• • • The culture of Australia is a, derived primarily from Britain but also influenced by the unique geography of, the diverse input of, and other people. The began in 1788, and waves of multi-ethnic migration followed. Evidence of a significant heritage includes the predominance of the, the existence of a of government drawing upon the British traditions of Government, Parliamentarianism and, American and traditions, as the dominant religion, and the popularity of sports originating in (or influenced by) the British Isles. Australian culture has diverged significantly since British settlement.

Aboriginal people are believed to have arrived as early as 60,000 years ago, and evidence of in Australia dates back at least 30,000 years. Several had their origins as penal colonies, with the arriving at in 1788. Stories of outlaws like the bushranger have endured in, and. The from the 1850s brought wealth as well as new social tensions to Australia, including the miners' rebellion. The colonies established elected parliaments and rights for workers and women before most other Western nations. In 1901 evidenced a growing sense of national identity that had developed over the latter half of the 19th century, as seen in the works of the painters and writers like, and. The World Wars profoundly altered Australia's sense of identity, with introducing the legend, and seeing a reorientation from Britain to the as the nation's foremost.

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After the second war, 6.5 million migrants from 200 nations brought immense new diversity, and Australians grew increasingly aware of their proximity to Asia. Over time, the diverse food, lifestyle and cultural practices of immigrants have been absorbed into mainstream Australian culture. A Luritja man demonstrating method of attack with under cover of shield (1920) The oldest surviving cultural traditions in Australia—and some of the oldest surviving cultural traditions on earth—are those of Australia's and peoples. Their ancestors have inhabited Australia for between 40,000 and 60,000 years, living a lifestyle. In 2006, the Indigenous population was estimated at 517,000 people, or 2.5 per cent of the total population. Most Aboriginal Australians have a belief system based on the, or Dreamtime, which refers both to a time when ancestral spirits created land and culture, and to the knowledge and practices that define individual and community responsibilities and identity.

Conflict and reconciliation between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians has been a source of much art and literature in Australia, and ancient styles and iconic inventions such as the, the and have become symbols of modern Australia. Suffragette (1825–1910). The Australian colonies established democratic parliaments from the 1850s and began to grant women the vote in the 1890s. The arrival of the at what is now Sydney in 1788 introduced to the Australian continent. Although Sydney was initially used by the British as a place of banishment for prisoners, the arrival of the British laid the foundations for Australia's democratic institutions and rule of law, and introduced the long traditions of, and music, and ethics and religious outlook to a new continent. The expanded across the whole continent and established six colonies.

The colonies were originally penal colonies, with the exception of, which was established as a 'free colony' with no convicts and a vision for a territory with political and religious freedoms, together with opportunities for wealth through business and pastoral investments. Contact between the indigenous Australians and the new settlers ranged from cordiality to violent conflict, but the diseases brought by Europeans were devastating to Aboriginal populations and culture. According to the historian, during the colonial period: 'Smallpox, measles, influenza and other new diseases swept from one Aboriginal camp to another.

The main conqueror of Aborigines was to be disease and its ally, demoralisation.' Established Australia's first political party in 1835 to demand for New South Wales. From the 1850s, the colonies set about writing constitutions which produced democratically advanced parliaments as with as the head of state.

Was achieved from the 1890s. Women became eligible to vote in South Australia in 1895. This was the first legislation in the world permitting women to stand for political office and, in 1897, became the first female political candidate. Though constantly evolving, the key foundations for elected parliamentary government have maintained an historical continuity in Australia from the 1850s into the 21st century. During the colonial era, distinctive forms of,, and developed through movements like the of painters and the work of like and, whose poetry and prose did much to promote an egalitarian Australian outlook which placed a high value on the concept of. Games like and were imported from Britain at this time and with a local variant of football,, became treasured cultural traditions.

The was founded in 1901, after a series of referenda conducted in the British colonies of. The established a federal democracy and enshrined such as sections 41 (right to vote), 80 (right to trial by jury) and 116 (freedom of religion) as foundational principles of Australian law and included economic rights such as restricting the government to acquiring property only 'on just terms'.

The was established in the 1890s and the in 1944, both rising to be the dominant political parties and rivals of, though various have been and remain influential. Voting is compulsory in Australia and government is essentially formed by a group commanding a majority of seats in the selecting a leader who becomes.

Australia remains a in which the largely ceremonial and procedural duties of the monarch are performed by a selected by the Australian government. Australia fought at Britain's side from the outset of and and came under attack from the Empire of Japan during the latter conflict. These wars profoundly affected Australia's sense of nationhood and a proud military legend developed around the spirit of Australia's troops, who came to symbolise the virtues of mateship, courage and endurance for the nation. The Australian colonies had a period of extensive multi-ethnic immigration during the of the latter half of the 19th century, but following Federation in 1901, the Parliament instigated the that gave preference to British migrants and ensured that Australia remained a predominantly Anglo-Celtic society until well into the 20th Century. The post- immigration program saw the policy dismantled by successive governments, permitting large numbers of Southern European, and later Asian and Middle Eastern migrants to arrive. The and dismantled the legal barriers to multi-ethnic immigration and by the 1970s, the and were promoting. Countries of birth of Australian estimated resident population, 2006 Some retained discriminatory laws relating to voting rights for Aborigines into the 1960s, at which point full legal equality was established.

A to include all Aborigines in the national electoral roll census was overwhelmingly approved by voters. In 1984, people who were living a traditional desert-dwelling life were tracked down in the and brought into a settlement. They are believed to have been the last. While the British cultural influence remained strong into the 21st century, other influences became increasingly important. The Hawaiian sport of surfing was adopted in Australia where a beach culture and the locally developed movement was already burgeoning in the early 20th century. American pop culture and cinema were embraced in the 20th century, with country music and later rock and roll sweeping Australia, aided by the new technology of television and a host of American content. The 1956 announced a confident, prosperous post-war nation, and new cultural icons like star and Barry Humphries expressed a uniquely Australian identity.

