Dunav Maxim 26-I

Seminar 8
Australia

Plan
1. Physical Geography.
2. History.
3. Language.
4. System of Government.
5. System of Education.
6. Law.
7. Religion.
8. Mass Media.
9. Sport.
10. Art and Culture.
11. Customs and Traditions.
12. Outstanding people.

1. Physical Geography.
Australia is a continent and an island located in Oceania between the Indian Ocean
and the South Pacific Ocean. It shares its name with the country that claims control
over it. Properly called the Commonwealth of Australia, its territory consists of the
entire continent and smaller outlying islands. This makes it the sixth largest
country in the world by area of jurisdiction, which comprises 7,686,850 square
kilometres (2,967,910 sq mi) (including Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island),
which is slightly smaller than the 48 states of the contiguous United States and
31.5 times larger than that of the United Kingdom.
The Australian mainland has a total coastline length of 35,821 km (22,258 mi)
with an additional 23,860 km (14,830 mi) of island coastlines. There are 758
estuaries around the country with most located in the tropical and sub-tropical
zones. Australia has the 3rd largest exclusive economic zone of 8,148,250 km2
(3,146,060 sq mi). This EEZ does not include the Australian Antarctic Territory
(an additional 5,896,500 square kilometres).
Australia has the largest area of ocean jurisdiction of any country on Earth. It has
no land borders. The northernmost points of the continental mainland are the Cape
York Peninsula of Queensland and the Top End of the Northern Territory, but the
northernmost point of the country lies in the Torres Strait Islands.

The western half of Australia consists of the Western Plateau, which rises to
mountain heights near the west coast and falls to lower elevations near the
continental centre. The Western Plateau region is generally flat, though broken by
various mountain ranges such as the Hamersley Range, the MacDonnell Ranges,
and the Musgrave Range. Surface water is generally lacking in the Western
Plateau, although there are several larger rivers in the west and north, such as the
Murchison, Ashburton, and Victoria rivers.
The Eastern Highlands, or Great Dividing Range, lie near the eastern coast of
Australia, separating the relatively narrow eastern coastal plain from the rest of the
continent. These Eastern Australian temperate forests have the greatest relief, the
most rainfall, the most abundant and varied flora and fauna, and the densest human
settlement.
Between the Eastern Highlands and the Western Plateau lie the Central Lowlands,
which are made up of the Great Artesian Basin and Australia's largest river
systems, the Murray-Darling Basin and the Lake Eyre Basin.
Off the eastern coast of Australia is the world's largest coral reef complex, the
Great Barrier Reef. The large and mountainous island of Tasmania, also a State of
Australia, lies south of the south-eastern corner of the Australian mainland. It
receives abundant rainfall, and has highly fertile soils particularly in comparison to
the mainland.

2. History.
Aboriginal rock art in the Kimberley region of Western Australia
Human habitation of the Australian continent is known to have begun at least
65,000 years ago, with the migration of people by land bridges and short sea-
crossings from what is now Southeast Asia. The Madjedbebe rock shelter in
Arnhem Land is recognised as the oldest site showing the presence of humans in
Australia. The oldest human remains found are the Lake Mungo remains, which
have been dated to around 41,000 years ago. These people were the ancestors of
modern Indigenous Australians. Aboriginal Australian culture is one of the oldest
continual cultures on earth.
At the time of first European contact, most Indigenous Australians were hunter-
gatherers with complex economies and societies. Recent archaeological finds
suggest that a population of 750,000 could have been sustained. Indigenous
Australians have an oral culture with spiritual values based on reverence for the
land and a belief in the Dreamtime.The Torres Strait Islanders, ethnically
Melanesian, obtained their livelihood from seasonal horticulture and the resources
of their reefs and seas.The northern coasts and waters of Australia were visited
sporadically by Makassan fishermen from what is now Indonesia.

