Introducing Australia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.3 Australian Culture

      Most anthropologists will agree that Australian Aboriginal people represent one of the oldest known living cultures on earth.

      Dating back tens of thousands of years before European settlement, Aboriginal people roamed the Australian landscape, living in harmony in a nomadic partnership with nature. Australian Aboriginal people are a diverse group of people, living vastly different lifestyles in each corner of the country. There are up to 700 traditional societies in Australia and over 200 languages.

      Indigenous Australians survived in harsh climatic and environmental conditions which ranged from cold temperate to hot tropical, coping with arid conditions and torrential rains. They have dwelt for many thousands of years in ways that sustained their societies while conserving resources, protecting fragile soils and leaving a light footprint on the environment.

Since 1788, the primary basis of Australian culture has been Anglo-Celtic Western culture. Distinctive Australian cultural features have also arisen from the country's natural environment and Indigenous cultures. Since the middle of the 20th century, Australian culture has been strongly influenced by American popular culture, particularly through television and cinema. Other cultural influences are from neighbouring Asian countries, and through large-scale immigration from non-English-speaking countries.

Australian visual arts are thought to have begun with the cave and bark paintings of its Indigenous peoples. The traditions of Indigenous Australians are largely transmitted orally and are tied to ceremony and the telling of the stories of the Dreamtime. From the time of European settlement, a theme in Australian art has been the Australian landscape, seen for example in the works of Albert Namatjira, Arthur Streeton and others associated with the Heidelberg School, and Arthur Boyd. The country's landscape remains sources of inspiration for Australian modernist artists; it has been depicted in acclaimed works by artists such as Sidney Nolan, Grace Cossington Smith, Fred Williams, Sydney Long, and Clifton Pugh. Australian artists influenced by the modern American and European art include cubist Grace Crowley, surrealist James Gleeson, abstract expressionist Brett Whitely, and pop artist Martin Sharp. The National Gallery of Australia and the various state galleries maintain Australian and overseas collections, from early in the 20th century until the present,

Many of Australia's performing arts companies (see Theatre of Australia and Dance in Australia) receive funding through the federal government's Australia Council. There is a symphony orchestra in each of the states' capital cities, and a national opera company, Opera Australia, which became prominent through the singer Joan Sutherland. Nellie Melba was her famous predecessor. Ballet and dance are represented by The Australian Ballet and various state dance companies. Each state has a publicly funded theatre company.

Performance of Aboriginal song and dance in the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney

The Australian cinema industry began with the 1906 release of the Story of the Kelly Gang, which is regarded as being the world's first feature-length film. The New Wave of Australian cinema in the 1970s brought provocative and successful films, some exploring the nation's colonial past, such as Picnic at Hanging Rock and Breaker Morant. Later hits included Mad Max and Gallipoli. More recent successes included Shine, Rabbit-Proof Fence, and Happy Feet. Australia's diverse landscapes and cities have served as primary locations for many other films, such as The Matrix, Peter Pan, Superman Returns, and Finding Nemo. Recent well-known Australian actors include Judith Anderson, Errol Flynn, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Heath Ledger, Geoffrey Rush, Toni Collette, Naomi Watts, and current joint director of the Sydney Theatre Company, Cate Blanchett.

Australian literature has also been influenced by the landscape; the works of writers such as Banjo Paterson, Henry Lawson, and Dorothea Mackellar captured the experience of the Australian bush. The character of colonial Australia, as represented in early literature, is popular with modern Australians. In 1973, Patrick White was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, the only Australian to have achieved this. Colleen McCullough, Thomas Keneally, David Williamson, and David Malouf are also renowned writers.

Australia has two public broadcasters (the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the multicultural Special Broadcasting Service), three commercial television networks, several pay-TV services, and numerous public, non-profit television and radio stations (see Television in Australia and Media of Australia). Each major city has daily newspapers, and there are two national daily newspapers, The Australian and The Australian Financial Review. According to Reporters without Borders in 2008, Australia was in 25th position on a list of 173 countries ranked by press freedom, behind New Zealand (7th) and the United Kingdom (23rd) but ahead of the United States (48th). This low ranking is primarily because of the limited diversity of commercial media ownership in Australia; in particular, most Australian print media are under the control of News Corporation and Fairfax Media.

