Essay about Kangaroo, an Australian Icon

The concept of the “Australian legend” is an idea that has been altered many times throughout history, however the common conception of this interpretation has remained the same. This perception of a typical Australian legend is of someone who is extremely strong, independent and very capable in a natural outdoor environment such as the bush or outback. Many different sources display this idea and include the same or related characteristics. Russel Ward, author of “The Australian Legend”, focuses on an examination of the development of the "Australian character" and it’s influence on Australian culture. This was very significant in creating and supporting this idea. Crocodile Dundee, a famous Australian movie, references many aspects of what

Australian people and culture are often stereotyped in the media in different forms, one of them being film. The two films being examined, ‘Red dog’ (2011) and the ‘Sapphires’ (2012), are an example of the Australian identity but from different points of view. ‘Red dog’ shows the kind and positive side which exemplifies mateship and loyalty. The film ‘Sapphires’ ,which takes place in the 1950’s through to the 1960’s, shows a negative and racist view towards the indigenous people. Both the films show different aspects of the Australian identity, not all insights of the films accurately represent contemporary Australian identity as the Australian identity has changed by the evolution of people and their lifestyle.

The Australian flag was chosen in 1901, when a competition was held to design our country's flag. The guidelines of this competition included that the Union Jack and Southern Cross should appear on the flag. However, I believe that in the year 2001, the Australian flag needs to be changed. During the course of this essay, I will show that the Australian flag does not represent all Australians, in particular, Aboriginal Australians and that the symbols on our flag are no longer relevant and are not unique to Australia. I will also show that the present flag is not instantly recognisable and is too similar to flags of other countries.

The characters in the film are how Australians really are. The characters are examples of stereotypical Australians. The men are tough, big and buff, they are hard working beer-drinking men. When the workers are not working they are usually at the pub. It’s a small community where everyone knows each other and it’s like a family. They have good humour and can insult each other without taking real offence. They reflect the attitude of Australians in their way of language and how they say things. They use colloquial language, slang and joke around with each other. Many Australians do this today also. They are a multicultural society, which is exactly what Australia is. People from all around the world are characters in this movie. They also drink lots of beer, appear rough and are dirty and grimy. One of the characters, Peeto, has a feminine side, which is ironic because he is portrayed as a rough manly man. The clothes that the men wear are singlets, short shorts and boots. The women wear dresses. They wear clothes that keep them cool, giving the viewers an understanding that the weather in Australia is harsh, dry and

Australia has only been here for little over 200 years whereas other countries have a lot of history with solid identities. Australian art is an important factor that helps to create its identity because its artists are passionate about the unique aspects and symbols of Australia and they incorporate them into their works to really show what they think Australia is.

The Australian flag whilst not having any direct symbols of the original indiginous owners, The Australian flag depicts a multi cultural country. However changing the flag would lose recognition of many other races for years to come which we cant afford as a country. There has been tremendus support fot the current flag which is used on a wide variety of public uses such as hand wavers on anzac day and lapel pins.

Current Prime Minister of Australia, Malcolm Turnbull says, “Our national identity is defined by a common commitment to Australian civic values of democracy, the rule of law, respect for the rights of individual men and women, a healthy scepticism for authority and a deep intuitive sense of a fair go.” With the recent rise of motion picture, Australian film creators have implemented in stereotypes that convey national identity in the quest to answer, “What does it mean to be Australian?”

Recent add campaign would have us believe it is our….. But most dinky di true blue Aussie would tell you …… Qualities such as mateship, loyalty, larrikinism, hard work, pride and bravery are all traits that are paramount to the Australian Identity. These traits have been prominently represented across a number of mediums such as film, poetry and advertising.

My first argument for today is about how the Australian flag represents Australia. The Australian national flag has served Australia well over a hundred years as the chief national symbol by law, custom and tradition. The Australian flag displays a variety of symbols which

Aboriginals or indigenous Australians are the native people of Australia. Aboriginals were nomadic people who came to Australia about 40,000 – 60,000 years ago from Southeast Asia. Religion is a great part of Aboriginal culture. The essay answers these questions: What do Aboriginals belief? What is a Kinship system? What is Dreaming and Dreamtime? What rituals does Aboriginals have?

A series of significant events in Australian history leading up to Federation in 1901 brought both positive and negative changes. The two sides of this arch contrast the successes and failures involved in making the nation of Australia. A collage showing scenes of racism towards the Chinese immigrants and the poor treatment of the South Sea Islanders covers the back of the arch. The front of the arch is a formal design, displaying a influential figure that helped shape the nation and also the emblems of six colonies before federation took place.

Among the many different marsupials in the world, there is one that stands out and is recognized, not only for its looks, but also for the hardships that it deals with in being a koala. The koala originated in Australia, and was discovered by trappers around the time of 1798. Many rare and exotic animals have been found in Australia, because of its remoteness and isolation from most of the civilized world. Australia has been described as a huge ark, a giant lifeboat, cut off from contact with the rest of the world and carrying with it a group of unique creatures (Serventy 1975). The creatures that inhabit Australia are made up of many different classifications of animal groups that have found themselves all living

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

Dingoes produced 1946-47 comprised of five sculptural dingo figures; the installation symbolizes a scene of experiences and behavioural conduct of the Australian dingo. Beginning, with an obviously female dingo and her tiny pups, the installation finishes with a dingo caught in the wedge of a chain-link fence and another lying dead in a painful trap set out by the British settlers. The colours on the dingoes appear in lines each being a different shade of brown emphasising the traditional style of Aboriginal finger painting. The repetition of the dingo through its life cycle during the 1980’s creates a dominant perspective of how they lived and how they were treated, also symbolising the treatment Aboriginal people. The laying of the various traps authorises a mind-set that identifies the dingoes as pests, as they presented a problem for the British settlers farmland and livestock. Conveying that their

A key component of Australian culture today is not only their diversity, but more importantly, the