Australian Icons

Contents

Symbols of Australia 4 Australian icons 5 How do icons represent Australia? 6 Icons of the outback 8 Icons of the military 20 The Red Centre 8 Slouch hats 20 The Royal Flying Doctor Service 9 The ‘rising sun’ badge 21 The School of the Air 9 Simpson and his donkey 21 Icons of the bush 10 Icons of sport 22 Gum trees 10 The Ashes 22 Cork hats 11 The Sherrin football 23 Billies 11 Icons of the backyard 24 Icons of the beach 12 The Hills Rotary Hoist 24 Surf lifesavers 12 The Victa lawnmower 25 Thongs 13 Icons we eat 26 Icons of Indigenous Vegemite 26 Australia 14 Meat pies 27 The rainbow serpent 14 Barbecues 28 Daris 15 Bush foods 29 Dot paintings 16 Rock art 17 Glossary words Icons of colonial Australia 18 When a word is printed in bold, click on it to find its meaning. Ned Kelly’s helmet 18 Cobb & Co coaches 19

Try this! 30 Glossary 31 Index 32

Symbols of Australia Australian icons

Symbols of Australia represent Australia and its people. They Icons can be objects, places, stories or organisations that represent our land, governments and stories. Most importantly, are special to people. Australian icons are usually things symbols reflect our shared experiences as Australians. that stand out in our culture as being uniquely Australian. They are symbols that inspire strong feelings of pride for What are symbols? our country. Symbols can take many forms, such as objects, places and events. Some symbols are official, while others are unofficial. Official symbols include Why do we have icons? government flags, emblems, commemorative days and the national anthem. Australian icons celebrate the Icons in our daily lives Australian icons are a part of our daily Unofficial symbols include folk songs, foods, landmarks and icons. best or most defining things lives. We see them in advertisements about Australia’s landscape, that promote Australia and the Why do we have symbols? history, culture and lifestyle. In Australian lifestyle, and we use some Australian symbols have special meanings. They inspire a sense of pride and different ways, Australian icons of them without even noticing. belonging in Australians. Symbols identify us as uniquely Australian. help to tell the story of Australia or represent the values we find Who chooses Australian symbols? most important. Australian icons Some symbols are created by Australia’s unite all Australians by reminding governments and other authorities. us of our shared culture. Other symbols are items from our culture, natural environment and history that have become important to The meat pie is a famous Australian icon and is a Australians over time. traditional snack at Australian Football League (AFL) matches.

Australia

The shape of Australia’s coastline, as seen on this globe, is one of the most recognisable symbols of the country.

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Macmillan Digital Library: Symbols of Australia © Macmillan Publishers Australia 2011 isbn 978 1 4202 9186 5 Macmillan Digital Library: Symbols of Australia © Macmillan Publishers Australia 2011 isbn 978 1 4202 9186 5

Who chooses Australian icons? How do icons represent Australian icons are chosen by Australians. This does not happen instantly, but over time, as Australians grow to love or appreciate certain Australia? things. These things become valued as icons that represent our everyday lives or an important time in our history. Australian icons represent Australia as a young country with an Indigenous heritage that includes the oldest continuous living Types of icons cultures in the world. Many Australian icons represent the values Australian icons are as different as Australian people. Some icons of mateship, equality and a fair go for everyone. Our icons represent Australia’s landscapes, such as the outback, the bush and the reflect who we are as Australians. beach. Other icons represent our cultural heritage, such as Indigenous Australia, the convict era, the gold rush and wars. Many icons are foods, Where do Australian icons come from? inventions and even symbols of our favourite pastimes. Australian icons are often objects, places, stories or organisations found in Often, Australian icons, such Australia’s landscape, history as the boomerang, are used icons in the Future and culture, or from our shared to share our culture with Many Australian icons represent past visiting non-Australians. events. In the future, some Australian experiences. They celebrate icons will represent events that have not Indigenous Australians and happened yet. Our icons will change as other Australians who have time passes. settled here over time.

