Australia

The Land Down Under

• Australia comes from the Latin word Australis, meaning “southern.”

• Became an independent country in 1901; however, it still has ties to Britain.

• Australia is the sixth largest country in the world and is the only country that is also a continent.

• Australia is about the same size as the United States, but only has the same amount of people as Texas.

• There are six states and two territories in Australia.

• The rural area of Australia is called the Bush and the remote area is called the Outback. The outback is the center of Australia and got its name because it is “out back” of the mountains of the Great Dividing Range. Not many people lived in the outback until gold was discovered in 1851.

• Australia is one of the richest mine industries in the world.

• Currency system is like the systems used in the Canada and the United States. There are one hundred cents in an Australian dollar.

• Australia’s national song is “Advance Australia Fair,” composed by Peter Dodds McCormick in 1878. It was declared the national anthem in 1984.

• The Great Barrier Reef is the worlds largest coral reef, which is located in Australia. This is a major tourist attraction.

FACTS

Location: Southern Hemisphere between the Pacific and Indian Ocean.

Climate: Due to Australia being such a large country, there is a great range of climates. With the exception of the lands along the eastern and northern coasts, most of the country is hot and dry. The hottest temperatures have been recorded in northwest Australia of 100 degrees or more for 162 consecutive days. Northern temperatures range from 75 degrees to 85 degrees. Southern temperatures fall below 45 degrees. Due to Australia being south of the equator, seasons are opposite of the seasons north of the equator.

Capital: Canberra

Largest City: Sydney

Population: 21,015, 576 people. There is ten times more sheep than people. This is why Australia is the world’s top producer of wool.

Ethnic Make-up: Caucasian 92%, Asian 7%, and aboriginal and other 1%.

Government: Democratic

Ayers Rock is the World’s largest one piece rock.

Geography

• Australia is divided up into four topographic regions:

• 1- A low, flat, sandy eastern coastal plain.

• 2- The eastern highlands, ranging from 1,000–7,000 feet in altitude. Australia is known for its mountains

• 3- The central plains, consisting largely of a north-south series of drainage basins.

• 4- The western plateau, which is covered with great deserts.

• Australian mountains have eroded over recent geological periods. The average elevation is less than 1,000 feet. The highest point is Mt. Kosciusko, (7,310 ft); the lowest point is Lake Eyre in South Australia, 49 feet below sea level. In 1983, grains of rock from Western Australia were dated at 4.1–4.2 billion years old, making them the oldest ever found on earth.

• The most important river system, and the only one with a permanent, year-round flow, is formed by the Murray, Darling, and Murrumbidgee rivers in the southeast. The Murray River is Australia’s largest river and rises in the Australian Alps of New South Wales.

TOPOGRAPHY

• The first people to live in Australia were the Aborigines. They were dark-skinned, wavy-haired people. They led nomadic lifestyles in the outback. They invented the boomerang to help hunt birds and other small animals. The Aborigines were very artistic and painted detailed designs on rocks and tree bark. Many of the Aborigines died of disease brought by the Europeans in the 1600’s.

THE FIRST PEOPLE

• The Aborigines spoke about two hundred and fifty separate languages, plus dialects. Very few of these languages still remain.

• The primary language of Australia is English, brought by the first English settlers. However, their spelling tends to have a British form.

• Australians often use a lot of slang in their speech. They call their dialect “strine.” Certain words are pronounced differently and certain objects have different names.

• Examples: Australian (Aussie), Barbecue (barbie), Christmas (chrissy), Football (footy), Mosquito (mozzie), Truck driver (truckie), Angry or Irritated (fussed), Tired (knackered), Food (tucker), and

LANGUAGE

• Very down to earth and ALWAYS careful to not give the impression they are better than anyone else.

• They value authenticity and sincerity. They prefer people who are modest, humble, and have a sense of humor.

• They often downplay their success to not draw attention to their achievements. They tend to distrust people who do draw attention to their accomplishments.

• Place a high value on relationships; however, tend to be relatively informal with colleagues.

• Greetings are casual and relaxed. When meeting for the first time they shake hands and use very polite manners.

• Table manners are very strict. When eating you are to hold the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right. Lay your fork parallel on your plate, with the handles facing to the right when you have finished eating. Keep elbows off the table when eating.

AUSSIE MODESTY

• School in Australia begins in January and ends in mid December.

• Start Kindergarten at five years old. Primary school covers grades first through sixth.

• High school consists of middle school, grades seven to ten, and senior school, which is eleventh through twelfth grade.

• School is mandatory through the tenth grade

• Children in the outback correspond by short wave radio.

EDUCATION

• Waltzing Matilda is a popular Australian Folk Song.• A didgeridoo is a long instrument that makes a droning sound which no other

instrument can produce.• Australia’s most famous artist is Albert Namatjira. He was a member of the

Aranda People. He used water colors to show scenes from the outback. One of his popular works was called, “The spirit of the place.”

• Anzac Day is on April 25th. This day honors Australians who died in all wars. Anzac stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.

• Australian Day is celebrated on January 26th. This was the day in 1788 when the English soldiers raised their flag and declared Australia a new colony. Today this is celebrated with street fairs, parties, and fireworks.

• Boxing Day is on December 26th, this is known as a traditional day to spend at the beach. In practical terms it makes for a longer Christmas break. Back in the day this was celebrated by wealthy people in England giving their servants a small box of money, clothing, or another gift as a bonus, on the day after Christmas.

