Essay On Australian Identity

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Good morning /good afternoon, welcome to the Australian Youth Conference, today I would like to talk to you about some of the greatest Australian perceptions and what I think about these perceptions. For a moment I would like you to think what the typical Aussie looks like. Now in your mind did you see a typical Australian as the rough looking outback hunter, the drag queens that roams around the dessert, did you see us riding kangaroos to school, do we surf at any chance we can get, do we live with most deadly animals on earth (big spiders), do we throw the snags on the barbeque after a long day at work, and do we drink beer with every meal?
These are common perceptions about our Australian culture and identity. Have you ever stopped to consider how these perceptions of Australians are formed? We have a natural tendency to blame Hollywood for portraying the “Aussie” in this way. What I would like to discuss with you today is the role the Australian film and television industry has played in the representation of Australia to the world, and how this has shaped our own cultural identity.
I recently met some European, ‘first time’, visitors to Australia, out for a meeting at my Dad’s work. We had them over for dinner and I was quite amazed at their ideas and perspectives on Australia were very interesting. One said he had trouble …show more content…

Many of the successful Australian films use strong symbolism to show Australia as a very relaxed country with amazing wildlife and geography. Crocodile Dundee really opened the focus on Australian Films with others such as ‘Red Dog’, Pricilla Queen of the Desert, Strictly Ballroom and the Castle. These other films don’t portray quite the same outrageous stereotypical Australian characteristics as Crocodile Dundee however still show strong mateship and larrikinism which are now become apart of our

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