Australians love prawns, an ideal seafood. What people in other countries call a shrimp is a prawn in sunny Australia. Another issue is a lobster. To Australians this delicacy is a crayfish. A young girl in Australia is called a "Sheila". But dancing with a young girl is not "Waltzing Matilda". During the Depression a "Swagman" would carry his belongings in a bag, called "Matilda", over his shoulder on a stick, as he made his way across the land seeking employment. This was called "Waltzing Matilda". This is the essence of Australian Culture.
AUSTRALIAN CULTURE
STRINE
Though Australia is a Western country, things are different than in New York or London. Barbecues and going to the beach are important aspects of life. Australians pride themselves on having an equitable society, where everyone "gets a fair go". The majority of Australians live in cities along the coast, but cultural values originating in the outback are important to them. They look with affection to life as it was two hundred years ago when life was hard and a person's character was judged by his actions. Aboriginal culture is important to Australians. They have been on this continent for 50,000 years. Their "laid back" attitude to life has infused present day Australian culture. Possibly the "she'll be right mate" attitude of Australians came from them.
SPORT
Tysaustralia
IMMIGRATION
This country prides itself on having a multicultural society where people from many countries can express their culture while adopting the more widely held values. Consequently, many lifestyles and cuisines can be enjoyed. A quarter of Australians are born overseas. Post War immigrants came from Europe. Today, most immigrants come from China and to a lesser extent Africa. Just over 2 percent of the population is Aboriginal.
Facets of Australian culture are strine and sport.
High achievers become famous Australians.
Australia's Cultural Development
After Captain Cook "discovered" Australia it became a colony of Britain. Soon after people were brought here to settle, however, Australia became a destination for convicts, i.e., petty criminals from the UK. By the late 19th century more than half the population were convicts or freed convicts. One in five Australians living today have a convict ancestor. Rum was used as currency in the early days. People preferred to drink rum and beer rather than tea. The first police force formed was made up of ex-convicts. Gold was found all across Australia. Migrants came to dig the gold from European countries, other British colonies and the US. There was a large influx of Chinese who returned home en mass when the easy gold became scarce.
Australian culture has high regard for famous australians.
When partaking in sport Australians speak strine.
AUSTRALIAN BEHAVIOR
Charles Kingsford-Smith is a famous Austallian.
A tinny is a beer in Aussie strine, a thing to know in Australian culture.
Sport is rated highly in the culture.
Many famous Australians live overseas.
Strine is an expression of Australian culture.
Families enjoy Australian sport.
A brumbie according to Australian strine is a wild horse.
Ned Kelly is an infamous Australian.
Famous australians are held in high esteem in this culture.
In strine tucker means food, which is important in Australian culture.
Visit Australian museums.
Take in Australians museums.
Australians who take a day off work have a sickie, in strine.
Phar lap was a famous Australian horse.
Experience Australian museums.
As mad as a cut snake is to get upset, very angry, in strine.
In Australian culture ordinary Australians want to be famous.
Australian slang has developed into strine, the unique language of Australian culture.
Australian sport is popular.
Of all Australians Don Bradman is the most famous.
Famous Australians receive the Order of Australia medal.
Clobber in Aussie strine means the clothes you wear.
Weekends means Australian sport.
See a description of famous Australians in their culture.
In strine a battler means a hard worker, the mainstay of Australian culture.
Mathrew Flinders was a famous cartographer.
Everyone likes Australian sport.
In strine a bludger is one who gets something for nothing.
Illegal Opening of Sydney Harbour Bridge
Francis De Groot cut the ribbon on the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge on horseback with a sword before it was performed by John T. Lang.
Secret Ballot 1855 was the year when the secret ballot was introduced, important for Australian culture.
ART GALLERIES
Sir John Robertson, five times premier of New South Wales, drank a pint of rum every morning for 35 years.
It was illegal to swim on Australian beaches until 1902.
AUSTRALIAN RECORDS AND FACTS
In the World
Australia is the most urbanized country on Earth with 70 percent of the population living in coastal cities.
Australians gamble more per head than anywhere else, having a fifth of the world's poker machines.
Though mining is an important export industry, more Australian land is used for pubs than mining.
Australia is the 6th largest country in the world after Russia, Canada, China, the United States and Brazil.
Australia is the driest inhabited country.
The mainland of Australia is the world's largest island.
Of all continents, Australia is the smallest.
Population 6.4 per square mile after Mogolia 4.3.
Australia is the world's largest exporter of Aluminium (bauxite), Black Coal, Diamonds (gem plus industrial) , Lead, Mineral Sands, Refined Zinc, Sheep and Wool.
Barrier Reef is the longest and largest reef in the world.
Within Australia
Lake Eyre SA has lowest rainfall and is lowest region.
Tully in Queensland has the highest rainfall in a year at 4400mm.
The town with the lowest night temperature is Canberra, with Charlotte Pass having the lowest recorded temperature.
Canberra is the foggiest capital.
