Australian Identity Speech

Given the diversity of Australia and the increase in multiculturalism, the definition of the true Australian identity has changed over time. However, I believe the two main characteristics

Australia has never had a definable national identity prescribed by institutions or politicians; rather, most of the identities are tied to folklores and models (Hogue 2005). For over 150 years during colonization, Australia was widely identified as a British nation. Additionally, the Australian residents did not have valid citizenship until 1948. Before that period, all people born within the country were regarded as British citizens and were expected to uphold their values. At one time, authors described the residents as anonymous, nothing-men, and featureless. However, Australia had always had underlying national identities

The immigration policy of Australia has been in a constant state of flux ever since Federation in 1901, when the first legislative piece, the Immigration Restriction Act, was introduced. The Immigration Restriction Act has become infamous in Australian history and throughout the world, more nefariously as the ‘White Australia Policy’. The White Australia Policy was Australia’s seemingly indestructible way of ensuring a White Australia. However, the immigration of European refugees after World War II, which aimed to defend the nation from Japanese invasion, challenged this policy. From 1901, Australia held a strong belief that coloured people, specifically Asians, were inferior and detrimental to the Australian way of life, and did all in it’s

History of Racism in Australia. A short of historical facts the exemplify the power of racist ideals in Australian the past

It is no secret that aboriginal Australian people have experienced endless racism and significant disadvantage throughout the centuries in Australia. We are often quick to recognise that some of the worst acts of discrimination in history happened in other countries, for example segregation in the U.S, the apartheid in south Africa and the holocaust in Germany, however one of the worst cultural and physical genocides happened right here in Australia, and today many of us choose to ignore the ongoing stereotypes and racial disadvantage that the first Australians faced and continue to face today. It begun with the European settlement that had a devastating impact on indigenous people and their culture, and continues to this day with entrenched

This report explores 4 key areas of the Australian Identity which includes, Traditional values and how sport affects the nation and how the passion of teams brings happiness. Stereotypes expressing that not all Australian appearances are bogans or tanned beach boys and that not the whole of Australia is covered by deserts. Diversity and Change explores how religion and culture affects the nation and how Australia has become a multiculturalist nation and supporting many religions and races but also shows how not everyone gets along with these agreements and decisions for cultures. Finally, Contradictions of how Australia really is and how the people within Australia create typecasts of how everyone acts and does in Australia.

Around the time of federation in Australia, the term 'white man's country' could be used to describe the climate within Australia to a significant extent. During this period many were occupied with the welfare of the empire (5), and the declining birth-rate at the time left many deeply concerned about the success of the new nation (5). There was also apprehension about non-white immigration, particularly Asian (5, 12), and this saw the press publishing anti-Asian immigration material (7). Furthermore, in 1901 the newly federated Australia passed two significant pieces of legislation which express the 'white man's country' sentiment clearly. Namely, the 'immigration restriction act' which essentially prevented non-Europeans from entering Australia, and the 'Pacific Islanders repatriation

I see Australia’s national identity as a facade of hastily formed stereotypes. Exclusive and outdated they breed beasts of nationalism, racism, and imitation.

The ‘white-Australian’ sovereignty was first granted by an Act of the Parliament of the UK in 1901, then was recognised as an independent dominion in 1931 (Prokhovnik, 2015). In 1948, through Commonwealth

Religious beliefs are an important aspect of many people’s lives. Results of the latest national census have revealed the religiously diverse nation that Australia has become (ABS 2017). The religious makeup of Australia has gradually changed over the past 50 years with Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam and Buddhism all increasingly common beliefs as can be seen in figure 1.

There are many diverse interpretations of ‘Australian Identity’. The national anthem, as evidenced in Stand Up, is a primarily white view of Australia and the Australian identity, with many of the lines ignoring the Indigenous people of Australia (Perkins et al, 2012). Another form of the ‘Australian Identity’ was one presented by Prime Minister Paul Keating in his Redfern Address in 1992. He proclaimed, “Australia…truly the land of the fair go”, representing the hope for an egalitarian society, where every single human has an equal opportunity at life. Yet another, shown in most songs Paul Kelly sings, but especially in this land is mine is the difference between the identity of Indigenous Australians and non-Indigenous Australians (Kelly

There are many issues in Australia, the most longstanding of all being between the communities within the country. The country has witnessed many wars and internal conflicts that can be termed as cultural wars. Notwithstanding these wars and the social disintegration, the Australian communities still lived within the same borders. There is therefore a debate on whether the same kind of political and social integration can exist despite these historical wars and also whether the racial and political divide will influence the integration process.

Attempting to define the Australian identity along cultural, ethnic or religious lines, gender, class, or ideology is impossible. “In Australia, the religious, cultural and ethnic complexity of our society is particularly diverse” (ABC, 2014). In the midst

After the landing of the First Fleet in Australia in 1788 and the establishment of the penal colony the image of Australia underwent a lot of change over time. Between the years 1830 and 1850 the image of Australia was changed to a more complimentary one. A favourable depiction of the native born currency lads, who seemed not to have inherited their father’s sins led to the image of Australia as a land of opportunity for the ex-convicts and England’s surplus population. During this time there was a major tussle between the impulse to be distinctively Australian and the lingering sense of British heritage in creating the Australian cultural identity. But they were also seen as part of a new group of transplanted, predominantly Anglo Saxon emigrant societies, with the likes of USA and Canada. Many felt that just as America had seperated from Britain, Australia would also follow suit. This is often regarded as the context from where an incipient Australian Cultural Nationalism

As greater waves of immigrants began to arrive to better their livelihood and compete for the gold claims, racism soon took hold within the economic, social and geographic arenas (McQueen: p 30). Fears of invasions of non-Europeans gave rise to discriminatory acts and many violent riots occurred within the 1800s and clear into the middle of the 20th century as well. In the 1880s, immigration control became known as “White Australian Policy” (Jupp: p 8). At this time, many extreme measures were being taken to ensure the white stronghold within Australia. A hierarchical preference for different nationalities was used as preface for entry onto Australian ground (Buchanan: p 2). Northern Europeans were preferred over Southern Europeans, and both groups were preferred to ‘colored’ immigrants (Buchanan: p 2). Hammond theorizes that there are four main reasons for these specific preferences. The