Hubtrail - Australia

We are located south of the equator. New Zealand is a couple of islands next door, just down to the right.. Indonesia is not far off on the upper left and Papua New Guinea sits just above us - and Tasmania is the liitle island at the bottom.

Known as the island continent, Australia is the biggest island and at the same time the smallest continent. It is a vast land. Called an island continent because we are totally surrounded by water like an island and a continent due to our vast expansive land. Having been originally part of Gwondanna Land in prehistoric times, we apparently broke away to become Terra Australis. Our current land mass is over 7 million square kilometres and our population currently sites just above 22 million.

In ancient times, this land as part of Gwondaland, was inhabited by dinasaurs as part of one larger land mass. It is said that the Aboriginal people of Australia have been present on this land for over 40,000 years. Also known as the Koori people of Australia, they may well have been the first humans to exist, yet this has been debated by some who say they came from across asia.

Up until the 1700's this was their land and their dreaming. The dreamtime as it is called is a complex set of stories and myths that guide the aborginal people. A somewhat nomadic people, who have their religion or creation story linked to the land that they travel. There are over 280 Aboriginal nations in Australia, with numerous languages and a current population of over 450,000.

With the British settlement in 1788, 1200 Brits including convicts arrived in the first fleet at Botany Bay. We have now grown to a multicultural nation of over 22 million people from all over the globe.

During the 1600's the continent was rumoured to exist by European and British explorers and was first mapped by Willem Janszoon, a dutchman in 1606 known as Terra Australis. Later, the whole of the east coast of Australia was mapped by Captain James Cook and founded for the British empire in 1788.

There are two earlier possible mappings. One in 1566 and another earlier, possibly by the chinese in the early 1400's. It is debated that the chinese may have travelled to Australia off and on from 450 BC through to 1432, by a archaeologist, Professor Wei Juxian.

Size : Over 7 million square miles.

Population : approx 22 million (including 450,000 Koori people)

Capital : Canberra, Australian Capital Territory

States and Territories : Australia has 6 states and 2 territories. Canberra the capital is located in the Australian Capital Territory. Sydney in New South Wales. Melbourne in Victoria. Adelaide is the capital of South Australia. Hobart the capital of Tasmania. Brisbane is the capital of Queensland. Darwin is the Capital of the Northern Territory.

Political System : Beginning as colonies with Federation in 1901, the Australian Parliamentary system is based on the Westminister System and operates under the rules of the Australian Constitution.

The Federal Parliament and all of the state parliaments except Queensland are bicameral. Both the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory are unicameral.

It was up until the Australia Act of 1975 and 1986, that a legal appeal could be taken to the British Privy Council as the final appeal stage in the Australian Court system. This act was said to cut the last of the apron strings of mother England and the British justice system over the young Australia.

Currency : The Australian Currency is in dollars and cents. Being a relatively stable currency. It usually sits a fair way below the British pound and euro. Against the US dollar, it can range from around 75 c to the us $1, through to close on 90c.

Language : English is the main language. As Australia is multicultural, there are many different languages spoken. There are over 280 dialects of Koori languages and many other Asian, European and Middle Eastern languages too.

Up until 1901, Australia was made up of 6 colonies including New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. Most of these colonies where used for convict settlements bought from Britain and many of the historical buildings, especially in Sydney were built by convict labor.

The Northern Territory was originally the top half of South Australia, as is Canberra, the nations political capital.The Northern Territory was part of  New South Wales from 1825 to 1863 except for a brief time from February to December 1846, when it was part of the short lived colony of North Australia. It was part of South Australia from 1863 to 1911. Under the administration of South Australia, the overland telegraph was constructed between 1870 and 1872, which at least one of my Great Great Uncles worked on. The Northern Territory is now a self administered Territory, with a population of around 230,000 people.

South Australia was the only colony to be settled by free settlers only.

Australia became a nation in 1901 with federation. As a commonwealth nation, with its own constitution and parliaments. There was much competition between New South Wales and, Victoria particularly as to where the capital was to be. Canberra was finally settled upon as the nations capital and sits approximately halfway between Sydney and Melbourne, within New South Wales.

