1.

nations are narrations/all nations are imagined communities- all nations are imagined
communities is a concept by Benedict Anderson. According to him nation is an ideological construct
which came into being at the end of the 18.century (rise of imperialism/colonialism). It is a fact that a
nation is a recent invention, however for ppl who are emotionally involved it is as old as the world.
Anderson says that nationalism has great potential of being dangerous. A nation is an imagined political
community. It is imagined because the members of even the smallest nations do not know all the
members of that nation. Ppl die willingly for these constructs that are recent and imagined.
Edward Said said that nations are narrations. The power to narrate, or to block other narratives from
forming and emerging is very important to culture and imperialism, and constitutes one of the main
connections between them. Most important, the grand narratives of emancipation and enlightenment
mobilized ppl in colonial world to rise up and throw off imperial subjections; in the process, many
Europeans and Americans were also stirred by these stories and their protagonists, and they too fought
for new narratives of equality and human community.
2.The population of Aus.- The first European settlement of the continent began in 1788 when The First
Fleet landed there. There were about 1000 ppl on board and around 400000-600000 Aboriginal ppl on
the continent. Today there are 21 million ppl living in Australia, with Aborigines making less than 1
percent of the total population. Australia has low population density, with only 2 ppl per square
kilometer. A quarter of the population are first or second generation settlers. 90 percent of Australians
are urban dwellers who live in capital cities and towns along the east and the south coast. The largest
percent of Australians are ppl between 15 and 65 years of age, which means that Australia is a young
country. Australia is a multicultural society with ppl of European, asian, aboriginal and other origins.
Many religions are practiced in Australia. Christianity is the most the prominent religion, but more than
30 percent of ppl practice religion other than Christianity or have no religion.
3.Aussie English(Strine)- is a variant of the eng.language spoken in Aust. It has its own slang,
colloquialisms, accent, but the same spelling and grammar as the standard eng.language. Aussie eng.
differs from the mother tongue both in terms of accent and its vocabulary. For example: what time
(toime) is it?. Australians have a strong tendency to pronounce d instead of t in quarter, water..etc.
They also use a lot of cockney rhyming slang in everyday speech (e.g. dont get elephant trunk! (drunk)).
Diminutive forms are also used in aussie eng. some of uniquely aussie words are pom- meaning a british
person; bludger- a person who doesnt do a fair share of work and who exploits the work of others, also
someone who never buys a round of drinks or lives off the states unemployment benefits; dag- a person
who is unfashionable or lacking social skills.
4. The Government structure- The Common Wealth of Aust.is a federation and consists of six states. The
head of the state is the british monarch queen Elizabeth the second and she is represented in Austr.by
the Governor-General. Head of Government is the Prime minister, as the leader of the party or coalition
of parties holding the majority in federal parliament. Australia uses a 3 tide system of government. There
is Federal, State and Local government. Federal gov.is based on the british system and is responsible for
the matters of national interest such as diffence, external affairs, foreign trade, treasury, immigration. It
consists of the house of representatives (lower house) and the Senate (upper house). State
gov.administers areas including education, health, law enforcement , etc. local gov.is responsible for
local areas. It deals with town planning, parks, etc. the mayor or president is the leader of a local
government.
5. the First Fleet- was the first convict transportation to the new colony. It was led by captain Arthur
Phillip, a captain from the Royal Navy. In May 1787, the first fleet, made up of 11 ships and around 1400
ppl, set sail from England bound for Botany Bay. They arrived at Botany Bay on January 11th , but captain
Phillip decided that it was unsuitable for permanent settlement. Then they sailed north to Port Jackson
and landed at Sidney Cove on 26th of January 1788 after 8 months at sea. This day is now celebrated as
Australia Day. This was the first British colony.