Australian food traditions have been shaped by those that have settled in Australia. Throughout the majority of Australian history, Australian cuisine was based on traditional British food, brought to the country by the first British settlers. Later, in the 19th and especially 20th century, food began to reflect the influences of Mediterranean and Asian cultures, introduced by many immigrants who arrived in Australia during this period.

Cricket has been an important part of Australia's sporting culture since the 19th Century

Approximately 24% Australians over the age of 15 regularly participate in organized sporting activities in Australia. Australia has strong international teams in cricket, soccer / football, field hockey, netball, rugby league, rugby union, and performs well in cycling, rowing, and swimming. Some of Australia's most successful sportspersons are swimmers Dawn Fraser, Murray Rose, and Ian Thorpe, sprinter Betty Cuthbert, tennis players Rod Laver and Margaret Court, and cricketer Donald Bradman. Nationally, other popular sports include Australian rules football, horse racing, surfing, football (soccer), and motor racing. Australia has participated in every summer Olympic Games of the modern era, and every Commonwealth Games. Australia hosted the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne and the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, and has ranked among the top six medal-takers since 2000. Australia has also hosted the 1938, 1962, 1982, and 2006 Commonwealth Games. Other major international events held in Australia include the Grand Slam Australian Open tennis tournament, international cricket matches, and the Formula One Australian Grand Prix. The highest-rating television programs include sports coverage such as the summer Olympic Games, State of Origin, and the grand finals of the National Rugby League and Australian Football League.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.4 The Population

  Today there are about fifteen million people in Australia; most of them are of British origin.

At the end of the 18th century there were 300,000 aborigines in the country. There are now only 40,000 full aborigines and 39,000 part aborigines who live mainly in the tropical and desert areas.

Most of the estimated 22 million Australians are descended from colonial-era settlers and post-Federation immigrants from Europe, with almost 90% of the population being of European descent. For generations, the vast majority of immigrants came from the British Isles, and the people of Australia are still mainly of British or Irish ethnic origin. In the 2006 Australian census, the most commonly nominated ancestry was Australian (37.13%), followed by English (31.65%), Irish (9.08%), Scottish (7.56%), Italian (4.29%), German (4.09%), Chinese (3.37%), and Greek (1.84%). [6]

Australia's population has quadrupled since the end of World War I, spurred by an ambitious immigration program. Following World War II and through to 2000, almost 5.9 million of the total population settled in the country as new immigrants, meaning that nearly two out of every seven Australians were born overseas. Most immigrants are skilled, but the immigration quota includes categories for family members and refugees. The Federal Government estimates that cutting immigration from 280,000 to its target of 180,000 will result in a population of 36 million by 2050. In 2001, 23.1% of Australians were born overseas; the five largest immigrant groups were those from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Italy, Vietnam, and China. Following the abolition of the White Australia policy in 1973, numerous government initiatives have been established to encourage and promote racial harmony based on a policy of multiculturalism. In 2005–06, more than 131,000 people immigrated to Australia, mainly from Asia and Oceania. The migration target for 2006–07 was 144,000. The total immigration quota for 2008–09 is around 300,000—its highest level since the Immigration Department was created after World War II. The Indigenous population—mainland Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders—was counted at 410,003 (2.2% of the total population) in 2001, a significant increase from 115,953 in the 1976 census. A large number of Indigenous people are not identified in the Census due to undercount and cases where their Indigenous status is not recorded on the form; after adjusting for these factors, the ABS estimated the true figure for 2001 to be around 460,140 (2.4% of the total population). Indigenous Australians experience higher than average rates of imprisonment and unemployment, lower levels of education, and life expectancies for males and females that are 11–17 years lower than those of non-indigenous Australians. Some remote Indigenous communities have been described as having "failed state"-like conditions. In common with many other developed countries, Australia is experiencing a demographic shift towards an older population, with more retirees and fewer people of working age. In 2004, the average age of the civilian population was 38.8 years. A large number of Australians (759,849 for the period 2002–03) live outside their home country. (Appendix 3).[13]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter III   Australia in the world

3.1 Big cities and industries

There are five big cities in Australia: Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane. Each city is the capital of the state in which it is situated. Sydney has about three million inhabitants, Melbourne has about two and a half million, the other cities are much smaller.