Barbecues are a cultural icon that developed from the Australian love of outdoor cooking and gatherings with family and friends.

Symbol fact The helmet worn by the outlaw Ned Kelly on the day he took one last stand against the police is an important historical and cultural icon.

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The Royal Flying Doctor Service Icons of the outback The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) provides emergency medical Australia’s most far-off desert areas are known as the outback. help to isolated communities. Help at hand The outback is home to isolated communities, cattle stations Doctors and nurses travel in RFDS The RFDS is a non-profit organisation that and locations that have given Australia some important icons. flies 24 hours a day. It covers 80 per cent planes to treat patients or transfer All of these icons have become symbolic of the outback because of the Australian continent and attends to them to a hospital. The RFDS cares they represent a unique lifestyle. around 270 000 patients each year. for around 270 000 patients each The Red Centre year and is a true hero of the The Red Centre describes the red desert in the heart of Australia. Australian outback. In 1872, an Overland Telegraph Line station was built in the Red Centre. The School of the Air The town of Alice Springs grew from this station. The Red Centre is home Since 1951, the School of the Air has helped to educate students across to rich Indigenous cultures. About 440 kilometres away from the outback by using radio and other communication technologies. These Alice Springs is the world-famous, sacred, Indigenous site of Uluru. technologies connect students with teachers who live far away. The School of the Air is symbolic of the efforts Australians have made to adapt to The Red Centre gets its name from its soil, which is red because of its iron content. Australia’s vast territory.

High-frequency radios and the Internet allow School of the Air Uluru students across the outback to learn together.

Symbol fact Uniquely Australian names for the outback that have become Red, iron-rich soil popular over time are ‘the back of Bourke’, ‘the never-never’ and ‘beyond the black stump’.

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Cork hats Icons of the bush A cork hat is a hat with pieces of cork hanging off the brim on strings. It was created by Australian bushmen to swat blowflies Australia’s natural wilderness of trees and scrub is and other insects. Today, the cork hat is an icon of Australian bush known as the bush. Traditional bush culture is celebrated clothing. It represents Australia’s hot climate and many blowflies. through food, clothing and entertainment. To Australians in cities and towns, the bush lifestyle is often seen as Billies truly symbolic of Australia. The billy is a small metal pot used to Gum trees boil water or cook food in the bush. It is easy to carry when travelling When Australians think of the bush, they usually think of gum, and is an important tool in bush life. or eucalypt, trees. There are more than 700 species of gum trees The bush poet A. B. ‘Banjo’ Paterson native to Australia. Crushed gum leaves release eucalyptus oil, made the billy famous in the song which is a popular antiseptic and cure for colds. Billy ‘Waltzing Matilda’.

The gum tree is an easily recognised Symbol fact feature of the Australian bush. Indigenous Australians traditionally use gum leaves as an instrument to make bird calls. A billy can be used to boil water and cook food when camping in Gum trees the Australian bush.

Bush baking Damper is a bush bread made of flour, salt and water. Bush travellers traditionally baked it on the hot ashes of a camp fire and served it with billy tea.

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Thongs Icons of the beach Thongs are not an Australian invention, but they are our favourite summer footwear. Since the 1960s, thongs have become an icon of Australia’s hot Australia has a massive coastline that is more than 47 000 climate and relaxed beach lifestyle. At the beach, thongs protect feet kilometres long. It is no wonder that the beach is an icon from the hot sand and sharp rocks. During summer, thongs are acceptable of Australian life in coastal cities and towns. Surf, sand and footwear almost everywhere in Australia. sunshine represent the laidback Australian lifestyle. Surf lifesavers Surf lifesavers patrol Australia’s beaches. They are highly trained volunteers who help swimmers in trouble. They watch out for dangers in Many symbols of Australian our rough seas, such as sharks and rips. Surf lifesavers keep beaches safe culture, such as thongs and surf lifesavers, were included for the community. They are popular heroes and icons. in the closing ceremony of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, New South Wales.

