Australia is represented in many ways through different texts. The way that Australia has been represent is through the Australian experiences which include the nature that surrounds us, being fun people but also hard working and being a multicultural environment.
The text “Straya” written by Terry Mann was created for Australia day 2015 to represent what Australia is has to offer this was created as a parody song to OutKast’s 2004 hit Hey Ya. Mann uses a lot of images of the nature that is located in this country these include native fauna and flora as well as the vast open spaces. In the parody song the lyrics are:
“My country don’t share no borders
‘Cos of all the waters that surround our sand
Thank god for our resources,
‘Cos they are the sources of our wealthy land”
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As a 16 female in Australia I conform to this idea of Australia having beautiful wildlife and nature as from a young age I was shown these vast open lands, the animals and the nature. I have also been traveling around Europe and have seen that most of their icons are in the city. Mann points out that one of Australia’s landmarks is Uluru “But have you got a rock where there is nothing at all” this illustrates that we are proud of these vast open spaces and we don’t have to build big building like the Eiffel tower in Paris or the Empire State building in New York which are shown while this line is being played, this to show what we as a country are proud
Through the use of poetic devices, the author has successfully encouraged the audience to explore their thoughts on Australian identity and to reflect on our nation’s history.
The identity of Australia as a place comes from both its physical features and the atmosphere, which is often created by its physical appearance. Three artists who have depicted the Australian landscape in different styles are Arthur Streeton, John Olsen and Sally Morgan. Streeton’s works are in a realistic but lively style typical of the Heidelberg school. He was intent on recreating the light and warmth of the land. Olsen and Morgan’s works, on the other hand, offer more abstract interpretations of the land. During the 1960s and 1970s, Olsen captured the essence and the energy of the landscape with his bold and bright brushwork whilst Morgan’s work from the 1980s portrays Australia from an indigenous perspective, which she achieves through her use of Aboriginal symbolism and cultural imagery.
The second song I studied was True Blue by John Williamson (1981) and I noticed that it is highlighting the nationalism feeling, the Australian costume of spend their free time in family and the Australian companionship. Relating to the song as a piece of music, I can say after listening it this is one of my favourite Australian songs, even though is quite slow for me. The images in the video are lovely, insomuch they show how in Australia children live full of happiness, your friends are there when you need them, there are lots of associations and how Australian people is hardworking and loyal.
Australia’s identity has always been a complicated one. Starting with Aboriginal genocide, 1800’s cowboys and villains, two world wars and a bunch of poems describing them, it makes it difficult to conclude on what being an ‘Aussie’ really is. Thankfully, the two thought-provoking poems Nobody Calls Me a Wog Anymore by Komninos Zervos, and My Country by Dorothea Mackellar both use their discerning selection of themes to reflect modern attitudes in some extent. Along with their themes, Nobody Calls Me a Wog Anymore and My Country both use their story to capture the attributes modern Australians possess to some degree.
Australia... land of the sun, beaches and kangaroo’s, known for being a free and multicultural country accepting you, no matter whom you are... or so we thought. Kevin Gilbert’s insightful poem ‘The New True Anthem’ tries to uncover the faults hidden under Australia’s picturesque surface. It depicts an Aboriginals’ view of Australia, comparing images of Australia to the harsh reality that the author feels is happening in this country. The destruction of the environment and the poor treatment of Aboriginal people are common themes that can be seen throughout the poem which contrast ideas about Australia such as natural beauty and freedom.
The Australian setting in TWTWB appeals to many Australian teens because its where we are from. Wirrawee is a fictional rural town in New South Whales. Its a tight knit community with a farming culture. When Ellie and the gang go to hell for the first time they come across and notice the rocky, wild Australian landscape. “Hell is what’s on the other side of Tailor’s, a cauldron of boulders and trees and blackberries and feral dogs and wombats and undergrowth.” Australia is known for its wild bush growth, feral animals and amazing landscapes. Australian teens can relate to this because its a landscape we have all seen and lived among. We are from Australia and we have a better understanding and feel of the atmosphere the characters face, compared to another teenager who doesn’t live in Australia. John Marsden has made TWTWB
Did you know Australia use to be a big prison? Australia is the 6th largest continent. Australia is the only continent covered by a single country. In Australia there are more kangaroo’s than people. A person in Australia hasn’t died from a spider bite since 1987. The top ten deadliest snakes live in Australia. There are over 200 different languages which are spoken in Australia. This includes 45 languages, as well non-English languages like Greek, Italian, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Mandarin, and Arabic. A desert area known as the outback covers much of the land.