Colonial expansion
The expansion of British control over other areas of the continent began in the
early 19th century, initially confined to coastal regions. A settlement was
established in Van Diemen's Land (present-day Tasmania) in 1803, and it became
a separate colony in 1825. In 1813, Gregory Blaxland, William Lawson and
William Wentworth crossed the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, opening the
interior to European settlement. The British claim was extended to the whole
Australian continent in 1827 when Major Edmund Lockyer established a
settlement on King George Sound (modern-day Albany, Western Australia). The
Swan River Colony was established in 1829, evolving into the largest Australian
colony by area, Western Australia. In accordance with population growth, separate
colonies were carved from parts of New South Wales: South Australia in 1836,
New Zealand in 1841, Victoria in 1851, and Queensland in 1859. The Northern
Territory was excised from South Australia in 1911. South Australia was founded
as a "free province"—it was never a penal colony. Western Australia was also
founded "free" but later accepted transported convicts, the last of which arrived in
1868, decades after transportation had ceased to the other colonies. By 1850,
Europeans still had not entered large areas of the inland. Explorers remained
ambitious to discover new lands for agriculture or answers to scientific enquiries.
Nationhood
On 1 January 1901, federation of the colonies was achieved after a decade of
planning, consultation and voting. After the 1907 Imperial Conference, Australia
and the other self-governing British colonies were given the status of "dominion"
within the British Empire. The Federal Capital Territory (later renamed the
Australian Capital Territory) was formed in 1911 as the location for the future
federal capital of Canberra. Melbourne was the temporary seat of government from
1901 to 1927 while Canberra was being constructed.The Northern Territory was
transferred from the control of the South Australian government to the federal
parliament in 1911. Australia became the colonial ruler of the Territory of Papua
(which had initially been annexed by Queensland in 1888) in 1902 and of the
Territory of New Guinea (formerly German New Guinea) in 1920. The two were
unified as the Territory of Papua and New Guinea in 1949 and gained
independence from Australia in 1975.
In 1914, Australia joined Britain in fighting World War I, with support from both
the outgoing Commonwealth Liberal Party and the incoming Australian Labor
Party. Australians took part in many of the major battles fought on the Western
Front. Of about 416,000 who served, about 60,000 were killed and another
152,000 were wounded. Many Australians regard the defeat of the Australian and
New Zealand Army Corps (ANZACs) at Gallipoli as the birth of the nation—its
first major military action. The Kokoda Track campaign is regarded by many as an
analogous nation-defining event during World War II.
Britain's Statute of Westminster 1931 formally ended most of the constitutional
links between Australia and the UK. Australia adopted it in 1942, but it was
backdated to 1939 to confirm the validity of legislation passed by the Australian
Parliament during World War II.The shock of Britain's defeat in Asia in 1942,
followed soon after by the bombing of Darwin and other Japanese attacks, led to a
widespread belief in Australia that an invasion was imminent, and a shift towards
the United States as a new ally and protector. Since 1951, Australia has been a
formal military ally of the US, under the ANZUS treaty.
After World War II, Australia encouraged immigration from mainland Europe.
Since the 1970s and following the abolition of the White Australia policy,
immigration from Asia and elsewhere was also promoted. As a result, Australia's
demography, culture, and self-image were transformed. The Australia Act 1986
severed the remaining constitutional ties between Australia and the UK. In a 1999
referendum, 55% of voters and a majority in every state rejected a proposal to
become a republic with a president appointed by a two-thirds vote in both Houses
of the Australian Parliament. There has been an increasing focus in foreign policy
on ties with other Pacific Rim nations, while maintaining close ties with Australia's
traditional allies and trading partners.

3. Language.
Although Australia has no official language, English is the de facto national
language. Australian English is a major variety of the language with a distinctive
accent and lexicon, and differs slightly from other varieties of English in grammar
and spelling. General Australian serves as the standard dialect.
According to the 2016 census, English is the only language spoken in the home for
72.7% of the population. The next most common languages spoken at home are
Mandarin (2.5%), Arabic (1.4%), Cantonese (1.2%), Vietnamese (1.2%) and
Italian (1.2%). A considerable proportion of first- and second-generation migrants
are bilingual.
Over 250 Indigenous Australian languages are thought to have existed at the time
of first European contact, of which fewer than twenty are still in daily use by all
age groups. About 110 others are spoken exclusively by older people. At the time
of the 2006 census, 52,000 Indigenous Australians, representing 12% of the
Indigenous population, reported that they spoke an Indigenous language at home.
Australia has a sign language known as Auslan, which is the main language of
about 10,112 deaf people who reported that they spoke Auslan language at home in
the 2016 census.

