Does Australia have a culture unique and independent from other countries?

Answer 1

Australia itself has its own unique culture. However, within Australia there are a multitude of different cultures, from various European cultures to Asian, to Middle Eastern and so on. Australia is very multi-cultural, and there are some fears that the unique Australian identity is disappearing into the mist of all these other cultures.

Answer 2

Specify what you mean by 'cultures', if you mean the numerous immigrants that have arrived since the mid 1800s of non-British/Irish heritage then our culture is considered diverse as people living here have come from all over the world and have brought with it every culture as a result - even more so in the 20th and 21st centuries.

However, if you are asking about the Australian culture and identity then I can say that we are not as much a bunch of bogans as the rest of the world stereotypes us to be. We are a civilised and beautiful country with the majority of the population living by the sea or more specifically the eastern seaboard which surprises many as the iconic image of the outback and bush is often used to show where we live.

Many would say Australia's culture is a very relaxed and fair society with many celebrations and events such as Australia Day, ANZAC Day, the Melbourne Cup, Boxing Day, the Ashes, Christmas Day, Easter Day, and New Years.

The language we speak is English but with unique slang, some of which has been derived from aboriginal words. Our flag presents the Union Jack which shows our British heritage, and incorporates the Commonwealth Star to represent the states and territories, and has the Southern Cross on it, an important navigation tool in early years! but which has since come to represent Australia. Australia is located in the South Pacific region of Oceania, and has a population of about 23 million people. Australia is the smallest continent, and is also the only continent united under a single flag.

Due to many growing up with the beach it has become a part of our culture with Australia also having the most beaches in the world. The lifeguard or lifesaver in the red and yellow cap was also first borne from the Australian beach culture.

There is no standard of dress code in Australia but due to the climate and often hot days in summer and winter people wear light and loose clothing which cuts off at the knees and elbows for both genders. Some popular wears are boardies (shirt for board shorts), tank tops, and thongs which are just flip flops.

Australian cuisine is diverse due to immigrants bringing in different flavours from the world. It is basically a combination of European and East Asian foods. Some of our traditional foods are pavlova, ANZAC biscuits, trifle, vegemite, and any type of meat on the BBQ like beef, kangaroo, and lamb.

Some icons of Australia are the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House, Uluru or Ayers Rock, the Great Barrier Reef, the Twelve Apostles, the Kimberley, the Glass House Mountains, the Royal Exhibition Centre, the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame, and many more.

There are also the native Aborigines of Australia who once called Australia the Dreamtime. The Aborigines were not united as a race but instead were divided as tribes that had territory of each land. For example, the boomerang is often associated with being entirely Aboriginal but it actually belongs to only one tribe.

These different tribes also speak different languages and have somewhat similar but separate customs and traditions. There were roughly 200-300 native Aboriginal languages prior to the first fleet but today there remains only about 80 languages.

Overall, Australian culture is influenced by the geography and climate of the country which has inspired legends such as the bunyip ( a man eating monster living in a billabong), and other areas such as art, literature, traditions which are still alive today from British settlers, and values like giving a fair go for all.

Answer 3

Yes.

Australia's culture is essentially westernised, but also richly multicultural today, due to large numbers of immigrants, particularly since World War II. Because of this, many people celebrate a variety of cultural experiences from both Europe and and Asian influences. American influences have become stronger since the advent of TV and American television shows.

However, Australia has its own culture, maintaining something of its past, when it was based on pride in the land, on the bushies, stockmen, drovers and swagmen and the men who built their futures on the land, as well as the women who gave up everything to be with their husbands. The Bush and the Outback were concepts unique to Australia alone, so featured strongly in Australian literature, painting, popular music, films and foods - all of which make up the cultural experience. It was also from the bush (and the goldrush era) that bushrangers arose, along with the raising of certain bushrangers to legendary status.

Men such as Henry Lawson and Andrew 'Banjo' Paterson, who wrote about the land and the hardworking bushfolk, had a large part to play in the development of Australia's culture in this regard. They highlighted the courage of the Bush men and women, their endurance and determination, and their ability to overcome the impossible by sheer grit and hard work. These and later writers highlighted the way these people bounced back from tragedy (e.g. unpredictable bushfires and floods). Although the Aborigines were often treated poorly in reality, they, too, featured in Bush and Outback legends, being respected for their incredible stealth and tracking abilities, as well as sheer ingenuity at surviving in such a harsh land.

The Bush also epitomised freedom - freedom from authority (hence Waltzing Matilda and the swagman who escapes the law after stealing a sheep), spending one's days "on the wallaby track" and one's nights under the stars. The ability to live off the land transferred to the learning of survival skills, and this paved the way for the development of the ANZAC legends. Again, the common theme of grit, determination and surviving despite all odds is strong.