The uniform and equipment used by surf lifesavers make them Symbol fact easily recognisable on Today, around 50 000 the beach. Australian children learn beach safety and lifesaving skills in Surf Life Saving Australia’s ‘nippers’ groups.

Red and yellow flags Surf lifesavers

Sun safety Zinc cream was invented in Australia in 1940. The thick cream is used to protect skin from the sun’s harmful rays. Zinc cream was originally white, but is now sold in bright colours.

Rescue board 12 13

Icons of Indigenous Australia Dari Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders are the original inhabitants of Australia, having lived here for more than 50 000 years. Indigenous beliefs and cultures have been passed down from generation to generation through art, music, dance, ceremonies and stories. Many aspects of Indigenous cultures have become icons of Indigenous Australia. The rainbow serpent In stories of the Dreaming, it is told that the rainbow serpent, a spirit of creation, helped to shape Earth. The rainbow serpent always represents water, in the form of billabongs, rivers and waterholes. The rainbow serpent is both a symbol of creation and destruction to Aboriginal Australians.

The Dreaming The Dreaming represents the beginning of time for Aboriginal Australians. It was when Aboriginal ancestor spirits created all things. Dreaming stories, art Dari feathers can come from different birds, and music share information from this time. including herons and chickens.

The rainbow serpent often features in Aboriginal Australian art, as seen in Daris this rock painting in Arnhem Land. The dari, or dhoeri, is a traditional Symbol fact headdress worn by male dancers on A white dari features at the Rainbow serpent the Torres Strait Islands. It is made of centre of the Torres Strait bird feathers and cane. Some daris are Island’s flag. It is an icon ceremonial and used only on special that unites all Torres Strait Islanders. occasions, such as weddings.

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Icons of Indigenous Australia Dot paintings The first dot paintings were giant works of art in the sand. Aboriginal Australian artists drew dots and lines using sand, stones, seeds, flowers, grass, leaves and feathers. These dots and lines were symbols that worked together to tell stories and share knowledge. Some modern Aboriginal Australian artists create dot paintings on canvas or traditional objects. Stick drawings, as seen here in Kakadu This is a dot painting by Turkey Tolson Tjupurrula. National Park, in the Northern Territory, are a popular feature of Aboriginal Australian rock art.

Sacred colour Red is a sacred colour to many Indigenous Australians, especially in the Red Centre. Sometimes referred to as ochre, it is the colour of the earth and can be used to symbolise the blood of ancestors.

Rock art Aboriginal Australians created rock art in shelters and caves using paints made from clay. Stick drawings of people and animals may have told stories or symbolised rituals. Some artists created handprints on the walls by spraying paint from their mouths onto their hands.

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Icons of colonial Australia

The mid-1800s were a period of growth for the Australian colonies, especially because of the discovery of gold. Australian icons from this period symbolise an important Australian characteristic, fighting against unjust authorities, and the wealth made from gold. Ned Kelly’s helmet Ned Kelly was an Irish-Australian bushranger, or thief. In 1880, Kelly was finally caught by the police while taking cover at an inn. He and his gang wore helmets and armour they had made from the parts of farm machinery. To many Australians, Ned Kelly’s helmet symbolises his last stand against the authorities.

Fighting against injustice Ned Kelly was a murderer and a thief, but many people see him as a hero, too, The iconic Cobb & Co coach, seen here in Warburton, because of his fights against the police. Victoria, was a familiar sight in the mid-1800s. He believed that the police treated his family and other Irish Catholics unfairly. Cobb & Co coaches In 1854, Cobb & Co started its first mail and Symbol fact Iron helmet made from passenger coach service to the Victorian farm machinery In 1862, Frank Gardiner goldfields. Its coaches soon became an icon stole more gold than any of modern transport, connecting towns and other bushranger. He Bullet marks caused robbed a Ford & Co coach by the police cities before railways were built. The Cobb & of $1.6 million at Eugowra Co coaches are an icon of the new wealth from Rocks, New South Wales. The helmet is 33.5 centimetres gold in colonial Australia. long and 24 centimetres wide.