4. System of Government.
Australia is a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. The country has
maintained a stable liberal democratic political system under its constitution,
which is one of the world's oldest, since Federation in 1901. It is also one of the
world's oldest federations, in which power is divided between the federal and state
and territorial governments. The Australian system of government combines
elements derived from the political systems of the United Kingdom (a fused
executive, constitutional monarchy and strong party discipline) and the United
States (federalism, a written constitution and strong bicameralism with an elected
upper house), along with distinctive indigenous features.
The federal government is separated into three branches:
Legislature: the bicameral Parliament, comprising the monarch (represented by the
governor-general), the Senate, and the House of Representatives;
Executive: the Federal Executive Council, which in practice gives legal effect to
the decisions of the cabinet, comprising the prime minister and other ministers of
state appointed by the governor-general on the advice of Parliament;
Judiciary: the High Court of Australia and other federal courts, whose judges are
appointed by the governor-general on advice of Parliament
Elizabeth II reigns as Queen of Australia and is represented in Australia by the
governor-general at the federal level and by the governors at the state level, who by
convention act on the advice of her ministers. Thus, in practice the governor-
general acts as a legal figurehead for the actions of the prime minister and the
Federal Executive Council. The governor-general does have extraordinary reserve
powers which may be exercised outside the prime minister's request in rare and
limited circumstances, the most notable exercise of which was the dismissal of the
Whitlam Government in the constitutional crisis of 1975.
A large white and cream coloured building with grass on its roof. The building is
topped with a large flagpole.
In the Senate (the upper house), there are 76 senators: twelve each from the states
and two each from the mainland territories (the Australian Capital Territory and
the Northern Territory).The House of Representatives (the lower house) has 151
members elected from single-member electoral divisions, commonly known as
"electorates" or "seats", allocated to states on the basis of population, with each
original state guaranteed a minimum of five seats. Elections for both chambers are
normally held every three years simultaneously; senators have overlapping six-year
terms except for those from the territories, whose terms are not fixed but are tied to
the electoral cycle for the lower house; thus only 40 of the 76 places in the Senate
are put to each election unless the cycle is interrupted by a double dissolution.
In the Senate (the upper house), there are 76 senators: twelve each from the states
and two each from the mainland territories (the Australian Capital Territory and
the Northern Territory). The House of Representatives (the lower house) has 151
members elected from single-member electoral divisions, commonly known as
"electorates" or "seats", allocated to states on the basis of population, with each
original state guaranteed a minimum of five seats. Elections for both chambers are
normally held every three years simultaneously; senators have overlapping six-year
terms except for those from the territories, whose terms are not fixed but are tied to
the electoral cycle for the lower house; thus only 40 of the 76 places in the Senate
are put to each election unless the cycle is interrupted by a double dissolution.
Australia's electoral system uses preferential voting for all lower house elections
with the exception of Tasmania and the ACT which, along with the Senate and
most state upper houses, combine it with proportional representation in a system
known as the single transferable vote. Voting is compulsory for all enrolled
citizens 18 years and over in every jurisdiction, as is enrolment (with the exception
of South Australia). The party with majority support in the House of
Representatives forms the government and its leader becomes Prime Minister. In
cases where no party has majority support, the Governor-General has the
constitutional power to appoint the Prime Minister and, if necessary, dismiss one
that has lost the confidence of Parliament.
There are two major political groups that usually form government, federally and
in the states: the Australian Labor Party and the Coalition which is a formal
grouping of the Liberal Party and its minor partner, the National Party. Within
Australian political culture, the Coalition is considered centre-right and the Labor
Party is considered centre-left. Independent members and several minor parties
have achieved representation in Australian parliaments, mostly in upper houses.
The Australian Greens are often considered the "third force" in politics, being the
third largest party by both vote and membership.
The most recent federal election was held on 18 May 2019 and resulted in the
Coalition, led by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, retaining government.

5. System of Education.
School attendance, or registration for home schooling, is compulsory throughout
Australia. Education is the responsibility of the individual states and territories so
the rules vary between states, but in general children are required to attend school
from the age of about 5 until about 16. In some states (e.g., Western Australia, the
Northern Territory and New South Wales), children aged 16–17 are required to
either attend school or participate in vocational training, such as an apprenticeship.
Australia has an adult literacy rate that was estimated to be 99% in 2003. However,
a 2011–12 report for the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that Tasmania has
a literacy and numeracy rate of only 50%. In the Programme for International
Student Assessment, Australia regularly scores among the top five of thirty major
developed countries (member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-
operation and Development). Catholic education accounts for the largest non-
government sector.
Australia has 37 government-funded universities and three private universities, as
well as a number of other specialist institutions that provide approved courses at
the higher education level. The OECD places Australia among the most expensive
nations to attend university. There is a state-based system of vocational training,
known as TAFE, and many trades conduct apprenticeships for training new
tradespeople. About 58% of Australians aged from 25 to 64 have vocational or
tertiary qualifications, and the tertiary graduation rate of 49% is the highest among
OECD countries. 30.9 percent of Australia's population has attained a higher
education qualification, which is among the highest percentages in the world.
Australia has the highest ratio of international students per head of population in
the world by a large margin, with 812,000 international students enrolled in the
nation's universities and vocational institutions in 2019. Accordingly, in 2019,
international students represented on average 26.7% of the student bodies of
Australian universities. International education therefore represents one of the
country's largest exports and has a pronounced influence on the country's
demographics, with a significant proportion of international students remaining in
Australia after graduation on various skill and employment visas

