Australia today In these pages you will learn about what makes this country so special. You will find out more about our culture, Part 4 our innovators and our national identity. In the world today, Australia is a dynamic business and trade partner and a respected global citizen. We value the contribution of new migrants to our country’s constant growth and renewal. Australia today The land Australia is unique in many ways. Of the world’s seven continents, Australia is the only one to be occupied by a single nation. We have the lowest population density in the world, with only two people per square kilometre. Australia is one of the world’s oldest land masses. It is the sixth largest country in the world. It is also the driest inhabited continent, so in most parts of Australia water is a very precious resource. Much of the land has poor soil, with only 6 per cent suitable for agriculture. The dry inland areas are called ‘the Australia is one of the world’s oldest land masses. outback’. There is great respect for people who live and work in these remote and harsh environments. Many of It is the sixth largest country in the world. them have become part of Australian folklore. Because Australia is such a large country, the climate varies in different parts of the continent. There are tropical regions in the north of Australia and deserts in the centre. Further south, the temperatures can change from cool winters with mountain snow, to heatwaves in summer. In addition to the six states and two mainland territories, the Australian Government also administers, as territories, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Jervis Bay Territory, the Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands in the Australian Antarctic Territory, and Norfolk Island. 2438 Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond Australia today In these pages you will learn about what makes this country so special. You will find out more about our culture, our innovators and our national identity. In the world today, Australia is a dynamic business and trade partner and a respected global citizen. We value the contribution of new migrants to our country’s constant growth and renewal. The land Australia is unique in many ways. Of the world’s seven continents, Australia is the only one to be occupied by a single nation. We have the lowest population density in the world, with only two people per square kilometre. Australia is one of the world’s oldest land masses. It is the sixth largest country in the world. It is also the driest inhabited continent, so in most parts of Australia water is a very precious resource. Much of the land has poor soil, with only 6 per cent suitable for agriculture. The dry inland areas are called ‘the outback’. There is great respect for people who live and work in these remote and harsh environments. Many of them have become part of Australian folklore. Because Australia is such a large country, the climate varies in different parts of the continent. There are tropical regions in the north of Australia and deserts in the centre. Further south, the temperatures can change from cool winters with mountain snow, to heatwaves in summer. In addition to the six states and two mainland territories, the Australian Government also administers, as territories, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Jervis Bay Territory, the Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands in the Australian Antarctic Territory, and Norfolk Island. Part 4 – Australia today 39 World Heritage sites More than 11 per cent of our continent is protected Indigenous land, a reserve or a national park that is managed for conservation according to international standards. Seventeen Australian sites are listed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List. Australian Fossil Mammal Sites in Gondwana Rainforests of New South Wales Kakadu National Park in the South Australia and Queensland and Queensland Northern Territory Fraser Island off the coast of southern Great Barrier Reef in Queensland Lord Howe Island off the coast of Queensland New South Wales Greater Blue Mountains west of Sydney Heard Island and McDonald Islands in the Macquarie Island to the south of Tasmania Australian Antarctic Territory 40 Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond World Heritage sites More than 11 per cent of our continent is protected Indigenous land, a reserve or a national park that is managed for conservation according to international standards. Seventeen Australian sites are listed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List. Purnululu National Park in Western Australia Sydney Opera House Wet Tropics of Queensland Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Tasmanian Wilderness Willandra Lakes in New South Wales Gardens in Melbourne We encourage you to broaden your experience of Australia by visiting these and other amazing landmarks. You can walk the desert or the shore, the mountains or the rainforests. Every step you take is a step closer to belonging to this vast and vibrant land. Shark Bay in Western Australia Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in the Northern Territory Part 4 – Australia today 41 A vast country The School of the Air The vastness of Australia has given rise to Until the 1950s, children living in isolated places innovation and invention. had to attend boarding school or complete their lessons by mail. In the early days, people in the outback sometimes had to travel for several days to visit Adelaide Miethke, Vice-President of the Royal the nearest doctor. Many children in the bush Flying Doctor Service in South Australia, realised lived too far away to attend day schools. that the Flying Doctor radio service could also help children at home talk with their teachers. Outback families found the isolation hard to The Alice Springs service began to air these two- bear. Large cattle stations could be thousands of way lessons in 1948. The School of the Air was square kilometres in size. Women and children formally established a few years later. Australia’s who lived there might not see another person for School of the Air has also helped many other months. There were no telephones and people countries to set up their own similar programs. felt extremely isolated and vulnerable. The old pedal radio has now been replaced with These were problems that great Australians high frequency receivers, but the Royal Flying solved through ingenuity and innovation. Doctor Service of Australia and the School of the Air continue to serve and benefit the people in The pedal radio Australia’s remote communities. In 1929, Alfred Traegar, from Adelaide, designed the first pedal-powered radio. Users could keep a two-way radio going by pushing the pedals with their feet. Lonely homesteads, remote mission stations and Aboriginal communities all benefited from this invention. Isolated women could now make friends with each other across the airwaves. The pedal radio helped to establish two great Australian institutions, the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the School of the Air. The Royal Flying Doctor Service Reverend John Flynn lived and worked with people in remote communities. His idea was to bring the doctor to the patient in the outback as quickly as possible, by air. He received help from the government, the airline Qantas and charitable donations. The Royal Flying Doctor Service began in 1928 but there were still people in remote places who could not call the service. The introduction of the pedal radio ensured that people in more isolated stations could call for a doctor as soon as possible. Children studying through the School of the Air in New South Wales 42 Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond Australia’s identity Australia’s identity has been shaped by our unique heritage, our culture and the enterprising character of our people. Sport and recreation Many Australians love sport and many have achieved impressive results at an international level. We are proud of our reputation as a nation of ‘good sports’. Australian sportsmen and women are admired as ambassadors for the values of hard work, fair play and teamwork. Throughout our history, sport has both characterised the Australian people and united us. From early settlement, sport provided an escape from the realities of a harsh existence. Even during wartime, members of the Australian Defence Force organised sporting competitions to help relieve the stress of the battleground. Sport also provides a common ground that allows both players and spectators to feel included and a part of something that is important to Australian society. Many Australians participate in team sports. Cricket, basketball, netball, hockey and the football codes are Ian Thorpe, five-time Olympic gold medallist among the most popular. Swimming, tennis, athletics, golf and cycling are popular recreational activities. They are also sports that Australians excel at in international competitions. Other popular physical activities include bushwalking, surfing and skiing. Australians also play and love to watch football (also known as soccer), rugby league, rugby union and Australian Rules football. ‘Aussie Rules’ is a uniquely Australian game. Australia is especially proud of its international successes in the game of cricket. Australian and English cricket teams have had an intense rivalry since the late 19th century. The Melbourne Cup, ‘the race that stops the nation’, is one of the richest and most challenging horse races in the world. The first Melbourne Cup was held in 1861. The first Tuesday in November, Melbourne Cup Day, has been a public holiday in Victoria since 1877. Member of the Australian Women’s National Football team Part 4 – Australia today 43 Sir Donald Bradman (1908 – 2001) Sir Donald Bradman is the greatest cricket batsman of all-time and is an Australian sporting legend.