Ned Kelly’s homemade helmet is a symbol of his fight against unjust authorities.

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The ‘rising sun’ badge Icons of the military The badge worn on slouch hats is War memorials called the Australian Army Badge. In towns and cities across Australia, Anzac soldiers were nicknamed ‘diggers’ in World War I memorials honour people who served Shaped like a rising sun, it was (1914–1918). They were known for their bravery and larrikin in wars. They are symbols of respect for created in 1902 for Australians spirit. Today, members of the Australian Defence Force the military and medical personnel who who served in the Second Boer proudly wear the iconic slouch hat and ‘rising sun’ badge defended Australia’s freedom. War (1899–1902), in what is now worn by the first diggers. South Africa. During World War I, Slouch hats the badge became an icon of the Anzacs’ fighting spirit, especially John Simpson Kirkpatrick Australian soldiers first wore slouch hats Symbol fact after the landing at Gallipoli, in 1885. These hats have been worn in An emu feather is wars and peacekeeping missions around the traditionally used on the in Turkey. slouch hats of Australia’s world. They symbolise the diggers’ values Light Horse units to Simpson and his donkey of courage and honour. identify them in battle. John Simpson Kirkpatrick served in the Australian Army Medical Corps during World War I. He Indent at the crown called a ‘bash’ used a donkey to carry wounded soldiers from the battlefields of Brim turned up Gallipoli. Sadly, Simpson was killed while on duty. The iconic image of Simpson and his donkey represents the Anzac spirit of Khaki band bravery and mateship.

‘Rising sun’ badge

Simpson’s donkey had three names – Abdul, Slouch hats are made of rabbit fur felt. Rabbit fur was a cheap Simpson and his donkey are Murphy and Duffy. and readily available material around World War I. symbols of the Anzac spirit.

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The Sherrin football Icons of sport Thomas Sherrin invented the oval-shaped Australian Rules football in 1880. He designed a tough ball that bounced well on grass. Today, Australia is a small country, but is admired around the world for the Sherrin football is the official ball of the AFL and an icon of one its sporting excellence. There are many world-famous Australian of Australia’s national sports. athletes who have reached the highest level of their sport. Many Australian icons are symbols of our favourite sports.

Hand-stitched The Ashes leather football The Ashes is a famous cricket contest that began Symbol fact in 1882. The first time Australia beat England on Before the Sherrin football was invented, English soil, newspapers joked that English cricket Australian Rules games had died. An urn filled with ashes was prepared to were played with round symbolise England’s defeat. Australians proudly see balls or rugby balls. the urn as an icon of Australian success in sport.

Verse from a song called ‘Who’s on the Cricket Field’

Urn made of terracotta

The Ashes urn, kept at the Marylebone Cricket Club Museum in London, England, is an important icon of Australian success in sport.

The baggy green The baggy green is the cap worn by Australian test cricketers. It symbolises the highest achievement in Australian cricket. A baggy green that belonged to the famous cricketer Sir Donald Bradman sold for $425 000 in 2003.

The brand Sherrin and its football are icons of a truly Australian sport.