Australia is rich in minerals, which are mined l in different parts of the country, especially in Western Australian and in the north-east of the country.

Most of the factories are concentrated in or around the big cities. They produce goods for the motor-car, machine-building, clothing and food industries. Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth are the country's main ports.

Canberra is a city of about 310,000 people located in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) approximately 200 kilometers from Sydney. Most of the people in Canberra are employed by the federal government.

Canberra is a very young city. The plans for the city were only drawn up in 1911 and construction didn't commence until 1913.

The grand design for the city was drawn up by a relatively obscure American architect named Walter Burley Griffin. The lake which is a central focus of the city today is named after him.

With its imposing buildings, broad boulevards and uncluttered streetscape (there are no billboards, in Canberra) it lacks the charm and vibrancy of more cosmopolitan cities such as Sydney and Melbourne.

While Australia is one of the most sparsely populated countries of the world, two of its cities, Sydney and Melbourne, rank among the 40 largest in the world. The density of population, though rising, is still only five persons per square mile; only Canada has a comparably low figure. However, the population is increasing more rapidly than in most Western countries. Between 1946 and 1970 immigration alone added some 2,500,000 people, and natural increase surpassed this figure.

Sydney,  «The Queen City of the South». Largest city and port of Australia, capital of New South Wales, on the Pacific Ocean, situated on the shores of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbor) and at the mouth of the Parramatta River.

The first white settlement in Australia was founded at Sydney in 1788 near what is now Circular Quay. Captain Arthur Phillip first sailed to Botany Bay, 12 mi. (19 km.) south of Sydney. However, judging this an unsuitable size for settlement, he soon moved to the better harbor at Port Jackson. Named after Lord Sydney, the British home secretary, the settlement was originally a penal colony comprising about 250 soldiers and 770 convicts who were set to work clearing land for cultivation. In 1793 the first shipload of free immigrants arrived, and shortly thereafter the introduction of merino sheep launched the highly profitable wool industry of the interior. The discovery of coal in the Hunter Valley to the north and of gold in the interior attracted more immigrants. Gradually the settlement at Sydney evolved into a modern industrial metropolis.

Sydney is the chief commercial and industrial center not only of New South Wales, hut of all Australia. Its harbor, one of the best natural harbors of the world, is protected by projecting promontories or heads. Captain Cook Graving Dock at Potts Point, the largest of three dry docks, can accommodate the largest vessels afloat. Shipping and storage operations along the 14 mi. (22, 5 km.) of commercial waterfront employ much of Sydney's labor force. There are many banks, insurance companies, and a stock exchange. The city's wool market handles much of the wool produced in New South Wales, Australia's leading wool-producing state.

Main rail lines and coastal shipping facilities connect Sydney with Brisbane, Melbourne, and other harbor cities. Several domestic airlines operate to Australian centers, and at Kingsford Smith Airport at Mascot, 5 mi. (8 km.) south; flights are scheduled to and from the major cities of the world.

Sydney's manufacturing activities are particularly notable for their wide variety. There are slaughter-houses, canneries, wool-scouring works, flour-mills, sugar refineries, tanneries, dairy plants, breweries, textile and clothing mills, saw-mills, railway workshops, oil refineries, and automobile assembly plants. Still other factories manufacture chemicals, light metal and electric products, plastics, rubber, and paper. Cockatoo Island on Port Jackson is a naval shipbuilding and repair center.

In addition to being the commercial focus of Australia and New South Wales, Sydney is a principal center of government and culture. The seat of the state government is located there, as well as several federal agencies and the consulates of many nations.