Tasmania is the largest island in Australia.
The highest peak on the Australian mainland is Mount Kosciusko NSW at 2230 meters.
Cloncurry in Queenland recorded the hottest temperature in Australia 53 degrees C.
Australia's largest is Lake Eyre, 9500 square kms.
Lake St Clair is the deepest in Australia.
The longest river in Australia is the Murray River 2520kms long.
The world's longest fence built to stop dingoes is twice as long as the Great Wall of China.
Melbourne stonemasons gained the world's first 8 hour day in 1856.
Australian Men live to 75 years on average, women 84 years.
During a lifetime an Australian will eat 165,000 eggs.
Australians eat 18 cows and 90 sheep in a lifetime.
Eight tonnes of fruit is eaten by the average Australian.
Australians eat half a tonne of cheese.
Over a lifetime an Australia eats ten tonnes of vegetables.
The largest tram network runs in Melbourne and it is also the world's last publicly operated tram system.
To fit into this culture an understanding of Australian strine is encouraged.
Aboriginals such as Evonne Goolagong are Famous Australians.
Megafauna. Aboriginals came to Australia about 50 thousand years ago. Anthropologists call Aboriginals gracile. Megafauna like large wombats, rhino, flightless birds, lizards and meat eating kangaroos lived alongside Aboriginals before becoming extint 20-30 thousand years ago. A theory holds that Aboriginals killed off megafauna because megafauna and human bones were found together. Tasmanian Aboriginals had a different origin than mainland Aboriginals. They could not start fire but fought over access to it. Aboriginals 40,000 years ago lived alongside Marree Man, a man-like bearded creature that walked upight.
Meet the Author - Dianne Woolfer - Greenmount, Western Australia Dianne Woolfer's book Lighthouse Girl brings to life the hardships of those left at home during the war - waiting, wondering, hoping. Author : editor@culture.gov.au (Editor) Publ.Date : Wed, 05 May 2010 12:00:00 +1000
State Library of NSW purchase of John Septimus RoeĀ letters The State Library of NSW recently purchased 201 personal letters of celebrated surveyor John Septimus Roe (1797-1878). Septimus Roe (1797-1878) was Phillip Parker Kingās right-hand man on four major voyages from 1817 to 1823. Author : editor@culture.gov.au (Editor) Publ.Date : Wed, 05 May 2010 12:00:00 +1000
Australian Ballet, Coppelia - Sydney and Melbourne This delightful ballet tells the story of Dr. Coppelius, a toy maker and magician, who attempts to bring to life his beautiful doll, Coppelia. Author : editor@culture.gov.au (Editor) Publ.Date : Tue, 25 May 2010 09:00:00 +1000
SamĀ Leach wins Wynne Prize for work based on Dutch landscape Sam Leach is the recipient of this year's $25,000 Wynne Prize for 'the best landscape painting of Australian scenery in oils or watercolours.' Author : editor@culture.gov.au (Editor) Publ.Date : Wed, 05 May 2010 12:00:00 +1000
Sydney's MCA to showcase new national centre worth $53 million AĀ $53 million upgradeĀ of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) is being jointly funded by the Australian ($13 million) and NSW ($13 million) governments, with the balance coming from the museum itself and private donors. Author : editor@culture.gov.au (Editor) Publ.Date : Wed, 05 May 2010 12:00:00 +1000
Design Institute of Australia Design Hall of Fame 2009 inductees The Design Institute of Australia inducted six new notable designers as members of the DIA Hall of Fame for 2009 on Friday April 23. Author : editor@culture.gov.au (Editor) Publ.Date : Wed, 05 May 2010 12:00:00 +1000
Australian Netherlands Committee on Old Dutch Shipwrecks (ANCODS) ANCODS was set upĀ as a bilateral agreement in 1972 to document the wrecks of Dutch East India Company (VOC) ships off Western Australia and the close connections with the Netherlands, since the Duyfken arrived under Captain Janszoon in 1606. Author : editor@culture.gov.au (Editor) Publ.Date : Wed, 05 May 2010 12:00:00 +1000
Wolfgang Sievers: photographer - Canberra Sievers' strikingly composed images, with dramatic contrasts between light and dark, documented and promoted Australia's emerging modernity. Author : editor@culture.gov.au (Editor) Publ.Date : Wed, 05 May 2010 12:00:00 +1000
Finalists announced for NSW Parliament Plein Air Painting Prize The NSW Parliament Plein Air Painting Prize is an acquisitive art prize of $20,000, awarded for the best āplein airā painting of NSW subject by an Australian artist. Author : editor@culture.gov.au (Editor) Publ.Date : Wed, 05 May 2010 12:00:00 +1000
Fremantle Arts Centre Print Award 2010 Any print or artistās book made in the past two years is eligible to enter the Fremantle Arts Centre Print Award Author : editor@culture.gov.au (Editor) Publ.Date : Wed, 05 May 2010 12:00:00 +1000