6. Law.
Sources of law
The Australian colonies were federated into 'The Commonwealth' in 1901. To
achieve this, the British Parliament enacted a written constitution drawn up by the
Australian colonists. The document was influenced by constitutional systems of
the UK, the United States, and Switzerland.
Australia's constitution 'establishes the form of the federal government and sets out
the basis for relations between the Commonwealth and the states'. Chapter I
defines the role and powers of the legislature, Chapter II defines that of the
Executive, and Chapter III defines that of the Judiciary.
In addition to the documents text, Australian constitutional law is affected by the
structure of the document. The division of the three branches of government into
chapters is understood to establish a Separation of Powers doctrine in Australia.
It is also known that a number of unwritten constitutional conventions are present
within the document. E.g. the constitutional doctrines of responsible government;
and the requirement of the governor-general to accept the advice of the prime
minister.
The Australian constitution is notable for not containing a bill of rights, and
express constitutional restrictions upon Commonwealth power are minimal in
number and scope. Nevertheless, some restrictions upon Commonwealth power
have been recognized by implications drawn constitutional sections unconcerned
with the establishment of rights. The stipulations of Section 7 and 24 that the
members of the respective Commonwealth legislatures be 'directly chosen by the
people'; have been interpreted by the High Court as giving rise to doctrines
protecting a freedom of political communication, and a right to vote.
The constitution may only be amended by national referendum, a provision
inspired by the Swiss Canton system.
The respective state governments of Australia also have constitutional documents,
many of which have carried over from the colonial era. Those documents however
are amenable to state legislation, and so don't bind on the respective state
parliaments in the same way that the Commonwealth is bound by Australia's
written constitution as supreme law. (see also: Marbury v. Madison)

Statute law
The legislative powers of the federal Parliament are limited to those set out under
an enumerated list of subject matters in the Constitution. These powers include a
power to legislate on matters "incidental" to the other powers. The Parliament of
the Commonwealth can also legislate on matters referred to it by the Parliament of
one or more States.
In contrast, with a few exceptions the State legislatures generally have plenary
power to enact laws on any subject. However, federal laws prevail in the event of
collision.

The process of creating a statute involves a Bill being drafted, usually by

Parliamentary Counsel. The Bill is read, debated and sometimes amended in both
houses of parliament before being approved. Once a bill has been passed it must be
assented to by the representative of the sovereign. Legislation may also be
delegated to local councils, statutory authorities or government departments.
Usually this is done in respect of minor statute laws such as road rules.
Most statutes are applied by administrative decision makers rather than judges.
When laws are brought before a court, judges are not bound to select an
interpretation proffered by one of the parties and instead their role is to seek an
objective interpretation of the law.
The jurisprudence of statutory interpretation is not settled in Australia. Interpretive
doctrines such as the literal rule, the golden rule, and the mischief rule; must
comply with the Commonwealth's mandate in the Acts Interpretation Act that
statutes be interpreted according to their purpose. The legitimate role of extrinsic
materials is not settled law in Australia
Common law
Common law legal systems
Australia's common law system originated in the system of common law in the
UK. Although similarities remain, and the influence of UK common law decisions
remain influential on Australian courts; there exists substantial divergence between
each system.
Until 1963, the High Court regarded decisions of the House of Lords binding, and
there was substantial uniformity between Australian and English common law. In
1978, the High Court declared that it was no longer bound by decisions of the
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.
The High Court has declared that Australia's system of common law is uniform
across all states.[2] This may be contrasted with other jurisdictions, like the United
States; that have maintained distinct systems of common law within each state.

International law
Australia has entered into many treaties.Treaties are not automatically incorporated
into Australian domestic law upon signature or ratification (aside from those
terminating a state of war).
The role of treaties in influencing the development of the common law is
controversial. In respect of statutes, treaties are a valid interpretive aid to acts
attempting to give affect to treaties.
By reliance on the external affairs power, matters subject of a treaty may be
legislated upon by the Commonwealth Parliament; even in the absence of the
matter among other the heads of power.

7. Religion.
Australia has no state religion; Section 116 of the Australian Constitution prohibits
the federal government from making any law to establish any religion, impose any
religious observance, or prohibit the free exercise of any religion. In the 2016
census, 52.1% of Australians were counted as Christian, including 22.6% as
Catholic and 13.3% as Anglican; 30.1% of the population reported having "no
religion"; 8.2% identify with non-Christian religions, the largest of these being
Islam (2.6%), followed by Buddhism (2.4%), Hinduism (1.9%), Sikhism (0.5%)
and Judaism (0.4%). The remaining 9.7% of the population did not provide an
adequate answer. Those who reported having no religion increased conspicuously
from 19% in 2006 to 22% in 2011 to 30.1% in 2016.
Before European settlement, the animist beliefs of Australia's indigenous people
had been practised for many thousands of years. Mainland Aboriginal Australians'
spirituality is known as the Dreamtime and it places a heavy emphasis on
belonging to the land. The collection of stories that it contains shaped Aboriginal
law and customs. Aboriginal art, story and dance continue to draw on these
spiritual traditions. The spirituality and customs of Torres Strait Islanders, who
inhabit the islands between Australia and New Guinea, reflected their Melanesian
origins and dependence on the sea. The 1996 Australian census counted more than
7000 respondents as followers of a traditional Aboriginal religion.
Since the arrival of the First Fleet of British ships in 1788, Christianity has become
the major religion practised in Australia. Christian churches have played an
integral role in the development of education, health and welfare services in
Australia. For much of Australian history, the Church of England (now known as
the Anglican Church of Australia) was the largest religious denomination, with a
large Roman Catholic minority. However, multicultural immigration has
contributed to a steep decline in its relative position since the Second World War.
Similarly, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Judaism have all grown in
Australia over the past half-century.
Australia has one of the lowest levels of religious adherence in the world. In 2001,
only 8.8% of Australians attended church on a weekly basis