The Sydney area is famous for its sandy beaches around which several resort suburbs have grown, attracting tourists for swimming and surf-boarding. Water sports and yachting are also regular events on the bay of Port Jackson. Manly, on (he peninsula that forms North Head at the harbor entrance, has a beach on the Tasman Sea and another facing the protected waters of Port Jackson. Bondi and Coogee on the Tasman Sea, south of the heads, and Cronulla on Port Hacking, 21 mi. (34   km.)    South   of   Sydney,   are   other   popular   beach   resorts. [8]

Melbourne, second largest city of Australia and capital, largest city,  and chief port of Victoria, on the north bank of the Yarra River near its mouth on Hobson's Bay, northern arm of Port Phillip Bay. From its original nucleus around waterfalls of the Yarra, the city and its several suburbs have spread across the plain.

Melbourne comprises the city proper and numerous metropolitan suburbs (which are integral parts of the urban area), including Fitzroy, Foots Cray, Richmond, Emerald Hill, Brighton, St. Kilda, Collingwood, and Parham.

Shipping companies line the major port facilities, located in the city proper and at Port Melbourne and Williamstown, each a short distance to the southwest on Hobson's Bay. As the financial center of Victoria, Melbourne has numerous banks and insurance companies. Melbourne's rich agricultural and pastoral hinterland supplies wool, meat, dairy products, fruit, and wheat for shipment' to world ports, and wool auctions are regular features of the city's commerce. There is variety of industries found along the waterfront, on the estuary of the Yarra, and in the outlying suburbs — producing for both domestic use and export. It ranges from processing agricultural produce to manufacturing aircraft and electric appliances. The first all-Australian automobiles were manufactured in the industrial suburb of Fishermen's Bend. Among the city's light manufactures, woolens, hosiery, boots, shoes, and cigarettes are especially important.

The commercial core of Melbourne lies north of the Yarra; Flinders, Collins, Bourke, and Lonsdale streets, the major east-west thoroughfares, parallel the river. These and other streets were named after figures in Australia's history. Because of the series of large department stores along Bourke Street, it is called the "Golden Mile". Elizabeth and Swanston streets are the principal north-south thoroughfares, the latter becoming St. Kilda Road south of the Yarra. East of the business district is an area of parks encompassing sports grounds and the Botanical Gardens.

Melbourne, the cultural focus of Victoria, has long been a leading center for scientific research and has often been a base for Antarctic exploration. Among its many research institutes and societies are the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, the Royal Australian College of Surgeons, and the Australian Institute of International Affairs. The University of Melbourne, founded in 1853, is in the northern part of the city; Monash University, opened in 1961, is in a suburb to the east; La Trobe University, in the suburb of Bandore, was opened in 1967. Melbourne has a large public library, a National Gallery, a National Museum, and a Museum of Applied Science. The city supports a symphony orchestra. Performances by visiting musicians and actors from all over the world reach a peak during the annual Moomba Festival in March. The Melbourne Cup, held annually at Flemington Race Course, is Australia's leading horseracing event. In 1956 Melbourne was the site of the Olympic Games. The city was named Melbourne in 1837 in honor of Lord Melbourne, then Prime Minister of Great Britain. The discovery of gold in the highlands to the north in 1851, bringing new importance to Melbourne and its port, occasioned the formation of the state of Victoria. It was the seat of federal government from 1901 to 1927, when the government was transferred to Canberra; several government agencies and buildings still   remain   in   the city,   including a   branch of the Royal Mint.

Brisbane, capital and largest city of Queensland, located on the Pacific coast, in the southeastern corner of the state. The city lies on the estuary of the Brisbane River, 13 mi. (21 km.) from its mouth on Morton Bay. Brisbane is the leading port in Queensland and serves a large agricultural and pastoral hinterland which produces beef cattle, sheep, dairy products, wheat, sugar cane, and tropical fruits. Principal agricultural exports are wool, meat, butter, and wheat. Manufacturing industries include meat packing, sugar refining, flour milling and brewing. There are also automobile assembly plants, shipyards, engineering works, and factories for the production of building materials, paper and miscellaneous industrial goods.