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Icons of the backyard The Victa lawnmower Mervyn Richardson invented the Victa lawnmower in his After World War II (1939–1945), many Australians dreamed of backyard shed near Sydney, owning a house with a large backyard. The backyard became New South Wales, in 1952. It a symbol of Australian family life in suburbs and towns. Many was more powerful and lighter items connected to the backyard have become iconic. than other lawnmowers. The old The Hills Rotary Hoist rotary lawnmowers needed two The Hills Rotary Hoist is a type of rotating people to push them, but the clothesline invented by Lance Hill in 1945. He Symbol fact Victa needed only one person. improved the existing rotating clothesline model The Hills Rotary Hoist was Today, the Victa is an icon of by adding a device that allowed the clothesline to a feature at the closing Australian gardening. ceremony of the 2000 be lowered and raised. This simple invention made Olympic Games in Sydney, housework easier and allowed more clothes to be New South Wales, which hung and dried. Today, Hill’s backyard clothesline had a backyard theme. is an icon of Australian suburban life. The petrol-powered Victa made lawnmowing a much By the late 1960s, the Hills Rotary Hoist was a Petrol-powered easier and faster task. recognised feature in Australian backyards. lawnmower

Other icons of the backyard Some other icons of the traditional Australian backyard include: the shed, the lemon tree, the ‘chook’ (chicken) house, the dog kennel, the vegetable patch, the The clothesline is lowered and raised by passionfruit or choko vine, the barbecue turning a handle. and the dunny (outhouse).

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Icons we eat

When Europeans settled Australia in the late 1700s, they began farming wheat and sheep for food. Migrants from around the world have since introduced new foods and styles of cooking. However, our edible icons are things that are unique to Australia and our lifestyle. Vegemite The first jars of Vegemite, a dark-brown food spread, appeared in stores in 1923. In 1954, the famous ‘Happy Little Vegemites’ song played for the first time on the radio. Today, many Australians start the day with Vegemite on toast. It is so much a part of our lifestyle that Australians travelling overseas often pack a jar or tube of Vegemite in their bag.

Meat in gravy

The Vegemite logo is an Meat pies are sold everywhere in Australia. Their thick internationally recognised pastry holds minced beef, lamb or chicken in gravy. Australian icon. Meat pies Meat pies were originally made with leftovers from the traditional Sunday roast. In the late Symbol fact Australians are the biggest Vegemite rations 1800s, bakers sold meat pies from pie carts along consumers of meat pies in During World War II, Vegemite was not easy Australian streets. Meat pies became a popular the world. We eat around to find in Australia. The government rationed snack at schools and football matches. Handheld 250 million pies each year! it in order to provide diggers with 14-gram meat pies can be eaten anywhere and suit packs of Vegemite in their food kits. Australia’s relaxed, outdoor lifestyle.

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Icons we eat Barbecues Bush foods Barbecues became common in Australia in the 1950s with backyard For 50 000 years, Indigenous Australians have harvested bush foods. gatherings called ‘chop picnics’. Australia’s hot, sunny climate suits Bush foods are any food native to Australia. Animal bush foods include outdoor cooking – Aboriginal Australians used ground ovens, while witchetty grubs and goannas, and plant bush foods include lemon myrtle swagmen (travelling, temporary workers) stewed meat in billies. Modern and macadamia nuts. Today, bush foods are commercially grown and used in backyard barbecues may have a wok burner or spit rotisserie. cooking around the world.

Sausage sizzles Macadamia nuts Sausage sizzles are common fundraisers for schools, charities and Macadamia nuts are the most successful bush food to be grown here and community groups. A sausage in bread served with tomato sauce is sold sold overseas. The macadamia is known as kindal kindal in Aboriginal straight from the barbecue to hungry customers. Australian communities. There are about 4.5 million macadamia trees in Australia, mostly in Queensland and New South Wales.

Barbecues are a popular way for Australians to relax with their family and friends in summer.

Australian bush foods, such as macadamia nuts, form an important part of Indigenous Australian culture.

Symbol fact ‘Snag’ is an Australian nickname for ‘sausage’.

The importance of bush foods Unripe macadamia nuts In the past, 80 per cent of food eaten by Aboriginal Australian desert communities came from bush plants. In Indigenous Australian coastal communities, 40 per cent of their food came from bush plants, with seafood providing the rest.

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Try this!