The land has a lot to do with Australia, the way that its identity may have developed might be through its isolation and our slow understanding and respect for it. Landscape pieces by other artists at this time depict the land in a much different light than Nolan. Lawson’s ‘The Drover’s Wife’ has a woman dressed in dull clothing, standing alone, highlighting her isolation in the Australian outback. Whereas Preston’s abstract landscape ‘Flying Over The Shoalhaven River’ depicts the land to be an inviting and welcoming place.
Australia is one of the worst countries for having pointless and prefabricated ideas of "Aussiness" that basically has no real relation to our true ‘culture’ or the way in which we really see ourselves. We, however, reach for these stereotypes when trying to find some expression of our Australian identity. However, sometimes these representations and ideas of national identity have not depicted the way the rest of the nation sees it. Deep inside the ‘reality’ of texts today background shows another side that can be often overlooked. These can be found the film, Red Dog. And the movie, The Castle. in the book, Harp in the South.
Australia has always been centered around diversity and change, specifically with the vast multiculturalism and migrant culture throughout the nation. The specifics of Identity hold an important role in shaping our identity as students and as a nation. Australians pride themselves on being a land of the free and full of diverse culture. This is specifically referred to in our national Anthem; “For those who've come across the seas, We've boundless plains to share; With courage let us all combine,”(McCormick, 1984). Displaying Australia’s open attitude towards immigrants and contributes to the diversity present within our society today. Even before this, much of Australia’s Identity was associated with caucasian culture (Originating from British Settlers). Which is the dominant perception of Australia through the media with australian representation being present through the stereotypes of Bogans, which was made popular through shows like Kath and Kim (ABC, 2007). Also, represented through the popular depiction of Australian people - the bushman made popular by movies like Crocodile Dundee (Faiman, 1986) and through famous real life bushman; Steve Irwin. An important aspect of Australian identity which is consistently neglected is the culture and representation of the initial owners of the land; the aboriginal people. Throughout history the constant mistreatment and neglect of the indigenous, has lead to a massive gap in privilege between the aboriginal people and our
A key component of Australian culture today is not only their diversity, but more importantly, the
In 1984, Peter McCormick’s “Advance Australia Fair” officially became Australia’s national anthem. A song we proudly sing both on Anzac Day and Australia Day, with our hand’s on our heart. Should we be proud to sing a song about absolute lies? “Australians all let us rejoice, For we are young and free”, it took aboriginals over 60 years to be recognized as human beings, let alone Australians, they were anything but free. “For those who’ve come across the seas, we’ve boundless plains to share”, that whole sentence is a lie, we have stopped the boats, we don't want to share our boundless plains. We lock up our immigrants in Detention Centers, replicating that of cages. All of us here are living a free life and a safe life and for the majority of us, it is our reality and has been since the day we were born. I’m
Australia is filled with many different aspects in which makes it the country it is today. I believe it is important to study texts that explore aspects of Australia by studying texts such as ‘The Club’, by David Williamson, a play written in 1977 about an Australian football club and movies such as “The Castle”, directed by Rob Stitch in 1997, about the daily life of an Australian family when their happiness is threatened when developers attempt to buy their house to expand the neighboring airport. Both these texts show us what Australian life was like in the past. By us looking at themes such as language, tradition and the mateship shown we are able to explore different aspects of Australia that make it what it is today.
Mateship. Adventurous. Loyal. Free. Proud. These are the typical words Australians use to describe themselves, to identify themselves as different from the rest of the world. But who is an Australian? Someone that was born in Australia? Only people we choose to call Australian? People with great achievements that we choose to take credit for? Only people that love sport and vegemite? Or maybe only people with ‘Aussie’ accents? The Australian population is a proud one indeed, proud of their nation, their achievements and their own independent way of life, but sometimes us Aussies, forget about the rest of the world and all those other people that make us, who we are.
An Australian Icon is defined as “an image or symbolic representation, which often holds great significance and importance to the Australian culture.” Every country has icons that represent their culture and values; Nelson Mandela is an example of a South African icon but also an icon of the world, who represented statesmanship, courage, freedom and equality against apartheid. Australia also has many significant icons such as the Sydney Opera House, Uluru, vegemite, Ned Kelly, and the Koala to name a few. These have all played significant parts in Australia’s background, culture and values.