Analysis Of Symbols Affecting Australia's Culture

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 first page depicts a pristine Australia with vivid blue sky and red earth but as the British begin their colonisation, introducing vehicles and technology into the country, the blue of the sky slowly fades as the dirty pollution takes over sucking up the colour of the land as well. The symbolism of the scientific and mathematical formulae, test tubes and plans positions the viewer to recognise that white man, in his efforts to learn about the land through experiments, is in fact destroying a land with which the natives had lived in harmony for many years. The irony of this is particularly obvious when the illustrator juxtaposes a picture of cows attached to milking machines and marked as to what cuts of meat they will become, together with branded and tagged sheep, with a picture of a barren piece of land and empty waterhole full of dead fish. Tan reinforces this irony through the use of unnatural colour on the page with the sheep and cows suggesting to us that the mass production of non-native animals for food is unnatural and is destroying the natural food sources of the land through pollution and

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.

The notion of the contemporary indigenous identity and the impact of these notions are both explored in texts that have been studied. Ivan Sen’s 2002 film ‘Beneath Clouds’ focuses on the stereotypical behaviours of Indigenous Australians highlighting Lina and Vaughn’s journey. This also signifies the status and place of the Australian identity today. Through the use of visual techniques and stereotypes the ideas that the Indigenous are uneducated, involved in crime and the stereotypical portrayal of white people are all explored. Similarly the notion of urban and rural life is represented in Kennith Slessor’s ‘William Street’ and ‘Country Towns’.

Wright’s 1945 poem, The Hawthorn Hedge, is a representation of the predatory power of the Australian landscape over those who refuse to unite with it. It details an unspecific persona’s attempts to establish security by planting a hawthorn hedge, separating her from a harsh, imagined landscape. The specificity of “the hawthorn hedge” reveals that this is introduced British species. As the hawthorn hedge is traditionally used as a natural fence, this clarifies that the persona is attempting to block out the landscape around her. Secondly, the fact that the hawthorn hedge is a British species suggests that the persona is also attempting to establish a reminder of her homeland, Britain. A tenet of Wright’s poetry is the strength of the true Australia and the concept of Australia’s break-away from Britain, exemplified in

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.

Australian landscapes have long been used to place fear and anxiety in the Anglo-Australian’s psyche. This anxiety and the requirement for Indigenous peoples to negotiate white ideals is reflected in current Australian literature and cinematic identities. This essay will discuss the critical arguments of what makes the chosen texts Australian literature. This discussion will be restricted to the critiques of the film Lantana directed by Ray Lawrence and the novel Biten’ Back written by Vivienne Cleven. The will firstly look at the use of landscape as a crime scene and how this links to the anxieties caused by the doctrine of terra nullius and the perceived threats from an introduced species. It will then look at the Australian fear of a different ‘other’ followed then by a discussion around masculinity and the need for Indigenous people to negotiate white ideals. The essay will argue that Australian literature and film reflect a nation that still has anxieties about the true sovereignty of the land and assert that Indigenous people have a requirement to fit in with white ideals.

Today I’m going to show you a new representation of the Australian flag that embodies our rich history, diverse culture and national pride for Australian’s of all ages. To understand features and the profound significance of this new flag it is vital to explore the use of symbols and icons, the colour choices and positioning and the salient cultural and historical importance. It would be an outrage to ignore the deep symbolism and icons of Australia historical culture. Australia is an extremely multicultural and diverse country and for some people it’s a permanent place where different cultures come together. Symbols and icons are very significant in a flag to show what your country represents, I've recognised the aborigines for their ownership of our land.

The colours gold and green represent wealth and nature. gold represents how Australia is an opportunity for middle class British to raise to a financial higher class in society. green represents how Australia is a fresh country, untouched by harsh factories and other affects of the industrial era. to many British who had only known cramped urban living for their lives, the fresh air and open fields of Australia became very

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.

Petropoulos et al, (2015) state that ecosystems depend on a balance of each of its biotic factors such as wildlife and abiotic factors to exist and Australian outback ecosystems are no exception. For this reason, amongst others, conservation programs are run which work to protect some vulnerable and many endangered species of wildlife in Australia (Clayton et al,. 2014). Clayton et al, (2014) describe that some conservation programs work on conserving a species’ environment such as protecting surrounding plants and trees from deforestation while others work on illegalising

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

the reader a clear picture of the magnificence of Australia’s colours, from the sapphire mountains,

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

How has the work of Fred Williams changed the view of the Australian landscape in the painting Burnt Ferns, 1969? Compare Williams Burnt Ferns, 1969 to an Australian European landscape painting and a traditional indigenous painting of “Country”