Since federation we have survived two world wars and a couple of regional conflicts. Our war history is one that we have pride and respect for. We remember the men who fought for us and did not return on Anzac day.

A politically stable developed nation, Australia has enjoyed stable government and no civil conflicts. Except for the brief attack on Darwin by the Japanese in WW2, we have not had war on our land and are proud to be a peaceful nation.

The majority of the Australian population is located on coastal regions with the Australian beach culture being a dominant aspect of our countries character.

With inland regions being in some places uninhabitable, our cities sit on the coasts in regions where the climate is more temporate and rainfall is greater.

We are a nation that loves a good game of sport, love our food and the beach. Love a good laugh and value our lifestyle and our children.

What you might miss from this story is the distances between states and cities and places of wonder. In Western Australia for example, you travel 4 hours south to Margaret River, a popular holiday location, or 18 hours north to Monkey Mia if driving. Broome is about 3 days drive from Perth.

The Australian Capital City is located inland on Lake Burley Griffith, with old parliament house and new parliament house next to each other and looking across the lake to the Australian War Memorial.

Canberra used to be full of politicians and public servants and probably still is. Yet they have some new and interesting Museums, Sports institute and ....

New South Wales is the landing place of the first fleet and the first place settled. With the largest population in the country, New South Wales boasts a fantastic harbour, the Sydney Opera House, great ocean beaches including the iconic Bondi beach and Manly. The Blue Mountains and Byron Bay. There is so much to do in this great city.

Victoria is the second largest state in population and has a rich history, with the Eureka Stockade at Ballarat, a gold mining town in the 1800's. With theatre and art and lots of television, Melbourne, the states capital is proud of its architecture, food and nightlife.With great beaches along the Great Ocean Road.

Western Australia and the south west beaches, forests and wineries. The Leewin Estate Concert. Lots of great beaches and forest walks along the south coast, the Tall Tree Walk and great towns like Albany and Esperence. The Pilbara to the north, Ningaloo Reef on the coast. Sheep stations and big trucks travelling long distances. Further north, the Kimberley region and Cable beach. Theres the Bungle Bungles, Tunnel Creek and Argle diamond mine.

Across towards the Nullabor are the gold fields, Lasseters Reef and the real outback. There are aboriginal communities that have never connected to other people out past the Gibb weather station.

Across the Nullabor is some drive to Adelaide. With great beaches, food, wineries and festivals. The Adelaide Hills and Handorf. Music and churches.Theres Cooper Pedy on the way north to Alice Springs with great tours and train trips.

Darwin has the most amazing markets, aboriginal art, australiana food and just that calm, laid back feel of a sub tropical location. On your way to Alice Springs, theres Mataranka and thermal pool, amazing wild life, Devils Marbles and the City of Alice Springs. Then its Uluru, which is actually about 300 klm s south, near Simpsons Gap and the Ulgas. Theres the Ghan train trip back down to Adelaide. The Overlander crosses to Melbourne too.

Melbourne is half an hour by plane, a 7 hour drive or if you take the coastal route past the twelve apostles and along the Great Ocean Road, it can be a 12 hour drive or a pleasant 2 to 3 day trip. Sitting on Port Phillip Bay and Melbourne has restaurants, federation square and the great ocean road. Theres urban art and graffiti filled lanes with coffee shops and eateries. Neighbours and the football.

Canberra is the nations capital. With a new Parliament House, the old one next door. Theres Embassies from many nations, the War Memorial. A new Museam and the Institute of Sport. Lake Burley Griffith and ANU.

Sydney has the Opera House, Circular Quay and the ferries on the harbour, the northern beaches, Manly and Bondi. Theres great sea walks and a bustling city life. Rugby and cricket, the Rocks and the Domain. The Paddington Markets and the Art Gallery over looking the Boy Charlton saltwater pool, perched over the harbour, looking out on the Woollomooloo Wharf.