8. Mass Media.
The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906), the world's first feature-length narrative film,
spurred a boom in Australian cinema during the silent film era. After World War I,
Hollywood monopolised the industry, and by the 1960s Australian film production
had effectively ceased. With the benefit of government support, the Australian
New Wave of the 1970s brought provocative and successful films, many exploring
themes of national identity, such as Wake in Fright and Gallipoli, while Crocodile
Dundee and the Ozploitation movement's Mad Max series became international
blockbusters. In a film market flooded with foreign content, Australian films
delivered a 7.7% share of the local box office in 2015. The AACTAs are
Australia's premier film and television awards, and notable Academy Award
winners from Australia include Geoffrey Rush, Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett and
Heath Ledger.

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. Each major city has at least one daily newspaper, and there are two
national daily newspapers, The Australian and The Australian Financial Review. In
2010, Reporters Without Borders placed Australia 18th on a list of 178 countries
ranked by press freedom, behind New Zealand (8th) but ahead of the United
Kingdom (19th) and United States (20th). This relatively low ranking is primarily
because of the limited diversity of commercial media ownership in Australia; most
print media are under the control of News Corporation and, after Fairfax Media
was merged with Nine, Nine Entertainment Co.

9. Sport.
Cricket and football are the predominate sports in Australia during the summer and
winter months, respectively. Australia is unique in that it has professional leagues
for four football codes. Originating in Melbourne in the 1850s, Australian rules
football is the most popular code in all states except New South Wales and
Queensland, where rugby league holds sway, followed by rugby union. Soccer,
while ranked fourth in popularity and resources, has the highest overall
participation rates. Cricket is popular across all borders and has been regarded by
many Australians as the national sport. The Australian national cricket team
competed against England in the first Test match (1877) and the first One Day
International (1971), and against New Zealand in the first Twenty20 International
(2004), winning all three games. It has also participated in every edition of the
Cricket World Cup, winning the tournament a record five times.
Australia is a powerhouse in water-based sports, such as swimming and surfing.
The surf lifesaving movement originated in Australia, and the volunteer lifesaver is
one of the country's icons. Nationally, other popular sports include horse racing,
basketball, and motor racing. The annual Melbourne Cup horse race and the
Sydney to Hobart yacht race attract intense interest. In 2016, the Australian Sports
Commission revealed that swimming, cycling and soccer are the three most
popular participation sports.
Australia is one of five nations to have participated in every Summer Olympics of
the modern era, and has hosted the Games twice: 1956 in Melbourne and 2000 in
Sydney. Australia has also participated in every Commonwealth Games, hosting
the event in 1938, 1962, 1982, 2006 and 2018. Australia made its inaugural
appearance at the Pacific Games in 2015. As well as being a regular FIFA World
Cup participant, Australia has won the OFC Nations Cup four times and the AFC
Asian Cup once—the only country to have won championships in two different
FIFA confederations. In June 2020, Australia won its bid to co-host the 2023 FIFA
Women's World Cup with New Zealand. The country regularly competes among
the world elite basketball teams as it is among the global top three teams in terms
of qualifications to the Basketball Tournament at the Summer Olympics. Other
major international events held in Australia include the Australian Open tennis
grand slam tournament, international cricket matches, and the Australian Formula
One Grand Prix. The highest-rating television programs include sports telecasts
such as the Summer Olympics, FIFA World Cup, The Ashes, Rugby League State
of Origin, and the grand finals of the National Rugby League and Australian
Football League. Skiing in Australia began in the 1860s and snow sports take place
in the Australian Alps and parts of Tasmania.