Symbols help us to remember things about our history. They also tell us what our culture values. Symbols of Australia exist all around us and are a part of our daily lives. Do you know? Find out more These questions will help you to think ✶✶ http://www.awm.gov.au/education about some of the icons in this book. You The ‘Kids HQ’ section of the Australian can find the answers by turning to the War Memorial website includes soldier page indicated. profiles and quizzes. ✶✶ How many patients does the Royal ✶✶ http://aso.gov.au/education/culture/ Flying Doctor Service see each year? australian-icons/ (PAGE 9) ✶✶ When do Torres Strait Islanders use This Australian Screen website has daris? (PAGE 15) an education section that contains ✶✶ What was Ned Kelly’s helmet made teacher’s notes, with clips showing a of? (PAGE 18) range of Australian symbols, including ✶✶ Why was the Ashes urn prepared? landmarks, products and people. (PAGE 22) ✶✶ http://www.nma.gov.au/exhibitions/ ✶✶ When was the ‘Happy Little Vegemites’ community/snapshots/snapshots/ song first played? (PAGE 26) The ‘Snapshots of Remote Communities’ section of the National Museum of Australia website shows Think about it Australian life in the outback and in Look around you at home, at school and the bush. in your local community. ✶✶ http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/ ✶✶ What symbols can you see? ‘It’s an Honour’ is an Australian ✶✶ How do these symbols represent government website that explains Australia and its people? some Australian symbols and the ✶✶ What other symbols do Australians use Australian honours system. to show who they are?

Glossary

Anzac migrants a soldier who served in World War I people who have come from other (1914–1918) in the Australian and New countries to live permanently Zealand Army Corps native billabongs growing naturally in an area waterholes that fill up only during floods Overland Telegraph Line or the wet season a telegraph line between Adelaide, in bushmen South Australia, and Darwin, in the men who live or work in the bush Northern Territory, built in 1872, and climate also linking Australia to the rest of the weather conditions of an area or the world through an undersea cable region between Darwin and the island of Java, colonies in Indonesia places ruled or governed by another rituals country fixed actions performed during culture ceremonies the ways of living that a group of people sacred have developed over time considered to be very important to Indigenous spiritual beliefs naturally existing in an area or region suburbs rather than coming from somewhere else residential areas located some distance Indigenous Australians from a main city the first peoples of Australia, comprising volunteers Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait people who work or perform a task Islanders without expecting to be paid larrikin a cheeky or rebellious person mateship friendship that is equal, loyal and honest

Index

A G R Anzacs 20, 21 Gallipoli 21 rainbow serpent 14 Ashes, the 22, 30 gold 7, 18, 19 Red Centre, the 8, 17 gum trees 10 ‘rising sun’ badge 20, 21 B rock art 14, 17 backyard 24–25, 28 H Royal Flying Doctor Service baggy green 22 Hills Rotary Hoist 24 9, 30 barbecues 6, 25, 28 beach 7, 12–13 I S billies 11, 28 Indigenous Australia 7, sausage sizzles 28 boomerangs 7 14–17 School of the Air 9 bush food 29 Indigenous Australians 6, 10, Sherrin football 23 bushmen 11 17, 29 slouch hats 20, 21 bushrangers 18, 19 K sport 22–23 bush, the 7, 10–11, 30 Kelly, Ned 6, 18, 30 stick drawings 17 surf lifesavers 12, 13 C Kirkpatrick, John Simpson 21 Cobb & Co coaches 19 M T colonial Australia 18–19 macadamia nuts 29 thongs 13 cork hats 11 mateship 6, 21 Torres Strait Islanders 14, cricket 22 meat pies 5, 27 15, 30 D military 20–21 U daris 15, 30 N Uluru 8 diggers 20, 26 natural environment 4 dot paintings 16 V Dreaming, the 14 O values 5, 6, 20 Vegemite 26, 30 F outback, the 7, 8–9, 30 outdoor cooking 6, 28 Victa lawnmower 25 food 4, 7, 10, 11, 26, 29 football 5, 23, 27