Australia's contemporary immigration program has two components: a program for skilled and family migrants and a humanitarian program for refugees and asylum seekers. By 2010, the post-war immigration program had received more than 6.5 million migrants from every continent.

The population tripled in the six decades to around 21 million in 2010, including people originating from 200 countries. More than 43 per cent of Australians were either born overseas or have one parent who was born overseas. The population is highly urbanised, with more than 75% of Australians living in urban centres, largely along the coast.

Contemporary Australia is a pluralistic society, rooted in traditions and espousing informality and egalitarianism as key societal values. While strongly influenced by origins, the culture of Australia has also been shaped by multi-ethnic migration which has influenced all aspects of Australian life, including business, the arts,, and sporting tastes. Contemporary Australia is also a culture that is profoundly influenced by global movements of meaning and communication, including advertising culture. In turn, globalizing corporations from Holden to Exxon have attempted to associate their brand with Australian cultural identity. This process intensified from the 1970s onwards. According to, “ this consciously created interlock of the image of the multinational corporation with aspects of Australia’s national mythology, has itself over the last decade [the 1970s to 1980s] contributed to the maintenance and evolution of those national themes. But paradoxically, during the same period it has reinforced Australia’s international orientation.

” Symbols [ ]. Australia's floral emblem and the source of Australia's national colours, When the Australian colonies federated on 1 January 1901, an official competition for a design for an was held. The design that was adopted contains the in the left corner, symbolising Australia's historical links to the, the stars of the on the right half of the flag indicating Australia's geographical location, and the seven-pointed Federation Star in the bottom left representing the six. Other official flags include the, the and the flags of the individual states and territories. The was granted by in 1912 and consists of a shield containing the badges of the six states, within an ermine border. The crest above the shield and helmet is a seven-pointed gold star on a blue and gold wreath, representing the 6 states and the territories.

The shield is supported by a and an. Green and gold were confirmed as in 1984, though the colours had been adopted by many national sporting teams long before this. The ( Acacia pycnantha) was officially proclaimed as the national floral emblem in 1988. Reflecting the country's status as a, a number of royal symbols exist in Australia. These include symbols of the, as well as the monarch's representatives.

Despite the fact that the is not resident in Australia, the Crown and royal institutions remain part of Australian life. The, including all coins and the five dollar note, bears an image of the reigning monarch,. Around 12% of public lands in Australia are referred to as, including reserves set aside for environmental conservation as well as vacant land. [ ] There are many geographic places that have been named in honour of a reigning monarch, including the states of and, named after, with numerous rivers, streets, squares, parks and buildings carrying the names of past or present members of the Royal Family. Through royal there are many that have been granted a Royal prefix. These organisations, including branches of the, often incorporate royal symbols into their imagery. Language [ ].

Poetic humorist of Although Australia has no official language, it is largely with English being the de facto. Is a major variety of the language which is immediately distinguishable from,, and other national dialects by virtue of its unique accents, pronunciations, idioms and vocabulary, although its spelling more closely reflects British versions rather than American. According to the 2011 census, English is the only language spoken in the home for around 80% of the population. The next most common languages spoken at home are Mandarin (1.7%), Italian (1.5%), and Arabic (1.4%); almost all migrants speak some English. Australia has a sign language known as, which in 2004 was the main language of about 6,500 deaf people. It is believed that there were between 200 and 300 Australian Aboriginal languages at the time of first European contact, but only about 70 of these have survived and all but 20 are now endangered.

Download Hindi Song Aye Khuda Mujhko Bata. An indigenous language is the main language for 0.25% of the population. Founded by (left), nurtured such as (right).

Founded in 1880, did much to create the idea of an Australian national character—one of,, and a concern for the '—forged against the brutalities of the bush. This image was expressed within the works of its, the most famous of which are, widely regarded as Australia's finest short-story writer, and, author of classics such as ' (1889) and ' (1890). In about the nature of life in the bush, Lawson said Paterson was a romantic while Paterson attacked Lawson's pessimistic outlook. Wrote humour in the Australian vernacular, notably in the verse novel (1915), while wrote the iconic patriotic poem ' (1908) which rejected prevailing fondness for England's 'green and shaded lanes' and declared: 'I love a sunburnt country'. Early Australian was also embedded in the bush tradition; perennial favourites include 's (1918), ' (1918) and 's (1933). Significant poets of the early 20th century include, and. The nationalist arose in the 1930s and sought to develop a distinctive Australian poetry through the appropriation of Aboriginal languages and ideas.

In contrast, the, centred around ' journal of the same name, promoted international. A backlash resulted in the affair of 1943, Australia's most famous. The legacy of, renowned for her 1901 novel, is the, which is 'presented each year to a novel which is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases'. Won the inaugural award for in 1957; he went on to win the 1973., and are recipients of the. Other acclaimed Australian authors include,,, and. 's 1977 novel is widely considered one of Australia's first contemporary novels–she has since written both fiction and non-fiction work. Notable expatriate authors include the feminist and humorist.

Among the best known contemporary poets are and. Is known as the first indigenous author. Was the first to publish a book of verse. A significant contemporary account of the experiences of Indigenous Australia can be found in 's. Contemporary academics and activists including and are prominent essayists and authors on Aboriginal issues.

( The Story of Anzac: From the Outbreak of War to the End of the First Phase of the Gallipoli Campaign 4 May 1915, 1921) ( The Tyranny of Distance, 1966), (, 1987), (A History of Australia, 1962–87), and ( First Australians, 2008) are authors of important Australian histories. The in Melbourne Hobart's opened in 1837 and is Australia's oldest continuously operating theatre. Inaugurated in 1839, the is one of Melbourne's oldest cultural institutions, and Adelaide's, established in 1841, is today the oldest purpose-built theatre on the mainland. The mid-19th century provided funds for the construction of grand theatres in the Victorian style, such as the in Melbourne, established in 1854. After Federation in 1901, theatre productions evidenced the new sense of national identity. (1912), based on the stories of, portrays a pioneer farming family and became immensely popular.

Sydney's grand opened in 1928 and after restoration remains one of the nation's finest auditoriums. In 1955, by portrayed resolutely Australian characters and went on to international acclaim. That same year, young Melbourne artist performed as for the first time at 's Union Theatre. His satirical stage creations, notably Dame Edna and, became Australian cultural icons. Humphries also achieved success in the USA with tours on and has been honoured in Australia and Britain. Founded in Sydney 1958, the boasts famous alumni including, and. Construction of the began in 1970 and South Australia's Sir became director of the Adelaide Festival of Arts.

The new wave [ ] of Australian theatre debuted in the 1970s. The presented works by and.

The, inaugurated in 1973, is the home of and the. The was created in 1990. A period of success for Australian musical theatre came in the 1990s with the debut of musical biographies of Australian music singers ( in 1998) and ( ). In The One Day of the Year, studied the paradoxical nature of the commemoration by Australians of the defeat of the.

Ngapartji Ngapartji, by and, recounts the story of the effects on the of nuclear testing in the Western Desert during the. It is an example of the contemporary fusion of traditions of drama in Australia with Pitjantjatjara actors being supported by a multicultural cast of Greek, Afghan, Japanese and New Zealand heritage. Architecture [ ]. Buildings in, Melbourne Australia has three architectural listings on 's list: (comprising a collection of separate sites around Australia, including in Sydney, in Tasmania, and in Western Australia); the; and the in Melbourne.

Contemporary Australian architecture includes a number of other iconic structures, including the in Sydney and. Significant architects who have worked in Australia include Governor 's colonial architect,; the ecclesiastical architect; the designer of Canberra's layout,; the modernist; and, designer of the Sydney Opera House. The is a non-governmental organisation charged with protecting Australia's built heritage. Evidence of permanent structures built by Indigenous Australians before European settlement of Australia in 1788 is limited.

Much of what they built was temporary, and was used for housing and other needs. As a British colony, the first European buildings were derivative of the European fashions of the time. Tents and huts preceded more substantial structures. Is seen in early government buildings of Sydney and Tasmania and the homes of the wealthy. While the major Australian cities enjoyed the boom of the, the of the mid-19th century brought major construction works and exuberant to the major cities, particularly Melbourne, and regional cities such as and. Other significant architectural movements in Australian architecture include the at the turn of the 20th century, and the modern styles of the late 20th century which also saw many older buildings demolished.

The is a term which denotes the primarily residential style of warm climate architecture developed in Queensland and northern parts of New South Wales. Religious architecture is also prominent throughout Australia, with large and cathedrals in every major city and Christian churches in most towns. Notable examples include and. Other houses of worship are also common, reflecting the cultural diversity existing in Australia; the oldest Islamic structure in the Southern Hemisphere is the (built in the 1880s), and one of the Southern Hemisphere's largest is 's. Sydney's -style was consecrated in 1878.

Historically, have also been noted for often distinctive designs. Significant concern was raised during the 1960s, with developers threatening the destruction of historical buildings, especially in Sydney. Heritage concerns led to union-initiated, which saved significant examples of Australia's architectural past. Green bans helped to protect historic 18th-century buildings in from being demolished to make way for office towers, and prevented the from being turned into a car park for the Sydney Opera House. (1937), an iconic photograph by Aboriginal is the oldest continuous art tradition in the world, dating as far back as 60,000 years. From the and imagery in the to the, it is spread across hundreds of thousands of sites, making Australia the richest continent in terms of.

19th century Indigenous activist painted ceremonial scenes, such as. The, led by, received national fame in the 1950s for their desert. Leading critic saw as 'the last great art movement of the 20th century'. Key exponents such as, and the group use acrylic paints on canvas to depict set in a symbolic topography. 's (1977) typifies this style, popularly known as '.

Art is important both culturally and economically to Indigenous society; central Australian Indigenous communities have 'the highest per capita concentrations of artists anywhere in the world'. Issues of race and identity are raised in the works of many Indigenous artists, including and. Heralded Melbourne as the 'street art capital of the world'. And were among the foremost landscape painters during the colonial era.

The origins of a distinctly Australian school of painting is often associated with the of the late 1800s. Major figures of the movement include, and. They painted, like the, and sought to capture the intense light and unique colours of the Australian bush. Popular works such as McCubbin's (1889) and Roberts' (1890) defined an emerging sense of national identity in the lead-up to Federation. Civic monuments to national heroes were erected; an early example is ' 1865 statue of the ill-fated explorers, located in Melbourne.

Among the first Australian artists to gain a reputation overseas was the impressionist in the 1880s. He and of the Heidelberg School were the only Australian painters known to have close links with the European at the time. Other notable expatriates include, a painter of sensual portraits, and sculptor, known for his commissioned works in Australia and abroad. The Heidelberg tradition lived on in 's imagery of gum trees. And were pioneers of in Australia. And excelled at printmaking; the latter artist advocated for a modern national art based on Aboriginal designs.

The conservative art establishment largely opposed modern art, as did the Lindsays and. Controversy over modern art in Australia reached a climax when won the 1943 for portraiture. Despite such opposition, new artistic trends grew in popularity. Photographer created bold modernist compositions of Sydney beach culture.,, and were members of the, a group of who revived Australian landscape painting through the use of myth, folklore and personal symbolism. The use of allowed artists to evoke the strange disquiet of the outback, exemplified in Nolan's iconic series and 's (1948). The post-war landscapes of, and border on, while the and further explored the possibilities of figurative painting.

Photographer, sculptor, and 'living art exhibit' are among Australia's best-known contemporary artists. 's output of, 's poetic cartoons, and 's Sydney Harbour views are widely known through reproductions. Have sprung up in unlikely places, from the annual exhibitions to the rural of '. Australian flourished at the turn of the 21st century,. Major arts institutions in Australia include the in Melbourne, the, and in Canberra, and the in Sydney. The in Hobart is the Southern Hemisphere's largest private museum. Actor playing the bushranger in (1906), the world's first Australia's first dedicated film studio, the, was created by in Melbourne in 1898, and is believed to be the world's first.

The world's first feature-length film was the 1906 Australian production. Tales of, gold mining, convict life and the colonial frontier dominated the. Filmmakers such as and based many of their productions on Australian novels, plays, and even paintings. An enduring classic is Longford and 's 1919 film, adapted from by C. After such early successes, Australian cinema suffered from the rise of. In 1933, was directed by, who cast as the leading actor.

Flynn went on to a celebrated career in Hollywood. Chauvel directed a number of successful Australian films, the last being 1955's, which was notable for being the first Australian film to be shot in colour, and the first to feature Aboriginal actors in lead roles and to be entered at the Cannes Film Festival. It was not until 2006 and 's that a major feature-length drama was shot in an indigenous language. 's 1942 documentary feature was the first Australian film to win an. In 1976, posthumously became the first Australian actor to win an Oscar for his role in.

During the late 1960s and 1970s an influx of government funding saw the development of a new generation of filmmakers telling distinctively Australian stories, including directors, and. This era became known as the. Films such as, and had an immediate international impact. These successes were followed in the 1980s with the historical epic, the romantic drama, the comedy, and the post-apocalyptic. Founded in 1993, Sydney's is the world's largest short film festival.

The 1990s saw a run of successful comedies including and, which helped launch the careers of and respectively. Features prominently in Australian film, with a strong tradition of self-mockery, from the style of the expat-in-Europe movies of the 1970s, to the ' 1997 homage to suburbia, starring in his debut film role. Comedies like the barn yard animation (1995), directed by; 's (2000); and 's (1994) all feature in the top ten box-office list. During the 1990s, a new crop of Australian stars were successful in Hollywood, including, and. Between 1996 and 2013, won four for her costume and production designs, the most for any Australian.

(2004) and (2005) are credited with the revival of Australian horror. The domestic film industry is also supported by US producers who produce in Australia following the decision by Fox head to utilise new studios in Melbourne and Sydney where filming could be completed well below US costs. Notable productions include, episodes and, and starring and.

Performers Music is an integral part of Aboriginal culture. The most famous feature of their music is the.

This wooden instrument, used amongst the Aboriginal tribes of northern Australia, makes a distinctive droning sound and it has been adopted by a wide variety of non-Aboriginal performers. Aboriginal musicians have turned their hand to Western popular musical forms, often to considerable commercial success. Pioneers include and, while notable contemporary examples include,, the, and. (formerly of Yothu Yindi) has attained international success singing contemporary music in English and in the language of the.

Is a successful singer. Amongst young Australian aborigines, and Aboriginal music and clothing is popular. The are an annual celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community.

Folk music and national songs [ ]. Cover of Old Bush Songs, 's 1905 collection of The of Australia is '. The early immigrants of the 18th and 19th centuries introduced folk ballad traditions which were adapted to Australian themes: ' tells of the voyage of British convicts to Sydney, ' evokes the spirit of the bushrangers, and ' speaks of the life of Australian shearers. The lyrics of Australia's best-known folk song, ', were written by the bush poet Banjo Paterson in 1895.

This song remains popular and is regarded as 'the nation's unofficial national anthem'. Well-known singers of Australian folk music include (who wrote '),, and whose 1972 song ' is a sorrowful lament to the Gallipoli Campaign. Classical music [ ]. Portrait of by Rupert Bunny The earliest Western musical influences in Australia can be traced back to two distinct sources: the first free settlers who brought with them the European classical music tradition, and the large body of convicts and sailors, who brought the traditional folk music of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The practicalities of building a colony mean that there is very little music extant from this early period although there are samples of music originating from and Sydney that date back to the early 19th century.

Travelled to Europe in 1886 to commence her international career as an opera singer. She became among the best known Australians of the period and participated in early gramophone recording and radio broadcasting. The establishment of choral societies (c.

1850) and symphony orchestras (c. 1890) led to increased compositional activity, although many Australian classical composers worked entirely within European models.

Popular works such as 's ' (1918) were heavily influenced by the folk music of other countries and a conservative British orchestral tradition. In the mid 20th century, as pressure built to express a uniquely Australian identity in music, composers such as and drew influence from nature and Aboriginal culture, and turned to music. Combined his penchant for international modernism with an own individual voice. By the beginning of the 1960s, Australian classical music erupted with influences, with composers incorporating disparate elements into their work, ranging from Aboriginal and south-east Asian music and instruments, to American and, to the belated discovery of European atonality and the. Composers like,, and epitomise this period. In recent times composers including,,,,,,,, and have embodied the pinnacle of established.

Well-known Australian classical performers include: sopranos, Dame,,, and; pianists,,, and; guitarists and; horn player; oboist; violinists and; cellist; orchestras including the, the, the and the; and conductors Sir, and. Indigenous performers like player and immigrant musicians like Egyptian-born virtuoso have stimulated interest in their own music traditions and have also collaborated with other musicians and ensembles both in Australia and internationally.

Popular music [ ]. Singer-songwriter became the first Australian artist to reach the national charts with his 1958 hit '. While American and British content dominated airwaves and record sales into the 1960s, local successes began to emerge, notably and. The and rose to prominence in Australia before going on to international success.

Australian performers continued to do well at a local and international level into the 1980s, for example,,,, and. Held since 1987, the are Australia's premier music.,,, and are among the most successful artists in the awards' history. Singer-songwriter, whose music style straddles folk, rock, and country, has been described as the poet laureate of Australian music. Spurred in part by the national expansion of youth radio station, a string of successful alternative Australian acts have emerged since the 1990s, including,, and. Has developed a style quite distinct from its US counterpart, drawing on Celtic folk and the Australian bush ballad tradition. Pioneers of popular Australian country music include in the 1930s and from the 1940s onward. Known as the 'King of Australian Country Music', released over 100 albums in a career spanning almost six decades; his 1957 hit ' was the first Australian single to go.

Dusty's wife penned several of his most popular songs. Other notable Australian country music performers include who wrote the iconic song ',, and. And have attained success in the United States. The is held annually in, the 'Country Music Capital of Australia'. During the festival the holds the ceremony awarding the trophies.

Dance [ ] The ceremonial dances of recount stories of the and have been performed for thousands of years. [ ] is a traditional style of Australian with strong roots influenced by country music. It is generally accompanied by such instruments as the fiddle, accordion, concertina and percussion instruments. Television [ ]. The building in 's.

SBS is Australia's broadcaster. Experiments with television began in Australia in the 1930s and television was officially launched on 16 September 1956, in Sydney. Colour TV arrived in 1975. The are the major annual awards for Australian TV.

While US and British television is popular in Australia, locally produced content has had many successes. Successful local product has included and in the late 1960s and early 1970s, in the late 1960s, and in the 1970s, in the 1980s and (1981–1993), and in the 1980s and 1990s. Many of the shows from the mid-1980s onwards have been exported and have sometimes been even more successful abroad, such as 's.

Popular stars of Australian TV have included: the pioneer variety show hosts,, and, and contemporary talk show hosts and. Popular international exports include,, and.

Performing in the United States in 2007 While Australia has ubiquitous media coverage, the longest established part of that media is the (ABC), the Federal Government owned and funded organisation offering national TV and radio coverage. The ABC, like the BBC in Britain, CBC in Canada, and PBS in the United States, is a non-commercial public service broadcaster, showing many or productions from Britain. The publicly funded (SBS) has a multicultural focus, broadcasting TV and radio programmes in a variety of languages, as well as world news and documentary programming in English. SBS commenced as a commercial-free enterprise, but this changed in 2006 with the broadcasting of commercials between programs. In 2005, ABC and SBS accounted for 15.7% and 6.1% of the national ratings, respectively. Commercial broadcasters include the, the and on broadcasting to the larger cities with affiliated regional networks like and broadcasting to regional areas., and have been the main providers of pay TV.

And are among the popular Pay TV channels. The, established in 2001, is Australia's international television service, beaming to more than 44 countries across Asia, the Pacific and the Indian subcontinent. The ABC has made a significant contribution to television drama with popular series like, and to comedy with the 1970s hits and and more recently, and.

Debate about the role of the ABC continues; many assign it a marginal role, as commercial TV and radio stations are far more popular choices. Critics [ ] claim that Australian children view television programs imported largely from the US, however, the Australian Content Standard requires all free-to-air commercial networks to broadcast an annual minimum of 55% Australian content between 6 a.m. And midnight. American dramas and comedies rate well on Australian TV. Religion [ ]. At by convict artist, ca.

Aboriginal Australian religious practices associated with the have been practised for tens of thousands of years. Australia has no official state religion and the prohibits the Commonwealth government from or interfering with the. According to the 2011, 61.1% of Australians were listed as. Historically, this proportion has been higher and a growing proportion of the population define themselves as, with 22.3% of Australians declaring 'no religion' on the census.

There are also growing communities of various other religions. From the early decades after federation, people from diverse religious backgrounds have held public office. The first Jewish Governor General,, was selected by the first Catholic prime minister,, in the 1930s. In recent times, some prime ministers have identified as religious, others as non-religious. Established an extensive network of schools and is Australia's first of the.

Christianity has had an enduring impact on Australia. At the time of Federation in 1901, 97% of Australians professed to be Christians. The Anglican Church (formerly ) remained the largest denomination until 1986, when it was surpassed by the Roman Catholic Church.

Australian Catholics were predominantly of Irish origin until post-World War II immigration brought more than a million Catholics from elsewhere in Europe. The Christian festivals of and are national public holidays in Australia. Christian charitable organisations, hospitals and schools have played a prominent role in welfare and education since colonial times. In 2008, 20% of total students attended schools.

Christian organisations such as the, the and provide social services throughout Australia. Historically significant Christians include preachers, the first Aboriginal author, and the Reverend, who founded the.

Suffragette was not only Australia's first female political candidate, but also one of its first female preachers., who co-founded an order of nuns in the 19th century, called the, became the first Australian to be canonised as a Catholic Saint in 2010, and Sir, a preacher and Aboriginal rights activist was the first indigenous Australian to be appointed Governor of an Australian State. Multicultural immigration has increased Australia's religious diversity. The proportion of the total population who are Christian fell from 71% in 1996 to around 61.1% in 2011, while people affiliated with non-Christian religions increased from around 3.5% to 7.2% over the same period. Increased most rapidly from 1.1% to 2.5%.

Increased immigration from South-East Asia has been a major factor in this growth, but Australians of Anglo-Celtic origin have also shown increasing interest in Buddhism. Increased during the period from 1.1% to 2.2% with diverse communities concentrated mainly in Sydney and Melbourne. The dates back to the First Fleet, which brought Jewish convicts to Sydney in 1788. Today, many Jews in Australia originated as refugees and who arrived during and after World War II. Came to Australia as labourers and merchants during the 19th century and numbers increased dramatically from the 1960s, more than doubling between 1996 and 2006. The tradition and spirituality of Aboriginal Australians places great emphasis on the role of tribal Elders in passing down stories of the, and skills and lessons for survival (such as hunting and ).

The creation story and belief system of the Aboriginal tradition, known in English as the, reverences the land and the animals and spirits that inhabit the land and animals. European settlement introduced Indigenous Australians to Christianity, especially through '. There was a wide range of experiences of the missions by Aboriginal people.

Public holidays [ ]. Dawn services are held throughout Australia every April. Australia's calendar of public holiday festivals begins with. This is also the day upon which the Australian Federation officially came into being, however the national day,, is celebrated on 26 January, the anniversary of British colonisation., 25 April is another day strongly associated with Australian nationhood, however it more particularly commemorates Australians who fought in wars and is named to honour the soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who landed at Gallipoli, on that same day in 1915, during World War I. The Christian festivals of and are public holidays in Australia. Christmas Day, 25 December, falls during the summer. Is also a public holiday, but on different days throughout the nation.

The is generally observed on the second Monday in June, except in Western Australia, where it usually is observed in September or October to move it away from. On the Queen's Birthday holiday, as on Australia Day, national awards are distributed to distinguished citizens for services to the community. Harvested in Contemporary Australian cuisine combines British and indigenous origins with Mediterranean and Asian influences. Australia's abundant natural resources allow access to a large variety of quality meats, and to barbecue beef or lamb in the open air is considered a cherished national tradition. The great majority of Australians live close to the sea and Australian seafood restaurants have been listed among the world's best. Refers to a wide variety of plant and animal foods native to the Australian bush: bush fruits such as, and; and of Australia's saltwater river systems; and bush meats including, and.

Many of these are still seasonally hunted and gathered by Indigenous Australians, and are undergoing a renaissance of interest on contemporary Australian menus. The is the most famous bushfood plant harvested and sold in large quantities. Sheep grazing in rural Australia. Early British settlers introduced Western stock and crops and now produces an abundance of fresh produce. Early British settlers brought familiar meats and crops with them from Europe and these remain important in the Australian diet. The British settlers found some familiar game – such as,,, and fish – but the new settlers often had difficulty adjusting to the prospect of as a staple diet. They established agricultural industries producing more familiar Western style produce.

Queensland and New South Wales became Australia's main producers, while farming is found in the southern states, predominantly in Victoria. Wheat and other grain crops are spread fairly evenly throughout the mainland states.

Is also a major crop in Queensland and New South Wales. Fruit and vegetables are grown throughout Australia. ',, and the continue to represent traditional meals for many Australians. The post-World War II multicultural immigration program brought new flavours and influences, with waves of immigrants from Greece, Italy, Vietnam, China, and elsewhere bringing about diversification of the typical diet consumed.

Australia's 11 million square kilometre fishing zone is the third largest in the world and allows for easy access to seafood which significantly influences Australian cuisine. Clean ocean environments produce high quality seafoods.,,, and are the main ocean species harvested commercially, while produces more than 60 species for consumption, including, salmonoids,,, prawns,,, and. While inland river and lake systems are relatively sparse, they nevertheless provide some unique fresh water game fish and crustacea suitable for dining. Fishing and aquaculture constitute Australia's fifth most valuable agricultural industry after,, and.

Is a well-known spread originating from Australia. Iconic Australian desserts include and. Recall the diet of Australia's soldiers at the. Beverages [ ].

A used for heating water Australia's reputation as a nation of heavy drinkers goes back to the earliest days of colonial Sydney, when and grain shortages followed the installation of the first. Despite this reputation, Australia consumes than Western and Eastern European nations such as Great Britain, France, Italy and Russia, and Asian nations such as South Korea. Is considered to have founded Australia's first commercial brewery in 1798 and the in Hobart has been operating since 1832. Since the 1970s, Australian beers have become increasingly popular globally, with being an iconic export.

Foster's is not however the biggest seller on the local market, with alternatives including outselling it. Was a staple drink of the Australian colonial period. It is typically boiled over a camp fire with a gum leaf added for flavouring. The industry is the world's fourth largest exporter of wine and contributes $5.5 billion per annum to the nation's economy. Wine is produced in every state, however, wine regions are mainly in the southern, cooler regions.

Amongst the most famous wine districts are the and and among the best known wine producers are,, and. The Australian was the first wine from outside France or California to win the award for Wine of the Year in 1995. Clothing and apparel [ ]. 2011 Australia has no official designated, but iconic local styles include bushwear and surfwear. The country's best-known fashion event is, a twice yearly industry gathering showcasing seasonal collections from Australian and Asia Pacific Designers.

Top Australian models include, and (). Major clothing brands associated with bushwear are the broad brimmed hats, coats and bushmen's outfitters (featuring in particular: trousers, and woolwear). And are also linked to this tradition. Made from the leaves of, the was the first uniquely Australian headwear, dating back to the early 1800s, and was the hat of choice for colonial-born Australians. Traditionally worn by and in the infested Australian outback, the is a type of headgear strongly associated with Australia, and comprises strung from the brim, to ward off insects. World-famous Australian surfwear labels include,, and.

Australian surfers popularised the, a unisex sheepskin boot with fleece on the inside, a tanned outer surface and a synthetic sole. Worn by the working classes in Australia, the boot style emerged as a global fashion trend in the 2000s.

The was first worn by military forces in Australia in 1885, looped up on one side so that rifles could be held at the slope without damaging the brim. After federation, the slouch hat became standard Australian Army headgear in 1903 and since then it has developed into an important national symbol and is worn on ceremonial occasions by the Australian army. A group of Australian men wearing budgy smugglers. Australians generally have a relaxed attitude to what beachgoers wear, although this has not always been the case. At the start of the twentieth century a proposed ordinance in Sydney would have forced men to wear skirts over their 'bathing costume' to be decent. This led to the which resulted in the proposal being dropped.

In 1961, inspector Aub Laidlaw, already known for kicking women off the beach for wearing, arrested several men wearing charging them with indecency. The judge found the men not guilty because no pubic hair was exposed. As time went on Australians' attitudes to swimwear became much more relaxed.

Over time swim briefs, better known locally as speedos or more recently as budgy smugglers, became an iconic swimwear for Australian males. Main article: Many Australians are passionate about sport, and it forms a major part of the country's culture in terms of spectating and participation. Cricket is popular in the summer, and football codes are popular in the winter. It is generally agreed that cricket enjoys the most popularity in all parts of the country. Australian traditions such as and are shared amongst the codes. Australia's successes in events such as the,, World Cup competitions in,,,,, and major tournaments in,,, and other sports are a source of pride for many Australians.

Sportspeople such as,, and remain in the nation's cultural memory and are accorded high civilian honours and public status. Is often cited as statistically the greatest sportsman of any major sport. The first recorded cricket match in Australia took place in Sydney in 1803. Started in 1851 and inter-state cricket continues to this day. In 1866–67, prominent cricketer and pioneer coached an Aboriginal cricket team, which later under the captaincy of. The 1876–77 season is notable for a match between a combined from New South Wales and Victoria and a at the, which was later recognised as the first.

A famous victory on the resulted in the placement of a satirical in an English newspaper saying that English cricket had 'died', and the 'body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia'. The English media then dubbed the next English tour to Australia () as the quest to 'regain the ashes'. The tradition continues with series, an icon of the sporting rivalry between the two countries. Successful cricketers often become lasting celebrities in Australia. Sir, who made his Test debut in the against England, is regarded as the game's greatest batsman and a byword for sporting excellence.

Other Australian cricketers who remain household names include, and. Internationally, Australia has for most of the last century sat at or near the top of the cricketing world. In the 1970s, Australian media tycoon founded from which many international forms of the game have evolved.

Events on the cricket pitch have occasionally been elevated to diplomatic incidents in Australian history, such as the infamous controversy of the 1930s, in which the English team bowled in a physically intimidating way leading to accusations of unsportsmanlike conduct. Football codes [ ]. Statue in of an taking a is the most highly attended spectator sport in Australia. Its core support lies in four of the six states: Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania. Originating in Melbourne in the late 1850s and codified in 1859, the sport is the world's oldest major football code.

The national competition, the (AFL), in 1990, and has expanded to all states except Tasmania. The is traditionally played on the last Saturday of September at the, the sport's 'spiritual home'. Has a strong set of rituals and traditions, such as and. Is a of Australian football and devised to facilitate matches between Australia and Ireland. Was first played in Australia in the 1860s and is followed predominately in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. The is known as the Wallabies. Despite having a relatively small player base, Australia has twice won the, in and, and hosted the.

Other notable competitions include the annual, played against Australia's main rivals, the, and, involving, New Zealand, and. Provincial teams from Australia, South Africa and New Zealand compete in the annual competition. Rugby are also popular and have at times become highly politicised, such as when many Australians, including the Wallabies, demonstrated against the racially selected South African teams of the 1970s.

Notable Australian rugby union players include Sir, and. The first shield In 1908, was established in Australia, by former rugby union players and supporters as a breakaway professional code. The new code gained and has maintained a wider following in Australia than rugby union, which remained amateur until the 1990s. The sport has roots in the working class communities of and in Northern England, translating to similar areas in and.

The elite club competition is the (NRL), which features ten teams from New South Wales, three teams from Queensland, and one team each from Victoria, Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The season culminates in the. The New South Wales and Queensland compete in the annual., the Kangaroos, has contested all 15 titles, winning 11 of them. Despite attracting less media attention than Australian rules football and rugby league, is Australia's highest participation football code. During the second half of the 20th century many Australian soccer clubs were based around ethnic groups, mostly European. [ ] However, the was completely reformed in 2004., the Socceroos, has competed in the finals of five championships.

In 2006 the Socceroos moved from the to the, a much stronger confederation which has allowed the Australian team to avoid repetition of a history of missed World Cup qualifications in forced sudden-death playoffs. Australia won the. Major international stars from Australia include,, and. Water sports [ ]. The movement originated in Australia.

(Pictured: surf lifesavers,, 1930s). Australia's warm climate and long coastline of sandy beaches and rolling waves provide ideal conditions for water sports such as and. The majority of Australians live in cities or towns on or near the coast, and so beaches are a place that millions of Australians visit regularly. Swimming is a popular pastime for Australians. In the early 1900s, members of the Australian pioneered the ('Australian crawl') and. Australia is a world power in Olympic swimming, second only to the United States in total gold medals in the sport.

Swimmers like, and have taken multiple gold medals. Australians have a particular affinity for, and surf lifesavers have a revered status in Australian culture. The world's first surf lifesaving club,, was founded at, Sydney, in 1906. Has conducted hundreds of thousands of rescues around Australia.

Tens of thousands of Australians compete in surf lifesaving training and competitions, such as events. Asrock Wifi-802.11g Module Windows 7 Driver on this page. In the summer of 1915, of introduced riding to Sydney's, amazing locals and starting a long term love affair with the sport in Australia. Over 1 in 10 Australians surf recreationally, and more Australians have been declared than any other nation. The yacht race is a much anticipated fixture on the Australian sporting calendar. Australia won the under skipper in, becoming the first country other than the United States to win the race. Other sports [ ]. Winning the, 'the race that stops a nation' has had a prominent place in Australian culture since the colonial era, with the first spectator sports event in Australia being 's race meeting at, Sydney, in 1810.

First run in 1861, the is known as 'the race that stops a nation' for the enthusiasm with which Australians tune in for the annual race, and is said to encapsulate the country's twin obsessions of sport and. Is popular in Australia in terms of participation, especially among children. The (NBL) began in 1979 and is contested by eight teams—seven from Australia and one from New Zealand. The (WNBL) is the top women's basketball league, having begun in 1981, and the (the Opals) has won medals at the Olympics since 1994. Has the highest participation rate of any women's sport in Australia. Established in 2008, the is the premier netball league in Australia and New Zealand, featuring five teams from each country. The (the Diamonds) is considered the best in the world, having won 10 of 13.

The Australian series is steadily growing in popularity across the world, where television coverage allows. Australia regularly raises world champion teams. Australian have won international cycling competitions, most notably ' win in the. In 2008, the, centred around Adelaide, became the first cycling race to be held outside of Europe. Among young people and within schools nationwide, various forms of handball or games have been among the most prevalent sports games for some decades.

Began in, a goldmining town in the of New South Wales, in the 1860s. Snow sports are enjoyed in the and in Tasmania.

Was first introduced by Norwegian miners in the gold mining town of in the of New South Wales around 1859. The sport remains a popular winter activity in the south-eastern states and territories. Major resorts include, and in New South Wales;, and in Victoria and in Tasmania. Extensive areas are available for cross country skiing within national parks including (NSW), (VIC); (ACT) and in the. Australia has long and has won medals at the Games since the 1990s. Increased interest and participation in American sports has led to opportunities for Australians to play at the top level in sports such as, and. Is a relief pitcher for the, and played in the.

Australian basketballers have done well at the Olympics, coming fourth four times. The skill set of Australian rules footballers fits the mould of US (NFL), and they stand out from their American peers with their ability to tackle returners. Two former AFL footballers competed in the 2009 Championship game as punters, for the and for the.

Graham's appearance in made him the first Australian to play in the NFL's championship game. The first College Bowl game to feature two Australians was the with punter from LSU and defensive end for Alabama. Folklore [ ].

A commemorative statue of, a famous stretcher bearer who was killed in the. Australian stories and legends have a cultural significance independent of their empirical truth or falsehood. This can be seen in the portrayal of as a mixture of the underdog and. Militarily, Australians have served in numerous overseas wars, ranging from through to recent regional security missions, such as, and.

Australian war culture generally consists of sombre reflection and commemoration, focussing on noble sacrifice rather than glory. [ ] An annual national holiday,, exists for this purpose. The Australian experience of defeat in the, the first iconic moment in modern Australia's involvement in war, is viewed by Australians with both pride for the fighting of the soldiers, and bitterness for the perceived negligence on the part of British commanders. The incidences of bravery and determination displayed during the campaign for Gallipoli, as well as the mutual respect for their adversaries led by Kemal, are seen as part of the spirit. During the First World War, Australian soldiers were considered to be remarkably determined, united and hard-working. Many Australians knew how to ride and shoot prior to enlistment, making them talented recruits, but they were also infamous for their lax attitude towards formal parade ground discipline, a notoriety that the Australian soldiers revelled in.

From this the notion of the larrikin emerged, [ ] an important part of contemporary Australian identity. [ ] Attitudes, beliefs and stereotypes [ ] Critics and scholars have sometimes scrutinised Australian culture, with aspects of it loosely criticised for being, low-brow or rooted in poor taste. The term ' was coined to describe this entrenched national inferiority complex which assumes ideas and cultures of other places are automatically superior. Some links have been made between the cultural cringe and a perceived that has underpinned public life in Australia. Some commentators have noted a decline in the cultural cringe in the 21st century, with a 'social change' and wider reverence for Australian culture. The phrase ', coined by, is a reference to Australia's weather, lifestyle, and history.

Ironically, Horne was using the term to criticise the complacency of Australian society in the early 1960s. 'Mateship', or loyal fraternity is the code of conduct, particularly between men, although more recently also between men and women, stressing equality and friendship. The value of mateship is sourced in the difficulty of subduing the land. Unlike other cultures based on a nurturing landscape that they seek to protect from others, Australian settlers experienced great hardship and had to support each other in order to survive.

The battle against the elements led to the nickname of a member of Australia's working class being the 'Aussie battler'. An aspect of the mateship culture on language is that Australians have a propensity for the diminutive forms of names e.g. Hargrave → Hargie; Wilkinson → Wilko; John → Johnno; David → Davo; Hogan → Hoges; James → Jimmy → Jim → Jimbo. This is a display of affection and acceptance rather than belittlement.

One result of the prevalence of the 'mateship' culture is that Australian society is stringently anti-hierarchical. Australians are expected to behave with humility and not think of themselves as better than their peers. Any disloyalty to their 'mates' is treated harshly, and is known as the tall poppy syndrome, where people who grow greater than their peers are harshly criticised as being narcissistic, or 'up themselves'. Even the most successful and beautiful Australians are eager to proclaim how ordinary they are, to the extent that two-thirds of the highest earning households define themselves as middle class, lower middle class or even working class. This egalitarian social system makes Australian society appear 'laid-back' or relaxed to visitors. Most forms of address are by first name or nickname, and only children regularly use titles such as 'Sir' or 'Ma'am' for authority figures.

The culture combined with the original convict and then colonial culture has created an irreverence for established authority, particularly if it is pompous or out of touch with reality. Politicians, or 'pollies', are generally disliked and distrusted.

Politicians who seek to lead must comply to the views of the egalitarian electorate, who will punish any hint of arrogance or glory-seeking behaviour. Voter turnout at elections had in fact been so low that was introduced for the.

Mirroring the which brings back to Earth the high fliers, the egalitarian Australian society has a traditional Australian support for the '.' Australians will show support for those who appear to be at a disadvantage even when the underdog is competing against fellow Australians, such as in sporting events.

Related to the underdog is the belief in a 'fair go', which is said to be a key part of Australian culture and Australian society. One accepted definition of a 'fair go' in this Australian sense is 'a chance, an adequate opportunity. Often used to describe a fair and reasonable course of action'. The right to 'a fair go' has been found to be the most highly rated value on a recent published survey of the opinion of Australian citizens. This belief sustains bipartisan political support for strong public health and education systems in Australia, as well as equal opportunity legislation to ensure people are not excluded from jobs or positions by their race, gender or sexual orientation. This value is frequently cited by politicians who wish to associate themselves or their party with the positive connotations of this notion. There has been ongoing public and political discussion of the place and future of 'the fair go' in Australian society.

This is especially frequent with reference to economics issues and policies. The call for 'a fair go' is also regularly used by advocates wanting to point out groups who have been overlooked or treated unfairly according to the expectations of treatment by the wider community. Recent examples of this include media presentation of the treatment of illegal immigrants, and refugees, as well as the community campaign in support of 'a fair go' for the large group of Australian doctors who have been classified as 'non-vocationally registered ' (non-VR GPs), and are subject to discriminatory pay and conditions compared to their colleagues, for identical work. References [ ].