• Moomba Festival is celebrated to give people from different backgrounds a chance to share their culture with one another. There is carnivals, fireworks, and parades.

• They still celebrate traditional holidays such as, Easter, Remembrance Day, and Christmas.

• Australia has an important film industry, it has produced hits such as Babe, Mad Max, and Crocodile Dundee. A television show that was popular from Australia was, The Crocodile Hunter, featuring Steve Irwin. He taught people about Australia’s remarkable wildlife.

CUSTOMS AND CELEBRATIONS

• Birthday parties are celebrated closely related to parties in North America. Games , presents, cake, and barbeque are the major events of a party.

• The eighteenth birthday party is a large, peer-group party to celebrate entry into the adult world. This is when they are given legal rights.

• The twenty-first birthday is a huge party with dinner and dancing. Consists of family and friends. This party represents the time a young person leaves home to live an independent life. As a special gift, a key is given to symbolize the opening of the door to a bright future.

• Weddings in Australia are much like North America. They celebrate with a ceremony and a reception with family and friends.

BIRTHDAYS AND WEDDINGS

• Australia is one of the highest levels of home ownership in the world. The most popular home is the freestanding brick house.

• Sometimes houses are underground due to the extreme heat.

• There are few mansions, instead homes tend to be more like typical American middle-class suburb.

• More than half of adult females work outside the home. Divorce rates are on the rise and there are more single-parent families today than in the past.

• Relationships within the family are relaxed, with everyone helping with chores. Most of the household responsibilities still fall upon the woman.

• Due to Australia’s temperatures being so warm, they tend to wear light clothing in the summer time. To stay cool, many Australians wear long socks and long tailored shorts instead of slacks.

HOME LIFE

• Seafood is very popular in Australia. They also eat a lot of meat, especially beef or land roasts.

• One food still remains an Australian tradition. Vegemite, which is a thick, salty, black spread that combines celery, onions and other vegetables with yeast. All children are brought up eating this from infancy.

• Lamingtons are sponge cake covered in chocolate and coconut. This is eaten as an afternoon snack and tea.

• Breakfast, or “brekkie,” is the largest meal where tea is drank with eggs, toast, and snags(sausage).

• For lunch, Australians eat “sangers,” or sandwiches, fish and chips, meat pies, sausage rolls, and fresh fruit and vegetables.

• Supper includes potatoes, beef, lamb, or “chook,” which is chicken.

• Anzac slice is a popular dish on Anzac Day.

• Fairy Bread is a popular snack at kids parties.

FOOD

• Aborigines unusual religion is Dreamtime. They believe that when the world began time was split into regular time and Dreamtime. It is possible to enter Dreamtime by dreaming or, sometimes, by going into a trance. They believe their ancestors and other mythical beings live forever in Dreamtime and that it is possible to go to them and talk to them during sleep.

• Most of Australians are Christians. The two main denominations are Protestants and Catholics.

RELIGION AND BELIEFS

Catholics Protestants

The Pope is the mediator between 1 Timothy 2:5- For there is one God,

God and mankind. and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Penalties can be reduced by Hebrews 10:10- By the which will we

Indulgences, which involve doing are sanctified through the offering

good works, saying certain prayers, of the body of Jesus Christ once for

going to confession, going to communion all.or doing something else.

No Catholic person is sure they will 1 John 1:7- But if we walk in the light,

go to Heaven when they die, they as he is in the light, we have

might go to purgatory. fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

RELIGION AND BELIEFS

• Australia is best known for its unusual animals. Some of Australia’s animals are found nowhere else on Earth.

• Marsupials are a strange and popular animal. They carry their young in a pouch on their stomach. Examples would be Koalas and Kangaroos

• Koalas look like a furry, cuddly teddy bear. However, they are not bears at all. They sleep during the day and eats at night.

• The Kangaroo is one of Australia’s national symbols. They can jump six feet in one leap. A wallaby is another small kangaroo. A kangaroos young is called a Joey.

• An emu is another national symbol. These are birds that cannot fly. An adult stand up to six feet tall and can run as fast as 30 miles an hour.

• Tasmanian devil s are marsupial s found only in Tasmania. It prowls at night and is a meat-eater.

• A dingo is a wild dog , a descendent of domestic dogs brought to Australia by people from Southeast Asia, about four thousand years ago. A single dingo can kill fifty sheep in one night.

• The Kakadu National Park has 275 different bird species, along with ancient folk art.

• These are just a few of the animals located in Australia; however, there are many more.

ANIMALS

• Model appropriate attitudes and behavior.

• Include multicultural materials in everyday activities.

• Have pictures on the walls of people from different backgrounds.

• Discuss similarities and differences.

• Celebrate different cultures holidays in your classroom.

• Have books in your library center on different cultures.

TIPS FOR TEACHERS

Australians. (2012). Retrieved on October 11, 2012, from

http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Afghanistan-to-Bosnia-Herzegovin...

What is the difference between Catholics and Protestants?

http://www.truth.info/church/catholic.vs.protestant.htm

Gray. S.W. (2001). Australia. Minneapolis, MN. Compass Point Books.

Martin, M. (1988). Children of the World Australia. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Gareth Stevens, Inc.

Kalman, B. (2003). Australia the culture. New York, NY. Crabtree Publishing Company.

Kalman, B. (2003). Australia the people. New York, NY. Crabtree Publishing Company.

BIBLIOGRAPHY