6. Administrative divisions- Australia has 6 states and 2 territories- the Capital Territory, New South
Wales, Northern territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia. The
Capital Territory was founded in 1901, within the borders of New South Wales as the site for the future
national capital Camberra. National Government is its main industry. New South Wales, the first British
colony in Australia is now the most populated in industrialized state in Australia. The capital is Sidney,
the largest and the most cosmopolitan city, with ethnic communities from more than 100 000. It is one
of the largest sea ports. The citys icons include Opera House and Harbour Bridge. The Northern Territory
covers nearly fifth of the continent. Darwin has close links with Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. South-
west of Alice Springs is the national park Uluru. Aborigines form a larger portion of the population than
elsewhere. Queensland stretches from the temperate zone into the tropics. There is great diversity of
plants and animals due to the wide variety of natural habitats. Its capital is Brisbane and it is the second
largest state in the area. Queensland is important for agriculture and mining. South Australia was
founded in 1824 by London-based South Australian Company. Among pioneers were Germans, victims of
religious persecutions. The capital is Adelaide. Wine producing areas in South Australia are a major
tourist attraction. Tasmania is an island also the smallest Australian state. Its capital is Hobart. Farms
cover a third of this area. Tourism brings the biggest profit because of Tasmanias unique wilderness
areas. Victoria is the smallest of the mainland States, but the most densely populated. Melbourne is the
capital and it sprang up as the primary city of gold rushes in the middle of the 19th century. It is the
quarters of number of business and financial organizations. Costal formations and heritage settlements
are famous tourist attractions. Western Australia has population of less than two million and more than
70% of people live in Perth, the capital. Its mineral wealth is enormous.
7. Images of Australia in painting and literature- presented the struggle for identity. There was a need
for the creation of distinctive Australian culture and the original myths. The Heidelberg school of artists
was the first major school of Australian art, beginning in the late 19th century and lasting about 30 years.
It was led by Thomas William Roberts and included Sir Arthur Ernest Streeton and Frederic Mc Cubbin.
The school is remembered for being the first movement to accurately depict the Australian landscape.
These artists were inspired by Australian bush. The schools work provide a visual complement about the
bush and their images have embedded themselves into Australias historical subconscious. The idealized
bush was presented in Mc Cubbins painting The Pioneer. It depicts the hardship and toil of Australias
pioneering history. Tom Roberts painting Shearing The Rams romanticized the tough masculine
environment of the shearing shed. The landscape was dominated by heroic human figures. The purpose
of the images was to cultivate the landscape, to establish a purely masculine domain and to idealize life
in the bush.
8. The Bulletin was Australias first literary magazine. It described life in the bush and published bush
writers. The Bulletin favored the sense of Australia as a closed community (white, anglo-saxon an
protestant); it was the chief medium and proponent of this national self-image and it did much to
perpetuate the bush legend. The traits propagated by The Bulletin were mateship and blokey bonding.
The exclusion of women and family life, hostility to religion (personified by the Protestant wowser and
the fondness for alcohol, pubs and gambling), ironic humor, preoccupation with unique Australian
identity and an occasional flirtation with political causes such as socialism and republicanism. The
distinctive nationalist genre was also characterized by additional recurrent features such as the influence
of land and climate upon the almost exclusively male characters, the use of local idiom, disdain of the
city in favor of the bush and the praise of mateship and solidarity necessary to survive loneliness.
9. Hetero stereotypes (how others see Australians)- there are 3 commonly held misconceptions about
Australians. There is the British one which claims that an Australian is a bit of a simpleton, that he is too
frank and also of the lower classes (this is supported by the conception of the Australian dream-which
is having a house in the suburbs). The Asian model claims that an Australian is a racist, oblivious to the
subtleties of other cultures and also lazy and incompetent. There is also the Australian Pioneer
stereotype which depicts Australian as frontiersman and cowboy like Paul Hogan in Crocodile Dundee.
10. Terra Nulius/ Terra Australis Incognita- Terra Nulius is a latin expression meaning empty land or no
mans land. It refers to a number of proclamations by the white settlers which established the notion
that the Australian belonged to no one before the British crown took position of it. Aboriginal people
simply did not exist in the eyes of the law as sovereign people. The Australian Constitution still does not
recognize the sovereignty of Indigenous Australians. 1992, Terra Nulius was recognized as a legal fiction
by the common law and Australias legal system. Australias legal system finally acknowledged that
Australia wasnt an empty continent. Terra Australis Incognita is a latin expression for the unknown land
of the south. It refers to a hypothetical continent appearing on European maps from the 15th to the
18th century. Other names of the continent include La Australia Del Espiritu Santo, Magallanica, or La
Grande Isle De Java. Terra Australis was one of several names applied to the actual continent of
Australia, after its European discovery, and it is the inspiration for the continents modern name. the
notion of Terra Australis was first introduced by Aristotle and later expanded by Ptolemy.