The function of Brisbane as a port and marketing center is enhanced by the railway systems which extend north and south along the east coast of Australia and inland to the rich agricultural regions of south-central Queensland and the Darling Downs. The city is well served by highways and airlines. Passenger vessels as well   as cargo ships make regular stops at the port.

The Brisbane City Council administers one of the largest municipal areas in the world. It is spread over hills on both sides of the winding Brisbane River, which has been dredged to allow ships to reach port facilities in the heart of the city.

North of the river is the main business district. The principal thoroughfares are Queen and Adelaide streets. South of the commercial core, in a bend of the river, Parliament House and the Technical College stand adjacent to the Botanical Gardens. Nearby are the Public Library of Queensland and several government buildings. A museum and an art gallery are located near Victoria Park north of the business district. At St. Lucia, southwest of the city, is the University of Queensland.

The abundant sunshine and mild temperatures during the winter months have helped make Brisbane a leading Australian tourist center. Sandy beaches along Morton Bay have been developed as bathing resorts. Among the best-known are Sand gate, Wynnum, and Manly.

The site of modern Brisbane was discovered in 1824 by Lt. John Oxley, surveyor-general of New South Wales. Subsequently a penal colony with the name Edinglassie grew up on the site. The name was officially changed in 1838 to Brisbane, after the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Thomas Brisbane.

Adelaide, capital and largest city of the state of South Australia. Situated on a narrow coastal plain between the east shore of the Gulf of St. Vincent and the Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide is the trade and financial center for a rich agricultural and grazing hinterland. Wool, meat, citrus fruits, wines, olives, and vegetables are produced in the region. Much of the produce from the irrigated lands of the lower Murray River Valley is marketed through Adelaide. The Barossa Valley to the northeast is one of Australia's leading wine-producing areas.

The city is an industrial center of increasing importance, with factories for automobile assembly and the manufacture of cotton and woolen textiles, agricultural machinery, furniture, and chemicals. Other manufacturing activities include sugar refining, flour milling, and the processing of fruits and vegetables.

Port Adelaide, about 5 mi. northeast of Adelaide, is the principal port of South Australia. Railroads connect Adelaide with other target cities on the Australian continent; a narrow-gauge line runs to Alice Springs in the heart of the Northern Territory. Adelaide is served by several airlines.

The first permanent settlement in South Australia was established at Adelaide in 1836, two years after the official creation of the colony. The city was named for Queen Adelaide, wife of William IV of Great Britain.

Now it is a very attractive city, largely because of the planning done by its surveyor, William Light. The southern section of the city is occupied by the principal business district, with King William   Street   as   the broad   main   artery.   Along   the   northern margin of this area lies Northern Territory, the cultural center of South Australia. Here are the University of Adelaide (founded 1847), the Public Library of South Australia, and a museum of natural history, an art gallery, botanical gardens, and government buildings. The Torrens River flows beside the botanical gardens, separating downtown Adelaide from the main residential area to (he north. The river has been dammed to form Lake Torrens, a source of municipal water as well as a scenic asset. Glenelg, a few miles south, is a popular beach resort. Summer homes, as well as permanent residences, have been built on the slopes of the Mount Lofty Ranges, behind the city to the east.

Perth, capital and largest city of Western Australia on the Swan River estuary, 12 mi. (19 km.) northeast of its mouth at the port of Fremantle. With the port, it is the financial and trade center for a vast hinterland producing gold, wool, meat, wheat, and fruit.

Industries include food processing and the manufacture of textiles, cement, fertilizers, metal ware, and furniture. Besides the Trans-Astra Man Railway connecting Perth with the eastern states, there are rail connections with several other centers of Western Australia.

The commercial core of Perth lies north of a portion of the Swan estuary called Perth Water. A bridge and a causeway connect it with suburbs south of the estuary. Public buildings include Parliament House, Government House, a branch of the Royal Mint, and the State Library. The University of Western Australia (estab. 1911) is in the suburbs of Ned lands, southwest of the city center. Perth has an art gallery, a state museum, and such research institutes as the Royal Society of Western Australia, Australian Institute of Agricultural Science, Astronomical State Observatory, and a branch of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute.