Australian National Identity

Editor: Justin Healey
ISBN 978 1 921507 24 3
Year 2010

Price: $20.95

  

Australian National Identity
Volume 313, Issues in Society

Australia is a young and culturally diverse nation which often struggles with how to define its national identity. What does it mean to be an Australian? What are the values and symbols that represent Australian citizenship and patriotism? This book presents a range of opinions on how the national identity has been shaped through Australian citizenship, symbols and values: multiculturalism, tolerance (a ‘fair go’), national symbols (including the flag debate), British colonial influence, indigenous heritage and dispossession, freedom and democracy (including the republic debate), egalitarianism, the landscape (beaches and ‘the bush’), mateship, larrikinism, the Anzac spirit, sporting obsession, outdoor lifestyle, our image overseas, and what it means to be ‘un-Australian’. When does patriotism become provocation? Do we as a people have an ideal or actual view of our collective identity, or should we in fact embrace and celebrate multiple identities?

Glossary; Fast Facts; Web Links; Index



fast facts
FAST FACTS from this volume
  • Australia is a stable, culturally diverse and democratic society with a skilled workforce and a strong, competitive economy.
  • With a population of more than 21 million, Australia is the only nation to govern an entire continent and is the sixth largest country in the world in land area.
  • Australia’s multicultural society includes its Indigenous peoples and migrants from some 200 countries.
  • Australia is one of the world’s oldest landmasses and has been populated by human beings for an estimated 60,000 years. Before the arrival of European settlers, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples inhabited most areas of the continent. Australia’s contemporary history is relatively short, with the first European settlement established by Great Britain on 26 January 1788.
  • Australia is a tolerant and inclusive society – a nation built by people from many different backgrounds. Vietnam, China, Greece and the United Kingdom are among the main countries from which Australians have migrated. Cultural diversity has become a touchstone of Australia’s national identity.
  • Australia’s unique environment has many native plants, animals and birds that exist nowhere else in the world. The country is actively committed to conserving its natural heritage and has a range of protection procedures in place. Despite the vast size of the continent, the majority of Australians live on the coast and in major cities. Around 75% of Australia’s population lives in urban areas.
  • Austalia is the driest inhabited continent on Earth. Its interior has one of the lowest rainfalls in the world and about three-quarters of the landmass is arid or semi-arid. These arid areas extend from the large central deserts to the western coast. Soils in these areas are characteristically very infertile compared to other deserts of comparable aridity. This has presented Australians with the challenge of how best to manage the variety of regions our continent possesses to meet the competing demands of agriculture, economy and conservation.
  • ‘Multicultural’ is a term that describes the cultural and linguistic diversity of Australian society. Cultural and ling-uistic diversity was a feature of life for the first Australians, well before European settlement. It remains a feature of modern Australian life, and it continues to give us distinct social, cultural and business advantages.
  • The Australian Government’s multicultural policy addresses the consequences of this diversity in the interests of the individual and society as a whole. It recognises, accepts, respects and celebrates our cultural diversity.
  • Although English is Australia’s national language, the cultural diversity within the population has resulted in over 200 languages being spoken in the community. In addition to the languages other than English spoken by migrants who have settled in Australia from all over the world, there are also more than 60 different languages spoken by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. The 2006 Census of Population and Housing found that, in August 2006, 3.1 million people (16% of the population) spoke a language other than English at home, an increase of 285,000 people or 10% since 2001.
  • Over 55,000 people spoke an Australian Indigenous language at home (including Australian Creoles), which equates to 11% of all Indigenous Australians and less than 1% of the total Australian population. The two most commonly spoken Indigenous languages were Torres Strait Creole and Kriol (an Australian Creole). In the Northern Territory, 54% of Indigenous people spoke an Indigenous language at home.
  • In 2006 the six most commonly spoken languages other than English were Italian, Greek, Arabic, Cantonese, Mandarin and Vietnamese with speakers of these languages together comprising 7% of the total population.
  • In response to the 2006 Census question, stated religious affiliations were: 26% Catholic; 19% Anglican; 19% other Christian denominations; and 6% non-Christian religions. Almost 31% of all persons either stated they had no religion, or did not adequately respond to the question to enable classification of their religion.
  • Citizenship is a relatively recent concept for Australia as a nation, having its origins in the Australian Citizenship Act 1948 (Cwlth). Prior to this, Australians were British subjects.
  • Since the inception of the Australian Citizenship Act 1948 (Cwlth) in January 1949, more than three million people born overseas have acquired Australian citizenship. For these people, citizenship is voluntary, expressing a commitment to the laws and principles of Australia, and respect for its land and its people. It confers the opportunity to participate more fully in Australian society, giving the rights to vote, to apply for public office, and to hold an Australian passport and hence leave and re-enter Australia freely.
  • In 2006, more than 270 ancestries were separately identified by Australia’s population. The most commonly stated were Australian (37%) and English (32%), while other main ancestries included Irish (9%), Scottish (8%), Italian (4%), German (4%), and Chinese (3%).
  • The Australian National Flag is Australia’s foremost national symbol. The flag was first flown in 1901 and has become an expression of Australian identity and pride. The flag is an important part of national occasions such as Australia Day, Anzac Day, and Australian National Flag Day.
  • The Australian National Anthem, proclaimed in 1984, ident-ifies Australia at home and overseas. It unites the nation and is a public expression of joy and pride in being Australian. The Australian National Anthem is used at important public ceremonies, sporting and community events.
  • Since the late 1800s green and gold have been popularly accepted as the national sporting colours, both locally and around the world. In 1984 green and gold were formally recognised as the national colours.
  • The Commonwealth Coat of Arms symbolises the ownership and authority of the Australian Government. It was granted in a Royal Warrant in 1912.
  • While Australia has no single uniform national costume, an Australian national dress style, based on specific local dress styles, has emerged in response to climate, lifestyle and identity. An Australian style can be seen clearly in the main types of local dress: bushwear and swimwear, along with Australiana and Indigenous designs. These have been formed by a larrikin attitude, the qualities of mateship and the dictates of an outdoors lifestyle. Dress is also characterised by the migrant experience and the process of cultural borrowing, which is part of the unique history of Australia.