11. Squatters/Bushrangers- the squatters were responsible for pioneering the inland country after New
South Wales became increasingly populated in mid-1800s. they would travel with bullock drays packed
with necessities and when suitable land was found they would build a hat and then set out to stake a
claim on running the land. They faced problems such as bush fire, drought and the lack of labor, but their
biggest problems were to be from Aboriginal attacks and sabotage. By the end of the 19th century
Aborigines had been pushed into special reserves or missions run mostly by church to protect their
declining number and to keep them off the land seized by white invaders. Bushrangers became heroes
from around mid-1800s onwards. They stood for the symbols of resistance against Britain and the
colonial authorities. The first bushrangers were escaped convicts who defied the authorities. The new
generation of bushrangers were native born and it was a kind of contempt for authority with the spirit of
reckless adventure. The most notorious bushrangers were Frank Gardiner, Ben Hall, Fred Ward and Ned
Kelly. Many Aust. myths and legends emanated from the bush, and bushrangers were also idealized in
songs for their courage, patriotism, self-reliance and independence. They also praised equality and
defied elitism. The bushranger era eventually finished with Ned Kelly in 1880, whose publicly hanged
when he was only 25, but the spirit it induced did not.
12. The White Aus. Policy it was a collection of historical policies that intentionally restricted non-
white immigration to Australia from 1901 to 1973. The Immigration Restriction Act was passed in 1901,
imposing a fifty word dictation test given to potential immigrants in any European language chosen by
the immigration official. Residence of less than 5 years could also be subjected to the test and deported
if they failed. Some politicians described this as the necessity of the white Australia to maintain the
standard of living of the working class. Throughout, the law was being relaxed to allow certain ethnic
groups to stay a maximum of 5 years. This law also discriminated against aboriginal Australians up to
1962 when they got the right to vote.
13. The Australian Type (the self-image)- the Aus. think of themselves as collectivists, practical,
democratic and egalitarian. There are certain class differences in the society. The term aussie butler
generally refers to working class Australians, specifically those who feel they must work hard at a low
paying job to earn enough money, is actually well-respected by Australian society at large as they
stoically face financial hardships. Bogan is the person who is, or is perceived to be, of lower class
background, the speech and mannerisms of bogans indicate poor education, cheap clothing and
uncultured upbringing. Bogans usually reside in economically disadvantaged suburbs or rural areas. A
larrikin is not concerned with opinion of other ppl and so is not socially intimidated into modifying
behavior and structuring it around social norms. Larrikins are also not at all fazed by authorities of all
kinds, including whatever power or authority they may poses themselves, and must not take themselves
too seriously. The most undesirable thing is the tall poppy. The term the tall poppy pejoratively describes
ppl of genuine merit who are criticized or resented because their talents or achievements elevate them
above or distinguish them from their peers.
14. The Original Inhabitants (Aboriginal society before colonization) The Aborigines never used one
collective term to describe themselves as unified homogenous group. In the pre-colonial past there were
over 500 different clan nations, hundreds of languages, as well as variety of different customs and
rituals, art forms, forms of food and huntinh habits. All of Australian aboriginals were semi-nomadic
hunters and gatherers, whit each clan having its own territory from which they made their living. The
basis of their spiritual life was an intimate understanding of and the relationship with the land. The
primary structures of society were based on kinship (every known person was considered to be kin either
by blood ties or fictively). Diversity of aboriginal culture was a product of the wide range of physical
environments that aboriginal ppl occupied and adaptation to these environments led to the
development of different economic systems. Sharing was a major and defining ethos of the culture,
while aboriginal economies were predicated on mobility and a corresponding absence of concern with
accumulation of goods and property.
15. Traditional Aboriginal Culture (art, music, songs cycles) Ritual had more than a social function, for it
was vital to the maintenance of the community. Much care and time were taken in the preparation for
and performance or rites. Music, dance and painting were all essential to ritual. Art was fully integrated
with the social process: it always had a utilitarian purpose, whether in terms of immediate function (as
with a spear or a dilly bag) or ritual significance (as with body painting or sacred objects). There were no
professional artists; certain skills were required of most ppl and if some gained particular reputation as
artists, songmen ands dancers, it was because of the opportunities their position in the community
afforded them, rather than any special response to an artistic calling. The instruments that were played
were the didgerid and bullroare (the sacred wooden object- the howling sound of whichrepresented the
voice of a spirit being, perhaps the rainbow serpent). There were the great galleries of Aboriginal art in
caves and on rock faces, which were often a part of the Dreaming and had, in that sense, always been
there. The characteristic figures are the Wandjina figures (white faces and red haloes), mimi figures
(stick-like creatures, usually depicted in lively movement, running, dancing and hunting) and the
Rainbow Serpent (a part of the beliefs of Aboriginal ppl in Arnhem land). The basic colors were red,
white, yellow and black. To fully understand a particular work one would need to be a member of the
particular group within the ppl from which it came.
16. The Eureka Stokade- It was one the most significant events for the development of the Australian
democracy- miners revolt in Victoria (ballarat). It was the revolt against the officials supervising the gold
mining region due to the expense of a digging license. The apparent reason for discontent of the diggers
was the incident in Ballarat when the owner of the Eureka hotel charged with murdering a digger was let
off. The authorities wanted the uprising dealt with quickly: thirty diggers were dead and one hundred
others were taken prisoner. Miners brought with them ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity and the
rebellion led to lasting changes in national psyche. The Eureka uprising gave rise to union movement and
Eureka flag was later incorporated into the logos of the union and the republican movement.
17. The bush-the bush legend- The bush stands for rural Australia. It was said to form a national
character and ethos of Australians and it has been recently associated with xenophobia, and anti-
globalization and racist attitudes. The bush has an influence on how outsiders see Australia: unlike
multicultural, urban Australia, bush ppl tend to be seen as mainly Anglo-Australians. There is a sense of
isolation as the impact of distance on the Australian psyche and the bush is also seen as being
disadvantaged compared to the cities. Ppl that are usually related to the bush are predominantly the
bushrangers, the diggers on the gold field and the unionists in the late 19th century. As far as the bush
legend is concerned the spirit of times added a further impetus: utopian writing was in fashion and
Australian nationalist literature was growing. The 18900s saw a continued increase in nationalism and
with it the creation of the bush legend. The economic depression, urban unemployment and severe
housing shortages fashioned journalistic attitudes towards the city, fueling an anti-urban sentiment,
rooted in alienation and loneliness. Urban social commentators invented their own conception of the
bush as a romantic realm of comradeship and community to contrast with urban reality. It was an
attempt to establish the bush as the negation of the city.

18. The Federation movement- by the 1880s Australians had begun to develop a sense of nationhood,
which could be considered as separate and apart from their loyalty to England. In 1896 this feeling was
summed up in the motto of the Bathhurc Peoples Federal Convention: By our Union we are made equal
to our Destiny. On 1st January 1901 the Commonwealth of Australia was proclaimed by lord Hopetown,
the first Governor General. Federation was achieved after several national conventions and the series of
complex compromises and referenda-the six Australian colonies joined together under a federal system
of government. The imperatives which shaped Federation were largely pragmatic: preserving the legal
and political links with Mother England and retaining the colonial rights and privileges, while at the same
time assigning legitimate matters of shared concern to a Federal Government. Australia started to build
their national identity with an idea of democratic society for the whites. They wanted to maintain the
standard of living of the white working classes.
19. Aboriginal Dreaming- the dreaming is a complex term denoting the relations and balance between
the spiritual, natural and moral elements of the world. It tells the story of origin, of existence and the
purpose of life- it relates to a period from the origin of the universe to a time before living memory or
experience- a time of creator ancestors and supernatural beings. Features of the landscape are the most
visible signs of the past Activities of ancestral beings. They also left a record of themselves and their
actions in the form of a rich variety of art. Each Aboriginal persons totem and Dreaming is determined
by the place in the landscape where the mother feels her first signs of being pregnant. At this place, the
unborn person receives the spirit of a totemic ancestor. Religious ideology-animism- was enforced by
senior men and women, and religious knowledge began with initiation during adolescence and became
lifelong quest.