Theres Tasmania and the Trans- tasman, the Sydney to Hobart yatch race. Theres giant trees and magnificent forests that are preserved for future generations. Tasmania is a wilderness of its own.

There are great country towns and holiday locations. Byron Bay and the Gold Coast. Noosa, a favorite holiday location and the Great Barrier Reef. Snorkelling, swimming, sailing and water sports.

Theres 5 star accomodation, eco tourism and great backpacker deals too. This is the modern Australia.

We eat vegemite.

The land was called Terra Nullius in 1788 when Captain James Cook claimed the land for the British empire. It wasnt until 1990 that a legal case that went to the High Court of Australia, called the Marbo case, that it was officially declared terra fullius. That is the aboriginal people, or Koori nations of Australia had been here for some time. Some 40,000 years or so.

The language is pretty easy to pick up. There are a few phrases that will make any travel here much easier for you.

When asked, who do you barrack for in the Cricket. The appropriate answer is always - ozzies, mate, I follow the ozzies.

Mate is a term of endearment to anyone you know or dont know.

Gooday mate, means you've mastered the local lingo.

If you can recite a rendition of "Ozzie, Ozzie, Ozzie, Oy Oy Oy.. " you may make a new friend.

Thongs, tshirt and zinc cream are the national apparel.

Oh and kangaroos do hop down the main street.

Australians love sport. Cricket, football, NRL, basketball, netball, swimming and running and tennis. Its something you have to experience to understand. We love our sport and have great fun cheering on our teams to victory.

Celebrating the olympics with our athletes dressed in green and gold. Cheering on our cricketers and tennis greats. We are a sporting nation.

Australia has its own unique flora and fauna. With over 1200 native animal species and over 20,000 native plants indigenous to the region. Our Eucalypts are majestic and our native forests shelter many tiny species that cannot be found in any other ecosystem and some havent even been discovered yet.

Australia is home to some unique animals and plant life. We love our eucalypts and wattle. Our bottle brush and the sturt desert pea. We have blankets of wildflowers in parts of WA and amazing forests in Tasmania. Theres East Gippsland, the Daintree and the WA Southwest Karri forests and in Queensland, the Great Barrier Reef.

Koalas can be seen in Noosa and many other spots, although their numbers are dwindling. Kangaroos abound, echidna and emus' too. Theres the platypus and quokkas, kookaburras and cockatoos. The Tasmanian devil and the bilby. All of these native to australia too. There is also the Tasmanian devil, the wombat and beautiful birds such as the red tailed black cockatoo.

There are snakes and lizards and wonderful marsupials like the Quokka to discover. We also have fantastic marine life, with many whale species travelling along our coastlines, dolphins and barramundi and king george whiting are two favorite fishes on the menu. Whilst our whales are protected from fishing.

The aboriginal people found food in our forests and we call it bush tucker, from goanna cooked on an open fire to the witcherdy grub and native fruits, berries, nuts, roots and all types of edible plant derived foods that you would not imagine. Yet many taste wonderful,

The Australian lifestyle is seen as laid back and fun. We love a good bbq, a game of cricket or cheering our atheletes on at any competition. From the Australian Open, to the Olympic games and the Cricket, we love a good party.

New Years Eve and Australia Day are 2 big days on our calendar for a party. We dont mind a long weekend or the Boxing Day Cricket match at the MCG. Many of us celebrate Christmas, whilst others enjoy chanika or other religious holidays, we are a nation that embrasses freedom of religion.

In Sydney, its the Sydney to Hobart yatch race on New Years Day, in Melbourne, its the Melbourne Cup in November. Adelaide has the fringe festival and Perth a big Australia Day, Great forests in the south west and wineries and magical landscapes through the Pilbara and Kimberley. Im not sure what they celebrate in Queensland, but they have the Great Barrier Reef and amazing beaches and islands. Tasmania has the forests. And the Northern Territory has the dirt, the dust, Uluru and ..............., Kings Canyon and Devils Marbles. Mataranka and the Darwin Markets.