10. Art and Culture.

Since 1788, the primary influence behind Australian culture has been Anglo-Celtic
Western culture, with some Indigenous influences. The divergence and evolution
that has occurred in the ensuing centuries has resulted in a distinctive Australian
culture. The culture of the United States has served as a significant influence,
particularly through television and cinema. Other cultural influences come from
neighbouring Asian countries, and through large-scale immigration from non-
English-speaking nations.
Australia has over 100,000 Aboriginal rock art sites, and traditional designs,
patterns and stories infuse contemporary Indigenous Australian art, "the last great
art movement of the 20th century" according to critic Robert Hughes; its exponents
include Emily Kame Kngwarreye. Early colonial artists showed a fascination with
the unfamiliar land. The impressionistic works of Arthur Streeton, Tom Roberts
and other members of the 19th-century Heidelberg School—the first "distinctively
Australian" movement in Western art—gave expression to nationalist sentiments in
the lead-up to Federation. While the school remained influential into the 1900s,
modernists such as Margaret Preston, and, later, Sidney Nolan and Arthur Boyd,
explored new artistic trends. The landscape remained a central subject matter for
Fred Williams, Brett Whiteley and other post-war artists whose works, eclectic in
style yet uniquely Australian, moved between the figurative and the abstract. The
national and state galleries maintain collections of local and international art.
Australia has one of the world's highest attendances of art galleries and museums
per head of population.
Sidney Nolan's Snake mural (1970), held at the Museum of Old and New Art in
Hobart, Tasmania, is inspired by the Aboriginal creation myth of the Rainbow
Serpent, as well as desert flowers in bloom after a drought.
Australian literature grew slowly in the decades following European settlement
though Indigenous oral traditions, many of which have since been recorded in
writing, are much older. In the 1870s, Adam Lindsay Gordon posthumously
became the first Australian poet to attain a wide readership. Following in his
footsteps, Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson captured the experience of the bush
using a distinctive Australian vocabulary. Their works are still popular; Paterson's
bush poem "Waltzing Matilda" (1895) is regarded as Australia's unofficial national
anthem. Miles Franklin is the namesake of Australia's most prestigious literary
prize, awarded annually to the best novel about Australian life. Its first recipient,
Patrick White, went on to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1973. Australian
Booker Prize winners include Peter Carey, Thomas Keneally and Richard
Flanagan. Author David Malouf, playwright David Williamson and poet Les
Murray are also renowned.
Many of Australia's performing arts companies receive funding through the federal
government's Australia Council. There is a symphony orchestra in each state, and a
national opera company, Opera Australia, well known for its famous soprano Joan
Sutherland. At the beginning of the 20th century, Nellie Melba was one of the
world's leading opera singers. Ballet and dance are represented by The Australian
Ballet and various state companies. Each state has a publicly funded theatre
company.
 11. Customs and Traditions
Australian Traditions - Australia Day
Australia Day is one of the key Australian traditions. It is celebrated on 26th
January and is declared a National Holiday.
On this day, Aussies across the country celebrate being Australian. They are a very
proud bunch and you'll see flags hanging out of car windows and houses for the
entire last week of January.
To be honest, many Aussies just see it as a day off work and an excuse to have a
few beers the night before. But times are changing, with each of the states putting
on heaps of cracking entertainment (including music and fireworks,) encouraging
us all to do something Australian like have a BBQ, adorn ourselves with flags and
catch up with friends.
So why the 26th January? Well here is where the controversy starts as it marks the
date when the British arrived in New South Wales to build their penal colony.
So not only is it a particularly negative event, it also does nothing to unite the
Aboriginal community to the cause, nor does it have any meaning for the other 4
states in Australia.
There has been discussion of making the event at another date - but what would be
a more suitable date? No-one has come up with anything as yet.
The sentiment is still correct though - it's about celebrating all that is good about
Australia- the outdoors lifestyle, the democratic freedom we all enjoy, the excellent
standard of living with so many of us living so close to a beach and the Australian
sense of fun.

Australian Traditions - ANZAC Day

Another important day that commemorates a key war moment from the first World
War on 25th April 1915 when Australian troops landed in Gallipoli, on behalf of
the British. It was a battle against the Turks over the control of the Dardenelles.
ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
Unfortunately it was hardly Australia's finest hour as nearly half the troops that
landed there were instantly killed - The turks were ready for them and the
Australians hardly landed in the best position either.
The day itself is another National Holiday for Australia and it is good to see a real
level of respect for the many war heroes for the first and second world wars. There
are marches in most major cities but the key event is the Dawn Service. There is
usually one in each of the state's major cities and takes place early in the morning
around 5.30am. This is when most battles took place so is an important time to
show respect. The most photographed and ceremonial Dawn Service is probably at
the War Memorial in Canberra.
I'd still say though for the majority of Aussies, it's still about the drinks in the pub
and the infamous "Two Up" betting game that anyone can join in with. It's a pretty
simple game of betting whether the next flip of the coin will be a head or a tail. It
gets pretty rowdy and it's possible to hear the shouts from the crowded pubs from a
fair distance on ANZAC Day.
But which is more significant - Anzac Day or Australia Day? I think most
Australians would pick Australia Day due to its upbeat vibe, particularly compared
to the sombre occasion of Anzac Day. Both dates however do seem to mark
unhappy events though in reality.