20. Stolen Generations- those were half caste children that were taken from their parents during the
assimilation period and sent to the cities to earn their living as servants. Some of these children grew up
never knowing their parents or cultural background. The Government wanted to protect children, by
teaching what true values are (Christianity, the English language and alphabet, various subject etc.) and
by preparing them to be true Australians, but actually they wanted to attain white racial purity and to
prepare those children to be servants. The film called Rabbit Proof Fence is about true life experiences
of three girls removed from their family in 1930s in Western Australia.
21. Gallipoli and the Anzac legend- on the 25th April every year Australians commemorate the Anzac
day. This day commemorates the beginning of the notorious Gallipoli Campaign in 1915 during which
more than 20 000 members of the Australian and New Zeeland army corpses lost their lives fighting with
the British soldiers in Gallipoli in Turkey. The story of this fight , which later became known as the Anzac
legend played one of the crucial roles in formation of the Australian identity. The Anzacs were portrayed
as free spirits whose discipline derived from the bonds of mateship and necessity. They were also
portrayed as physically superior to their English counterparts and especially in popular imagery, as hating
the military etiquette and holding the British officers in contempt. This image of the Anzacs was an
adaptation of the 19th century image of the bushman and the larrikin and in this sense the Gallipoli
campaign was the key moment in the evolution of a particular image of the typical Australian as a bold
white male.
22. the melting pot vs. the salad bowl- these are two metaphoric terms used to describe the two
opposing theories of the formation of the culture in the postcolonial countries. The melting pot theory
states that the culture of heterogeneous society becomes more homogenous as the immigrants accept
the dominant culture and also contribute to it by adding certain elements of their former culture.
According to this theory the immigrants also lose some elements of their culture that are considered bad
by the dominant culture of the new society. On the other hand, the salad bowl theory states that the
immigrants do not lose any of the elements of their culture since groups with similar cultural background
tend to stay close in the new country. In this way the society of the countries becomes more culturally
diverse because it consists of different communities which have retained the elements of their cultural
backgrounds.
23. aboriginal battles for land rights and culture/the Mabo case/reconciliation- during the last few
decades of the 20th century the members of the Aboriginal people have won many battles for land
rights, culture and heritage protection, legal recognition of customary law, self-determination and voice
in the Federal Government. The final acknowledgment of the Aboriginal land rights came in 1992 after
the famous Mabo case. High Court decision in this case recognized that the indigenous people were the
first inhabitants of the land and that the concept of Terra Nulius or the Empty Land was a legal fiction.
Since this case there were many public gestures to show tribute to the indigenous culture, the most
recent during the Sidney 2000 Olympic Games. However, all these failed because they did not address
the root cause of the disadvantage which is the incompatibility between the traditional Aboriginal
cultures and the modern world. Because of this many still view the reconciliation of the non indigenous
and indigenous Australians as the unfinished business.
24. Assimilation vs. multiculturalism- the assimilation policy of immigration was the official policy in
Australia until the 19700s. this policy demanded that all immigrants and the aborigines assimilate into
the dominant white Anglo-Celtic society by accepting its language and culture and at the same time
losing the elements of their original culture. As opposed to this the ideals of multiculturalism express a
more tolerant society where ppl have a right to maintain their culture without disadvantage or prejudice.
The multicultural policies are based upon the premise that all Australians should have a unifying
commitment to Australias interests and future first. They also require all the asutralians to accept the
basic structure and principles of the Australian culture and impose obligations as well as conferring
rights. According to these policies, every Australian has a right to express ones own culture and beliefs
but at the same time has responsibility to accept the right of others to express their views and values.
25. Australian national symbols- are the Australian national flag and the anthem. Beside these there are
also 2 other officially recognized symbols: the aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait Islander flag. The
Australian flag features the Union Jack, reflecting the historical bonds with the British Commonwealth,
the five starred Southern Cross constellation visible in the Australian night sky and the 7 pointed
commonwealth star representing the Australian states and territories. The aboriginal flag has been
adopted by all the aboriginal ppl and is permanently displayed in aboriginal centres. It features a yellow
circle symbolizing light on a black and red background which stand for the aboriginal ppl and the land.
The Torres Strait Islander flag consists of a dhari, a symbol of the all the Islanders on the black
background which represents the ppl. In the middle there is a five pointed star which represents the
island groups. The green and the blue colour on the edges represent the land and the sea and the white
of the star and the dhari represent peace.