We love a holiday Monday too, with long weekends on Australia Day, Labor Day and the Queens Birthday too. A beer and a bbq make a happy Sunday picnic.

We dont mind a drop of wine or a good night out. Basically, Australians are a laid back people. More intelligent than you might think we are, big hearted, full of fun and love a laugh.

There are over 280 Aboriginal or Koori nations. With British settlement came the beliefs of the Motherland, that these people were savages, natives. As white man made his home in this harsh continent, he took from the aboriginal people part of their country and home.

The aboriginal dreaming is based on what I learnt to be a nomadic path that is spiritual and linked to an animal. So, if you are a kangaroo dreaming, you follow the kangaroo dreaming path and it will lead you. That is what white man did not understand, it is not the land per se, but the path or dreaming of that land and the aboriginal link to that dreaming.

Many Australian aboriginal people still live in remote locations, many on what we call communities. They have what we call traditional ownership based on the Mabo Court decision that recognized the traditional ownership of the land by the Aboriginal people before British settlement.

Mainsteam, or white  Australians embrace the Reconciliation policy and are really happy to see pro active policies to improve the lives of our indigenous people. We fly their flag next to the national flag on many government buildings and there is the famous Cathy Freeman victory walk at the Olympic games in.... with both flags.This was a big statement and it has really only been in the past few years that we have said sorry for the events in early white settlement, sorry for the stolen generation, sorry for the inequity and our not understanding the culture and beliefs of the Koori people of Australia and not knowing to show respect.

There is still more to be done to improve the wellbeing of our indigenous people and it is a difficult path to walk, that of apology and friendship. That of acceptance and social inclusion without creating assimilation policies.

Aboriginal art is well known globally. There are some fantastic aboriginal theatre groups and self determination is the ideal that maybe will eventuate in a proud, healthy and happy Koori people. The didgereedoo is a traditional aboriginal instrument.

Culture - (in popular use) literature and the fine arts, is one definition ascribed to the word culture by the Australian Macquarie dictionary. Another is related to a particular state or stage of civilisation as in the case of a certain nation or period.

The mythology of the australian psychi may be one of the beach and bbqs. Our history has created this utopian image from our beginnings as a convict colony and the bushman ballads of the outback voice of Banjo Patterson. The bushrangers, none the likes of Ned Kelly, gold fields and outback survival. The Aboriginal Dreamtime and the sadness of the stolen generation. All experienced upon the imposing landscape of the rugged outback. With the wild forests and hinterlands that leadback to the coast and our fantastic beaches and the great bronzed aussie surfer.

The war years and our Anzacs, the 50s and the baby boomers along with european immigrants and the 10 pound pom. All make up what we call culture. The sixties and the Menzies era, vietnam, Gough Whitlam and the Dismissal. The new Australians of the 80's and 90's bringing with them the best of their cultures, the flavours of distant lands.

Our film and music industries communicate our love of the arts, from Dame Nellie Melba to David Helfgott. Who was the inspiration for the internationally acclaimed Shine. Paul Hogan gave us Crocodile Dundee, the forerunner to Steve Irwin and the Crocodile Hunter. We have Magda Zabansic and Babe, Working dog productions and the great australian classic, The Castle, also the Dish, a boys own annual movie that is loved by all. A girls own movie may be Muriels wedding. Theres Dead Calm when Nicole Kidman makes her first grown up movie. Classics like Picnic at Hanging Rock, We of the Never Never and Their a weird mob. To honour our Anzacs and soldiers, Gallipoli and Breaker Morant. Mad Max can be watched over and over as can. Theres wogs out of work and the latest release of Kings of Mykonos: Wog Boys 2. The fascination with gangsters is portrayed in Two Hands and most recently with Animal Kingdom, a sad portrayal of how events can twist someones life.

Theres Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Happy Feet to make us laugh too.

Our authors, Tom Kenneally and Tim Winton. Elizabeth Jolley and Colleen Mc Cullock. Theres Peter Carey, an international success with books such as Bliss. Our rich land is a cornucopia of literature, film and the arts.

