Culture

Residents of the Old World – spoiled as they are with ancient monuments, cathedrals and great writers and composers – can be a bit sniffy about the ‘culture’ of the New World, Australia included. But culture can take many forms, and as Australia is home to the world’s oldest surviving culture, this snobbery is somewhat misguided.

Modern Australian culture draws on influences from all over the world. In addition to the world’s oldest indigenous populations and two centuries of convict and colonial heritage, its historically multicultural mix has given rise to a nation which shares in the celebrations of Chinese New Year and festivals of faiths ranging from Greek and Russian Orthodox to New Ageism – the more opportunities to celebrate, the better. Its diverse multicultural society makes Australia a unique and welcoming place.

When Australia was first settled, people of different classes and backgrounds were thrown together to live, work and die in the same conditions as they strove to build the new country. This, from the outset, embedded the great Aussie values of equality, mateship and cameraderie – forging a society where, in theory, anyone can turn up and have an equal chance or a ‘fair go’.

This Great Australian Dream still governs the hearts and minds of the collective nation and – while it shares the same social problems as any urbanised society – the egalitarian values and widespread rejection of snobbery make Australia a welcoming place that feels full of possibility.

Despite only a couple of centuries of European colonisation here, there’s plenty for history buffs and anthropologists. The Aboriginal culture is unique, surviving largely unchanged – and despite the best efforts of the invading colonists –  for up to 800,000 years. The wisdom and bushcraft embedded within this ancient culture has been passed orally through countless generations via rich folklore and legends, and the artworks and rock carvings found all over Australia.

The European settlers brought their own history – of early explorers and stories of survival and tragedy, both at sea and in the vast interior. The convict heritage was played down by generations of of Australians, eager to be seen as part of a law-abiding civilisation, but nowadays having convict ancestors is seen as a badge of honour, in a country where almost everybody’s ancestors came from somewhere else. From the first decades of the new colony, free settlers from all over the world also came in their thousands, and still do. Immigration is a hot topic in Australia as with other wealthy nations – its high standard of living and glorious weather puts it at the top of wish-lists for would-be immigrants all over the world.

With more and more people choosing to emigrate to Australia every year, Australia’s rich cultural diversity just keeps gets richer as the country reaps the benefits of attracting creative, innovative and inspirational people from all backgrounds. You cannot fail to be entertained and intrigued by Australia’s cultural melting pot.

Cultural gems

Fifty years ago, Australia may have felt like something of a cultural backwater to Europeans reared on fine cuisine, theatre and staggeringly lovely architecture. But Australia has caught up. Nobody who has felt the buzz of La Traviata or Il Nozze di Figaro beneath the soaring sails of the Sydney Opera House, survived the Adelaide Fringe Festival or wandered the cutting-edge art galleries of Melbourne, could ignore the creative output of modern Australia’s artists, writers, musicians, filmmakers, theatre companies, actors, designers, innovators and more. There are arts festivals all year round and nightlife for everyone, from basement jazz clubs to skyscraper cocktail bars.

Al fresco culture

But probably the most famous aspect of modern Australia’s culture is its outdoor living – of which sport is a natural progression.

Warm sunshine encourages al-fresco eating, relaxation and playtime. Meals are 0ften taken outside, with the traditional Aussie barbecue now usurped by fresh, healthy and beautifully presented seafood and Asian and Meditteranean-inspired staples. Antipodean cuisine is taking over the world.

Aussie children grow up learning to swim, surf and dive, and beaches are part of everyday life. Everyone heads to the nearest beach as often as possible: to exercise, socialise or just lie around relaxing. It’s a healthier and more positive alternative to Britain’s traditional smoky pub culture – and much cheaper, too.

Beaches also boast impromptu volleyball and cricket, and state-of-the-art stadiums draw cheering crowds to rugby, AFL, cricket, tennis and football matches. It could be argued that what Australian culture lacks in ancient architecture, it makes up for in sporting prowess.

Australia’s culture is not something that you view in museums or marvel at with an audio guide in hand. It’s a living, breathing, evolving melting pot of global influences, home-grown egalitarian traditions and sun-soaked physicality, that combine into a vibrant society quite unique from anywhere else in the world – and just as culturally valid.

Read all the latest news on Australia’s culture here as well as fascinating features on Australian culture.

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