26. The flora and Fauna of Australia- The uniqueness of the flora and fauna are a consequence of the
isolation of this continent from the rest of the world. The flora is characterized by many endemic species
such as the grass tree and many wild flower species such as the warath and the kangaroo paw. In
addition to this there are many species of gum trees which are found from the snow country in the south
to the tropics of the north and range from ground hugging species to extremely tall trees. The best
known oddities of the Australian fauna are marsupials mammals that suckle their young pouches. Best
known animals are the kangaroo, koala, platypus, wombat and echidna. in addition to these there are
more venomous snakes than on any other continent and Australian spiders are also among worlds most
poisonous.
27.The Immigration Restriction Act represents Australias first immigration policy and was designed to
keep out ppl who were perceived as unable or unwilling to assimilate into the British-Australian white
society. It later became known as the White Australian Policy. The most important part of this act was
the fifty word dictation test given to migrants by the customs officer. Since the dictation could be given
in any European language, customs officers could freely choose the language that the person was unable
to speak. This test was especially designed to ensure that the majority of non-european migrants would
fail. In addition to this, many European migrants from non-English speaking countries could also be
efficiently prevented from entering Australia.
28. Unique Geographic Features- Australia is an island between the Indian ocean and the Pacific ocean.
It lies in the southern hemisphere and is the smallest continent, but the 6th largest country in the world.
The land is characterized by great contrast. The landscape ranges from desert and bush land in the
central areas to rain forests in the north and snowfields in the south east. It is also the flattest of the
continents with only 2 mountain ranges. Also there are few permanent water courses and lakes. The
climate ranges from arid to semi-arid climate in the centre to temperate climate in the south and east
and tropic climate in the north.
29. White Australian Core Myth- the core myths are the most persistent images and stories in the
history of an nation. They express the cultural values- the fundamental beliefs about ourselves. They
constitute the mainstream memory of one culture. The type of myths that a society creates reveals an
insight into its aspirations and values, however, do not provide a precise record of events. History is
contested terrain, the myths are constantly at risk of losing their power. Political and social ideology has
led in many cases to active discrimination and writing out of certain sections of society from national
history. Richard White said that theres no real Australian wanting to be uncovered. A national identity
is an invention. Core myths are usually the property of the elites who use them to reinforce status quo.
30. The Gold Rushes- of the 1850s and 1860s radically changed the economic and the social situation of
the Australian nation and can be viewed as the early flowering of the Australian national identity. The
form of egalitarianism, known as mateship which emerged as the gold diggers helped each other later
became a source of national pride for the Australians. The gold rush period also helped in raising the
interest in democratic rights among the gold diggers who protested against the largely corrupted
policemen who were assigned to collect a monthly license fee from the gold miners. In addition to this,
the finding of gold caused a massive wave of immigration and the expansion of economy as the gold field
towns boosted business investment and stimulated the market for local production.
31. Human Impact on Natural Environment- Neither the Aboriginals nor the European settlers can be
described as long term residence, yet in their brief time they have already modified the landscape
damaging it in many ways. The Europeans in particular have been responsible for initially minor, but
lately significant and wide spread changes. Clearing vegetation for agricultural purposes overgrazing,
introducing exotic plants and animals and making tracks and roads have rendered the land surface more
susceptible to soil erosion. Direct exploitation of native fauna, habitat destruction and exotic predators
have led to the extinction of many species.
32. The Convict System and Legacy- During the late 18th and 19th centuries large numbers of convicts
were transported to the various penal colonies by the british government. One of the primary reasons
for the British settlement of Australia was the establishment of penal colony to alleviate the pressure on
their overcrowded prisons. Convicts were subject to cruelties and they became a source of labour to
advance and develop the British colony. Convicts were the majority of the colonys population for the
first few decades and by 1821 there was a growing number of freed convicts. These convicts had a so
called ticket to leave which allowed them to earn their own living and live independently. In this way
the mother country saved money and secured good behaviour. In the mid 1830s only 6% of the convict
population was locked up, the majority were working for free settlers. The legacy of the convicts consists
of Convict ballads. The features of these ballads were nostalgia for the lost homeland and alienation
from Europe, bitter humour and irony, the mood of a mock repentance (which is linked with the hatred
to the social system) and admiration of those who successfully opposed this System. As a result of this,
apart of Australian mentality became the feeling of rebellion against authorities and the system. The
founding myth was built on guilt and convict traumas. Also, convict origins have been variously written in
and out of the national consciousness. There was a shift from the stain to a badge of honour- from a
convict past as a moral disease to a proud pedigree to be able to trace ones origin to a convict ancestor.
