AHT2740 Australian art
Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture
AHT2740 Australian art is a level 2, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture, offered in 2026 in Semester 1 at Caulfield. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 1
- Caulfield
- Assessment
- No exam
- 3 tasks
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before AHT2740
Prohibitions
You can't enrol if you have passed any of these.
Corequisites
Pass these before, or take them in the same semester.
After AHT2740
No unit lists AHT2740 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
You must have completed at least 12 credit points at first-year level in Art History and Theory, or approval from Chief Examiner.
Prohibitions: ATS2740, ATS3740, TAD2740, TAD3740.
Equivalent units
The same content under another code. Only one of them counts.
Overview
This unit offers a broad historical survey of Australian art from European colonisation to the present. Topics examined will be the First Fleet artists, the work of John Glover, the Heidelberg School, Australian modernism, post-War Australian landscape, the work of Albert Namatjira and Margaret Preston and the work of a number of contemporary Australian artists, including Gordon Bennett and Tracey Moffatt. The course will ask questions concerning the "Australianness" of Australian art and whether we can write a new history of Australian art appropriate to contemporary conditions.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Caulfield | On campus |
Assessment
- Critical analysisWritten20%
- EssayWritten40%
- TestQuiz / Test40%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Identify a range of critical perspectives onto the history of Australian art;
- 2
Show a broad familiarity with the major artists in the history of Australian art;
- 3
Discuss a number of contemporary Australian artists and the methodological questions involved in the writing of Australian art history today;
- 4
Demonstrate an ability to respond thoughtfully and critically to works of art in your own words.
Workload and teaching
- Seminars12 hours
- Tutorials24 hours
12 hours per week including 3 contact hours plus 9 hours independent study, or equivalent.
Where it fits
AHT2740 is part of 1 area of study in the 2026 handbook.
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Professor Rex Butler
- Chief Examiners
- Professor Rex Butler
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for AHT2740?
None, but you must take OHS1000 before or alongside it.
When is AHT2740 offered?
In 2026, AHT2740 runs in Semester 1 at Caulfield.
Does AHT2740 have an exam?
No. AHT2740 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include AHT2740?
AHT2740 is part of Art history and theory.