one of the features in this list:

Railway line; Beach; Verandahs; Front door; Toilet (water closet); Laundry;
Decoration; Wardrobes; Carpets; Paintings; Piano; Backyard.

a) Faced east, probably to avoid strong westerly winds

b) Was located at the back fence

c) Could be found on all floors of the house

d) Was the only luxury included in the house

e) Was minimal with just a few ceiling roses and plain skirting boards

f) Decorating the walls all belonged to Elsie's father Abraham Needham

g) Was a place to play games like cricket, grow vegies and hang out the washing

h) Was walking distance up Jarrad St and over the golf course

i) Surrounded the house on three sides

j) Was closer to the house than the sea

k) Was located separate from the house just near the back door

l) Were used in the bedrooms as built in robes were not fashionable as yet


Check how well you have mixed and matched!

Check mix and match answers

Now continue with part 2 of the exploration 'Accommodating Work and Family Life' & 'The War Years'

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