Australian Traditions - Melbourne Cup

This is another classic day in the Australian Calendar and one of the most well
known Australian traditions. It is a National Holiday for those lucky enough to live
in the state of Victoria.

It is essentially the biggest day of the year in Horse Racing and is held in
Melbourne every year on the first Tuesday in November. The tradition stems right
back to the gold digging days when gambling was a big past time for those being
lucky enough to find gold.
The first race was held in 1861 and has been going ever since. Throughout
Australia on that Tuesday in November Australia stops to watch the horse race.
Those that never place a bet all year will go and have a flutter - it's such a long race
(3200m) with usually about 30 runners that anyone can be a winner!
The tradition is to dress up as if you are going to the races - hats, dresses and suits
for the men, go out for lunch, drink champagne and then watch the race at about
3pm. Most offices close at mid-day and put on a lunch for their staff members and
those in Victoria may go to the race or enjoy the full day off.
Christmas
The Christmas traditions from Britain still ring true throughout Australia and it
always feels strange to me, to celebrate Christmas when it is hot - especially when
they insist on images of snowmen, snow and ice!
Still the Aussies have put their own twist on the British traditions and come up
with their own Australian Traditions - with Barbies and Seafood replacing the
Cooked Turkey - well on the whole anyway!
For more information on Christmas traditions go to Christmas in Australia

The Queen's Birthday

Isn't it ironic that it's only the Australian's that get a public holiday for the Queen's
Birthday on the second Monday in June every year - not the British! Australian
traditions at its best!
The Queen is still head of the state of Australia for now and we all relish in a day's
holiday. There aren't any particular celebrations that go on but it is something we
all look forward to in June.
Will the Queen continue to be the head of State for Australia for much longer?
Will the government call a referendum and ask the people what they think? Is it
time for Australia to be Independent from the UK and move forward? The country
seems divided on this issue. Some adore the monarchy and want it to continue to
be part of the culture of Australia. Others think it is holding back Australia and we
should move forward. What do you think?

Australian Social Etiquette Traditions

If you are new to Australia or visiting from a fairly hierarchical or perhaps Asian
state, then you may find the laid back style of the Australians a bit of an
adjustment. Here are a few things to be mindful of in the way of Australian
traditions:
Australians will usually introduce themselves by their first names - no formalities
of Mr Smith - just Bruce!
Dress code is usually fairly relaxed. Ties are rarely worn at work although in some
industries like banking, it is still a common site. Thongs on the weekend with a T-
shirt and shorts are the go!
The Aussies like their personal space - don't get too close and personal when you
talk to them
Queuing - a hang up from the British I think - It's polite to stand in line and NOT
push in when waiting for a bus, for a server in the bank, at the front of a pub etc etc
You are likely to get a few rough words if you don't!

12. Outstanding people.

Heath Ledger
Actor
Heath Andrew Ledger was an Australian actor and director. After performing roles
in Australian television and film during the 1990s, Ledger left for the United States
in 1998 to develop his film career. His work comprised nineteen films, including
10 Things I Hate About You, The Patriot, A Knight's Tale, Monster's Ball, Ned
Kelly, The Brothers Grimm, Lords of Dogtown, Brokeback Mountain, Casanova,
Candy, I'm Not There, The Dark Knight, and The Imaginarium of Doctor
Parnassus. He also produced and directed music videos, and aspired to be a film
director. For his portrayal of Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountain, Ledger won
the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor and Best International
Actor from the Australian Film Institute, and was nominated for the BAFTA
Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role and for the Academy Award for Best
Actor. Posthumously he shared the 2007 Independent Spirit Robert Altman Award
with the rest of the ensemble cast, the director, and the casting director for the film
I'm Not There, which was inspired by the life and songs of American singer-
songwriter Bob Dylan. In the film, Ledger portrayed a fictional actor named
Robbie Clark, one of six characters embodying aspects of Dylan's life and persona.

Lleyton Hewitt
Tennis Player
Lleyton Glynn Hewitt is an Australian professional tennis player and former World
No. 1. Hewitt is the youngest male ever to be ranked number one in the world, at
the age of 20. His most notable career achievements include winning the 2001 US
Open and 2002 Wimbledon men's singles titles, the 2000 US Open men's doubles
title, and back-to-back Tennis Masters Cup titles in 2001 and 2002.

