3. The First Australians
-The first known people of
Australia were the
Aborigines. Australian
Aboriginal culture is the
oldest living culture in the
world. It dates as far back as
40,000 years.
-Europeans started exploring
Australia in the 16th Century.
-In 1770, Captain James
Cook claimed the continent
for the British and named it
New South Wales.
htttp://www.australianhistory.org/first-australians-
2011/AustralianHistory.org
4. The British are Coming
-In 1779, Joseph Banks suggested
that Britain use the newly claimed
continent to solve its overcrowded
prisons problem.
-In 1787, the First Fleet set sail,
comprising 11 ships, 1500 people-
half of which were convicts.
-The fleet arrived in Sydney Harbor
on January 26, 1788.
-This day is celebrated as Australian
Day.
http://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au/en/Living-in-
Australia/AustralianHistory -2011
5. A Country is Born
-Approximately 160,000 men and women were brought
to Australia as convicts from 1788 until 1868.
-The discovery of gold in the 1850’s permanently
changed the colony with an influx of free settlers.
-The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901
through the federation of six states under one
constitution.
http:/ /www.dfat.gov.au/aib/history/ - June 2008
6.
7. Australia has both native and European holidays.
Examples of national Australian holidays:
– Australian Day – January 26
– ANZAC Day – April 25
– Queens Birthday – June 8
– Boxing Day – December 26
– New Years Day – January 1
– Good Friday – Friday after Easter
– Easter Monday – Day After Easter Sunday
– Christmas Day – December 25
Lets focus on the holiday Australian Day.
8. What is Australia Day?
• It is the biggest celebration in the country. It’s the anniversary of
the arrival of the First Fleet of 11 convict ships from Great Britain,
and the raising of the Union Jack at Sydney Cove by its commander
Captain Arthur Phillip, in 1788.
• Today Australia Day celebrations reflect contemporary Australia. It
also is an opportunity to reflect on the nation's history, and to
consider how to make Australia a better place in future. It has
become a community day.
9. How Is It Celebrated?
• Formal ceremonies - flag • The modern population
raising, citizenship should incorporate the
ceremonies and the culture of the indeginous
presentation of important people in their
community awards ceremonies. Doing so
allows the wider
• Theatrical performances, community to share in
music, sporting events, the native culture, and
speech days, multicultural promote a stronger sense
and native performances of shared nationhood.
This is an example of the
communication concept
‘Adapting to others’.
10.
11. Aboriginal Gender roles in Australia
• Aboriginal people have specific roles for women and
men but have interdependent relationships as well.
• Men were the hunters of large animals the families main
protein.
• Women were the principle food gathers of vegetables,
fruits, small insects.
• “The interdependent roles Aboriginal men and women
shared are: healers, law makers, performers, painters
and making sure that their traditions are maintained and
passed on to future generations” (Aboriginal Culture,
p.1).
12. Gender Roles Today
• Men are in a higher economic status and play
a bigger role in politics then women.
• “Women were seen as caregivers,
homemakers and held jobs as teachers and in
nursing. But affirmative action policies since
the late 1970’s has been directed toward
promoting gender equality in all spheres”
(Culture of Australia, p.1).
13. Gender Roles Today cont..
• Women only earned the right to vote in 1901.
• “In 1955, 20% of women were represented in
local, state, and federal government” (Culture
of Australia, p.1).
• Women are known to participate more in
religious activities but the majority religious
leaders are male.
14. Marriage and Family
• Marriage is only allowed between heterosexuals and
occurs by a civil service or religious ceremony. The
ceremony is conducted by a registered official.
• Divorce had been available since 1975, it requires a
one year separation period and has a 40% rate in first
marriages (Culture of Australia p.1).
• “Family is decided upon the domestic unit, primarily
the couple, then couples with children, then one-
parent families.” The extended family is important
support for most families. Blended families are
becoming more common (Culture of Australia, p.1).
16. • During the christmas holidays families celebrate
with relays in swimming pools, water gun fights,
or backyard cricket. Father Christmas/Santa Claus
Christmas Holiday rituals is usually pictured in a swimming costume and a
cool drink is left out for him by children at night.
School is let out a week prior to Christmas for
summer break and resumes after Australia Day
on January 26
• Homes are not decorated as heavily as in some
cultures but there are two traditional native
plants used for the occasion: The NSW Christmas
bush and Christmas bells.
• Meals include hot turkey, Christmas pudding,
seafood, cold turkey and ham for salads,
Panforte and panettone (Christmas cake), mince
pies, ice cream
.(www.geocities.com/athens/olympus/8559/aust
xmas.htm)
("Australian traditions," )
("Paul eckersley
illustration:," )
17. • Australia has a rich sporting culture . They are
renowned world wide for their cricket.
Rituals in sports • In cricket , in the first session of each test, it is
a ritual for the Australian players to wear their
baggy green caps; this is a gesture of solidarity
and a salute of their heritage.
• At the end of a victorious series, players
gather (in the middle of the field) to sing their
theme song Underneath the Southern Cross.
