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Australian weather and the seasons European discovery and the colonisation of Australia Convicts and the British colonies in Australia Australian Indigenous cultural heritage The Australian Gold Rush Great Barrier Reef Australian food and drink Chinese New Year Sydney Opera House Natural disasters in Australia
Like other art forms, Australian theatre has built on previous traditions and developed over time, shaped by local and international artistic movements, events and trends. Australian theatre history incorporates the stories of many actors, entrepreneurs,...
Elizabeth Cameron Dalman OAM is known as the founder of modern Australian dance. Elizabeth Cameron Dalman's foundation of the Australian Dance Theatre led to a flourishing of public programs and workshops in modern dance techniques and improvisation. The...
For example, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders these ceremonies bring together all aspects of their culture - song, dance, body decoration, sculpture and painting. Anny Nungarrayi (centre) with other Warlpiri women perform a traditional dance dur...
Dance is a very dynamic part of Australian performing arts culture. In turn, Australian dance ventures such as Chunky Move, Buzz Dance Theatre and Australian Dance Theatre are bringing their work to the world through international tours. The mix include...
Don McMurdo, Fireworks over the Sydney Opera House, Japan Week, 1988, slide. William Lyster set up his own opera company in 1861, giving audiences their first full scale productions of European opera. Opera Australia was created through the merger of Th...
Hoopdive, The Flying Fruit Fly Circus. Troupes like the Flying Fruit Fly Circus and Circus Oz have spearheaded a new style of circus performance that features highly physical activities and no animal tricks. Judith Lanigan trained with a small modern cir...
Each year the Sydney Festival offers a rich and diverse program spanning all art forms including dance, theatre, music, visual arts, film, forums and large scale free outdoor events. The National Multicultural Festival is held over two weeks and features...
Art forms such as dance, theatre, writing, music and the visual arts draw on the creativity and interests of Australians of many abilities. The Australia Council, Arts Access Australia, [formerly Disability in the Arts, Disadvantage in the Arts (DADAA)] ...
Maritime buildings such as customs houses, quarantine stations, storehouses, warehouses, bond-stores and wharves themselves were often substantial buildings designed by architects or engineers to withstand heavy use and loading. Image courtesy of Brisbane...
And nowhere is this more apparent than in the actions of our front-line troops—soldiers or nurses—whether in the trenches, as prisoners of war or on leave. The significance of sport for Australian soldiers, from the First World War through to...
Comedy is central to Australian cultural identity. Comedy forms the basis of many forms of popular entertainment from live cabaret with stand up comedians to television sketch shows. Australia is a country of climatic and geographic extremes and Austral...
Image courtesy of the National Trust of Queensland, Hou Wang Temple. The businesses in Chinatowns offered accommodation, medicinal herbs, fresh food grown by Chinese market gardeners and groceries. A Chinese school, a language and culture centre and a Ch...
A number of organisations promote Australian music and assist Australian musicians and composers. This Fellowship acts on behalf of Australian composers in matters of copyright, composers' fees and the amount of Australian music broadcast on radio and te...
Australian language, letters and literature in Australia has been influenced by Aboriginal storytelling, convict tales and the desire by colonists to relate their experiences in a new country. Similarly, the bush ballads of Henry Lawson and Andrew 'Banjo...
Waterfront docks, wharves and quay areas played a significant role in Australia's history. Image courtesy of the State Library of New South Wales. Many customs houses and other maritime buildings are usually prime waterfront locations with architecturall...
Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory, is Australia's capital city. The Australian Capital Territory was declared on 1 January 1911 and an international competition was held to design the new capital city of Australia. The competition was won by...
The Australian film industry got off to a flying start, producing what was probably the world's first full length feature film in 1906. The film was the Tait brothers production The Story of the Kelly Gang, a success in both Australian and British theatr...
The first National Sorry Day was held on 26 May 1998 - one year after the tabling of the report Bringing them Home, May 1997. Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission into the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their fami...
Indigenous music in Australia uses the environment itself to generate unique sounds and rhythms. Australian musicians performing across a range of genres, or styles, have achieved international recognition with a unique Australian approach. The opera sin...
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science was established in 1927 and the Academy Awards or Oscars ceremonies commenced in 1929. Image courtesy of Latent Image Productions Pty Ltd and National Film & Sound Archive. Over the past 60 years Australians...
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