Australian Culture
Australia’s culture is the result of a unique combination of heritage and geography. Australia was first settled by the British in 1788 and was used as a penal colony until the middle of the next century. Australia’s remote location and the harshness of its environment transformed the British culture of its settlers and shaped the Australian national character.
When British settlers first arrived in Australia, they faced the always daunting task of taming a new land. Those who ventured beyond the coastal areas found vast deserts full of poisonous snakes, and crocodiles inhabiting the rivers.
In Australian folk songs like “Bound for Botany Bay” and “The Wild Colonial Boy,” we can see the bushranging archetypal Australian epitomized by the 19th century Australian outlaw Ned Kelly. While most of today’s Australians live in cities, much of the spirit of the early settlers has been preserved.
As a result of these various influences, Australians are said to be gregarious, open, and self-effacing. Their manners are for the most part informal. More »
Queensland’s History
The history of Queensland began 50,000 to 60,000 years ago when settlers arrived from Southeast Asia. The pre-European population is a matter of conjecture, but may have been between 200,000 and 500,000.
The first known meeting of Europeans and Australian Aborigines happened in 1606 when Dutchman Willem Janszoon landed at the future Cape York. The next recorded European landing was in 1770 when James Cook claimed the east coast for King George III of England. European exploration and colonization continued into the 19th century, leading to bloody conflict with the Aboriginal population.
In 1859 Queensland separated from New South Wales and became a separate colony. Queen Victoria established the Federation of Australia on January 1, 1901. Brisbane became a city the following year. The University of Queensland, the oldest university in the state, opened in 1909. More »
About QCAN
The Queensland Community Arts Network Inc. (QCAN) is a service that supports and promotes community cultural development practice.
We create links between groups, support the skills development of our members and ensure they have access to ideas, resources and information.
QCAN is a network. Our members come from all over Queensland, Australia and beyond. They are individuals (artsworkers, planners, youth-workers, teachers, community activists) and organisations (community agencies, local government, tertiary institutions etc.) More »
The Aboriginals
Aborigines are the original inhabitants of Australia, they lived there for at least 50,000 years. The name is derived from the Aboriginal word aborigine of origin. The Aborigines lived as nomads. They wander through the land and lived by hunting, fishing and gathering food. They were hunting with the boomerang and Woomera, a tool looking like spear.
Before English settlers moved into Australia in 1788, there were 500 different Aboriginal clans, together 700,000 people. Each community had its own language and customs. After 1788 the Aborigines were suppressed by the English, land was taken away, people were killed and the Aborigines were not regarded as people. The last forty years, people think differently, and in desert areas in the north country is again returned to the Aborigines. There also many Aborigines now live in cities, they live a Western life while the other Aborigines have a strong connection to the Dreamtime have. Meanwhile, there are only 160,000 Aborigines, which is only 1% of the population of Australia. More »
Explore Australia’s Heritage From The Red Centre
Take in Australia’s amazing cultural heritage with a four day escape to the
red centre and learn the ancient secrets of Australia’s Aborigines with
Travel Associates.
Hear the historical accounts of the Aboriginal tribes and discover the age
old wisdom of living off the land on a three hour Dreamtime and Bush Tucker
Tour.
Travellers can also take to the sky on a private charter helicopter flight
for a one day Aboriginal Art Heli-Tour to the remote art workshops of the
Ltyentye Apurte Community in Santa Teresa. More »
Immerse yourself in a living cultural landscape
17 March 2009, National Landscape
Kakadu is a land that commands deep respect.
The name Kakadu comes from an Aboriginal floodplain language called Gagudju. Kakadu contains a rich heritage of Aboriginal art and archeological sites which UNESCO has described as âa unique archaeological and ethnological reserve.
Bininj/Mungguy (the Aboriginal people of Kakadu) have continuously inhabited this land for at least 50,000 years, one of the longest historical records of any group of people found anywhere in the world.
This World-Heritage-listed National Park is one of very few places in the world listed for both their environmental credentials and their cultural significance. Kakadu first received World Heritage listing in 1981; again after its expansion in 1987, and again in 1992. It is proclaimed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act and listed on the Register of the National Estate because of its national significance to the Australian people. More »