Kevin Rudd
Politician
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was twice Prime Minister of
Australia, from 2007 to 2010, and again in 2013. He was the first former Prime
Minister to return to the office since Robert Menzies in 1949, and only the second
Labor Prime Minister to do so. Having previously served as a diplomat, and then
as an official for the Queensland Government, Rudd was initially elected to the
House of Representatives for Griffith in 1998. He was promoted to the Shadow
Cabinet in 2001 as Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs. In December 2006, he
successfully challenged Kim Beazley to become the Leader of the Labor Party,
subsequently becoming the Leader of the Opposition. Under Rudd, Labor overtook
the incumbent Liberal/National Coalition led by John Howard in the polls, making
a number of policy announcements on areas such as industrial relations, health,
climate change, education, and the National Broadband Network. Labor won the
2007 election by a landslide, with a 23-seat swing in its favour, and Rudd was
sworn in as the 26th Prime Minister of Australia on 3 December. The Rudd
Government's first acts included signing the Kyoto Protocol and delivering an
apology to Indigenous Australians for the Stolen Generations. The previous
government's industrial relations legislation, WorkChoices, was largely
dismantled, Australia's remaining Iraq War combat personnel were withdrawn, and
the "Australia 2020 Summit" was held. In response to the global financial crisis,
the government provided economic stimulus packages, and Australia was one of
the few developed countries to avoid the late-2000s recession.

Samantha Stosur
Tennis Player
Samantha "Sam" Jane Stosur is an Australian professional tennis player, well
known for her powerful serve, which is among the best in women's tennis. As of
the 5th August, Stosur is currently ranked World No. 18 by the WTA. She is a
former World No. 1 in doubles, a ranking which she held for 61 weeks. Stosur is
also a former World No. 4 in singles. Stosur won the 2011 U.S. Open, defeating
Serena Williams in the final and becoming the first Australian woman since
Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1980 to win a Grand Slam singles tournament and
just the second Australian woman in history to win the US Open after Margaret
Court. Stosur has won four other Grand Slam titles to date; two in women's
doubles; and two in mixed doubles. She was also a finalist at the singles event at
the 2010 French Open, where she lost to Francesca Schiavone.

Julian Assange
Spokesperson
Julian Paul Assange is an Australian editor, activist, publisher and journalist. He is
known as the editor-in-chief and founder of WikiLeaks, which publishes
submissions of secret information, news leaks and classified media from
anonymous news sources and whistleblowers. Assange was a hacker as a teenager,
then a computer programmer before becoming known for his work with
WikiLeaks, initially started in 2006 and making public appearances around the
world speaking about freedom of the press, censorship, and investigative
journalism. WikiLeaks became internationally well known in 2010 when it began
to publish U.S. military and diplomatic documents with assistance from its partners
in the news media. Chelsea Manning has since pled guilty to supplying the cables
to WikiLeaks. U.S. Air Force documents reportedly state that military personnel
who make contact with WikiLeaks or "WikiLeaks supporters" are at risk of being
charged with "communicating with the enemy", and the United States Department
of Justice reportedly has considered prosecuting Assange for several offenses.
During the trial of Manning, military prosecutors presented evidence that they
claim reveals that Manning and Assange collaborated to steal and publish U.S.
military and diplomatic documents.
Nick Cave
Alternative rock Artist
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author,
screenwriter, composer and occasional film actor. He is best known for his work as
a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds,
established in 1983, a group known for its eclectic influences and musical styles.
Before that, he had fronted the group The Birthday Party in the early 1980s, a band
renowned for its highly gothic, challenging lyrics and violent sound influenced by
post-punk, blues and free jazz. In 2006, he formed the garage rock band
Grinderman that released its debut the following year. Cave's music is generally
characterised by emotional intensity, a wide variety of influences, and lyrical
obsessions with religion, death, love and violence. Upon Cave's induction into the
ARIA Hall of Fame, ARIA Awards committee chairman Ed St John said, "Nick
Cave has enjoyed—and continues to enjoy—one of the most extraordinary careers
in the annals of popular music. He is an Australian artist like Sidney Nolan is an
Australian artist—beyond comparison, beyond genre, beyond dispute."

Miranda Kerr
Supermodel
Miranda May Kerr is an Australian model. Kerr rose to prominence in 2007 as one
of the Victoria's Secret Angels. She is the first Australian to participate in the
Victoria's Secret campaign and also represented Australian fashion chain David
Jones. In addition, Kerr has launched her own brand of organic skincare products,
Kora Organics, and released a self-help book, Treasure Yourself. Kerr began
modelling in the fashion industry when she was 13, starting at Chaay's Modelling
Agency, and soon after winning a 1997 Australian nationwide model search hosted
by Dolly magazine and Impulse fragrances. She married English actor Orlando
Bloom in 2010; they have since separated.