• This rituals are important for their sports
because are an important ingredient in
developing the public image of a sport, and
providing the participants at all the various
levels with a common bond.
• For cricket it is very important that many of
the great traditions of the game are
maintained. It provides a sense of order, and
when difficult times are encountered by any
sport there is a tangible support element for
the players and the game itself to look up to.
("The importance of," )
Flaherty
18. • Funeral ceremonies. Another important
time for ceremonies is on the death of a
Funeral Rituals performed person, when people often paint
by Aborigines themselves white, cut their own bodies
to show their remorse for the loss of
their loved one, and conduct a series of
rituals, songs and dances to ensure the
person’s spirit leaves the area and
returns to its birth place, from where it
can later be reborn.
• Burial practices vary throughout
Australia, people being buried in parts
of southern and central Australia, but
having quite a different burial in the
north. Across much of northern
Australia, a person’s burial has two
stages, each accompanied by ritual and
ceremony.
20. Folklore
Prior to European invasion, Examples are
Aboriginal people lived all Dinewan the Emu,
and Goomblegubbon
through out Australia during the Bustard
a period of time called the The Galah, and Oolah
the Lizard
Dreamtime. The Bahloo the Moon and
the Daens
dreamtime is full of various
myths and stories that are
widely spread all through
out the Australian culture.
These stories a re mainly
about how the Earth, Sun
and all creation came to be.
21. Clothing
In the workforce Australians
tend to dress light because of
the constant heat. Long
socks, tailored shorts, and a
light shirts. In the city and
workplace areas people tend
to dress formal and casual in
their spare time as well as on
weekends.
Children wear uniforms and The famous
sunscreen year round. Sun UGG made
initially for
tans are looked upon as the
foolishness since Australia Australian
has the highest rate for skin deserts and
cancer. hot beaches
22. Food
Vegemite
Australia is A yeast extract and
salt spread
abundant in
seafood, Meat Pie
meats, as well Made from beef
as fruits and pork, or lamb.
vegetables. Pavlova
However the Made of soft
meringue, cream
most famous
filling and fruit
meals are:
Lamington
Sponge cake coated
with chocolate and
coconut
24. Language
George Bernard Shaw once wrote:
“England and America are two countries
separated by a common language”
and the same can certainly be said of America
and Australia.
Australia has its own distinct accent that
while similar to the British accent is very unique.
Press PLAY for a quick primer on the
Australian accent
25. TV
Although originally a British colony, the most of the highest rated programs in the
metropolitan centers do not come from the BBC but mostly from the US along with a
few Australian produced programs.
“60 minutes” and “7 news” are consistently among the top 15 highest rated programs
in the nation with rugby and football games topping the ratings whenever they are
played.
26. Music
The popular Australian music charts mirror the American music charts with many of
the same songs and artists.
You can see in the music chart below from the week ending 11/14/11 that almost
all of the top perfomers are from the US.
27. References
Public holidays and school terms. (n.d) retrieved November 10,2011, from Australian Government Web Site:
http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/our-country/public-holidays-and-school-terms#NationalPublicHolidays
Australia day. (n.d) retrieved November 8, 2011, from http://www.australiaday.org.au/experience/page31.asp
Indigenous Australia. (n.d) retrieved November 9, 2011, from Australia Day Web Site:
http://www.australiaday.org.au/experience/page103.asp
"Culture of Australia - History, People, Clothing, Traditions, Women, Beliefs, Food, Customs, Family." Countries
and Their Cultures. Web. 29 Oct. 2011. http://www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/Australia.html
"Aboriginal Culture." Emergency Medicine - Medical Students - Resources. Web. 29 Oct. 2011.
http://emedsa.org.au/PsychoSocial/EthnicIssues/Culture/Aboriginal.html
Australian traditions. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://fits.depauw.edu/mkfinney/culturaleresumes/australia/trads.htm
Flaherty, C. (n.d.). First blood to the poms as fans hijack ashes tickets - cricket - sport. Retrieved from
http://www.theage.com.au/news/cricket/english-fans-hijack-ashes-tickets/2006/06/01/1148956482844.html
The importance of rituals. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.hindu.com/tss/tss2445/24450340.htm
Paul eckersley illustration: Father christmas. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.pauleckersley.co.uk/fatherchristmas.html
28. McFinney. (2001, 26 January). Australian Traditions.fits.depauw.edu. Retrieved November 13, 2011, from
http://fits.depauw.edu/mkfinney/culturaleresumes/australia/trads.htm.
Langloh Parker, K. (n.d.). Australian Legendary Tales. Sacred-texts.com. Retrieved on November 13, 2011, from
http://www.sacred-texts.com/aus/alt/index.htm.
All images are from google Images
htttp://www.australianhistory.org/first-australians-2011/AustralianHistory.org
http://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au/en/Living-in-Australia/AustralianHistory -2011
http://www.dfat.gov.au/aib - June 2008
http://www.ariacharts.com.au/pages/charts_display_singles.asp?chart=1U50
http://www.oztam.com.au/Archives.aspx?Year=2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RuoXH2fBDA