In art there is Albert Namajerra and many other fantastic aboriginal artists whose work is internationally acclaimed. The Newcastle artists and the Heidleburg School. Brett Whitley from inner Sydney and Sydney Nolan, Pro Hart and Hans Heysen to name a few. Theres also Arthur Boyd, Margaret Olley and ......

Musically, we range from the Opera of Dame Nellie Melba, our state symphony orchestras, to our rock muscians the likes of Silverchair, Hot Chilli Peppers and all those about to appear on our stages and all those who have come before.

On stage, we have had magical ballerinas like Sir Robert Helpman, Kathy Goram, in theatre theres Ruth Cracknell and John Bells Shakespeare. Movie stars already mentioned. There are so many small magical theatre groups and muscians that create experiences that you could not imagine or forget once seen.

Add a touch of larikin wit. Footy on a wet winters day, a pie in hand. Cricket and a bbq in summer, the olympics, commonwealth games or tennis are always a click away. The invent of the remote control must have been made with the suburban Australian male in mind.

Thongs, tshirt and zinc are the norm for a summers afternoon at the beach. Yet, the sophistication of the city could mean black tie by evening.

We have great minds in science and medicine too. Ours is a rich land, of many cultures and wonderful horizons.

Our education standards are high, our love of sport, the beach and travel cumulate into a fun loving and big hearted nation. We have grown from a British colonial outpost to a large and vibrant nation, with people from many lands.

We love our food. From the native foods of the aboriginal people, through the traditional British meat and veg fare bought with the settlers, the rabbit of the depression  and the beginning of the European influence in the 1950s. The 70's and 80's saw the tiny beginning of an asian influence on our palete. This has cumulated into a wonderful modern australian cuisine that blends the tastes of different cultures.

e image of the bodysurfer is an iconic australian image that seems to speak to almost every Australian. The bronzed Aussie on the beach is a part of the Australian psychi. We love the beach, the water, swimming. We cheer on our swimmers, are amazed by our iron men and so many aussie kids have grown up as lifesavers, making the beach more than just a memory of a hot summers day.

There are beautiful beaches located around the whole of our coast line and its a big coastline. With magical surf beaches along the east coast. Theres the Bells Beach surf competition in January in Victoria, the Manly and Bondi lifesavers. The Queensland iron men. WA has magnificent views, magical sunsets and great beaches from Broome down to Esperence.

The famous Glenelg beach in Adelaide. Henley beach and fish and chips. Theres Victor Harbour for holidays and the fantastic coastline around to Kangaroo Island. Around the coast to Victoria and the 12 Apostles, the Great Ocean Road and then into the city and Port Phillip Bay, Brighton Beach and the beach huts, around to the Mornington Peninsula and Sorrento and Portsea.

On the way to NSW is Mallacoota, then there are the southern Sydney beaches. Around to Bondi and the Bondi walk, Manly beach, then the northern beaches to Palm Beach. Further the central coast and Coffs Harbor. Byron Bay and the Gold Coast. Up to the Sunshine Coast and Malloollabah, Noosa and the north of queensland. Great Keppel Island, Hamilton Island and Magnetic Island are examples of some of the most magical places on the Great Barrier Reef.

Up around the Cape and to Darwin. The beach is beautiful, yet sometimes has stingers. Across the North and around to Broome and Cable Beach. Ningaloo Reef and Coral Bay, Lancalin and back to Scarborough one of the favored locations of the pommy backpacker,, Cottesloe, Dunsborough and Margaret River, down around pristine South West beaches and you finally get to Esperence on your way back to the Nullabor Plain. I havent even mentioned Tasmania. Ive probably left out some amazing beaches, hidden wonders that we dont share, yet visit in secret to bask in the sun.

Attribution for photographic work used.

Boab Trees on Kimberley Plateau Kimberley, Australia by Zest-pk

Map of Australia by Color line.

Various photographs labelled, TA are from the image collection of Tourism Australia and are gratefully used in this hub.

jmk copyright 2010..

National Gallery of Australia