What future generations of Australians got from the convicts were the qualities of courage and defiance,
the rebelliousness and hostility to the authority of any kind. The Asutralian self-image as egalitarian,
collectivist, anti-authoritarian and practical grew up among the convict community.
33. The Jindyworobaks & the Agry Penguins Movement & the Heidelberg School of artists- The
Jindyworobaks (Rex Inamells, Ian Mudie) and the Agry Penguins Movement (Max Harris) were groups
of South Australian poets and painters ho claimed that the language and conventions of poetry and
painting inherits from Britain had to be reconstructed to incorporate the values of the local environment
and people. The typical landscape of Jindyworobaks poems and Drysedale and Heysens paintings was
the harsh desert of inland Australia. The attitude to Europe an essential part of the complex
relationship of Australia with an earlier world and with the past. The Australians found themselves to live
simultaneously in two places- the tension between environment or place and the complex associations
of an inherited culture- that is most original an most Australian, says Judith Wright. It took them many
years to create literature and art in which all the common phenomenon of Australian world, its
landscape, the fauna and flora had been translated into the symbolic nature of consciousness.
The Heilderberg School of artists was the first major school of Australian art, beginning in the late 19th
century and lasting about 30 years. It was led by Thomas William Roberts and included Sir Arthur Ernest
Streeton and Frederic McCubbin. The school is remembered for being the first movement to accurately
depict the Australian landscape. These artists were inspired by the Australian bush. The Schools work
provides visual complement to historical tales about the bush and their images have embedded
themselves into Australias historical subconscious. The idealized bush was presented in McCubbins
painting The Pioneer. It depicts the hardship and toil of Australias pioneering history.
34. Rabbit proof fence- it is a true story about three young mixed-race Aboriginal girls who ran away
from the Moore River Native Settlement, North of Perth, in order to return to their Aboriginal families.
The film follows the girls as they walk for nine weeks along 1500 miles of the Australian rabbit proof
fence to return to their community, while being tracked by a white authority figure and an Aboriginal
tracker. The film stirred a debate over the historical accuracy of the claims of the stolen generation when
many of the Aboriginal children, generally against their will, were separated from their parents by the
state and taken to residential schools.
Walkabout- the story is about a girl and her brother who became stranded in the outback after their
father drives them to a secluded part of the country and then kills himself (not before firing a few
gunshots at the children). The girl and her brother try to survive in the desert, but their future looks
bleak until an Aborigine boy appears. He is in the midst of the walkabout which is the rite of passage for
young male. Australian Aborigines that undergo a journey on their own and live in the wilderness for a
period as long as 6 months. With the help of the Aborigine boy, the girl and her brother learn to survive.
Later in the movie, he begins what must certainly be a ritual mating dance. Because the girl and
Aborigine cant communicate his dance can only shock and confuse her. Yet, while she reacts with fear, a
part of her must understand the implication of the dance for later in a flash forward to several years later
she thinks back to the time she was together with her brother and the Aborigine boy, to when they were
all naked, playing in a cool pool of water. Its a profound revelation. This movie is parable about noble
savages and the crushed spirits of city dwellers but it is also about the mystery of communication. The
movie is full of images of Outback that are both beautiful and haunting.
35. Contemporary Australia- as far as democracy an egalitarianism is concerned, Australia is a very
liberal country. It is a federation and the constitutional monarchy. The voting is compulsory which means
that all Australians are obliged to vote and if they do not they must pay a fine. The demographics of
Australia show it to be one of the most urbanized population of the world wit the majority of Australians
living in cities on the coast. Australias cities are melting pots of different cultures. The belief in the fair
go is a key part of Australian culture and Australian society. A survey released today shows 91 per cent
of people believe a fair go is important, with most listing the need for rights to welfare, housing and
indigenous reconciliation to make the country fairer. Press freedom, relative sexual freedom, equality of
rights, pay, opportunity for women