“It is fitting that Gough Whitlam was Australia’s 21st prime minister. Because with Gough as prime minister, Australia came of age”. - Tanya Plibersek Whitlam. Love him or hate him, it must be appreciated that Whitlam changed Australia. He brought us into the modern era and changed us like no politician had or ever will. This belief is reinforced by politicians, including former Prime Ministers from both sides of politics, demonstrating the impact and legacy Whitlam made. Longest serving Labor Prime minister, Bob Hawke said after his passing that “Australia is a better country because of the life and work of Gough Whitlam” (Sydney Morning Herald, 22/10/14. p. 2) while current Liberal Prime Minister, Tony Abbott said, “Whether you were for him or against him it was his vision that drove our politics then and which still echoes through our public life four decades on” (Sydney Morning Herald, 22/10/14, p. 2). This impact can be seen through the social, cultural, …show more content…
Through these areas, the impact of the Whitlam government can be clearly seen as a government with a vision to change Australia drastically, to create a fairer and better society, not only for the present, but for the future. The simplest way to see how Whitlam changed Australia is through policy and its effect socially, culturally, politically and economically. In the lead up to the 1972 election, Whitlam’s message was clear, “It’s time”. Mungo MacCallum, journalist, said “There was certainly a belief that is was time for a change” (Whitlam: Power and Passion, Ep 1). This sentiment was shared by many including Martin Collins, a high school student at the time who said it was “extremely exciting” and that “there was a sense of optimism about the future and that there was
Indigenous Australians have faced many changes to their original life style, with numerous policies being brought in. These policies had an incredible affect on how the indigenous Australians lived. The policies inflicted on the indigenous Australians varied widely and had numerous impacts. The policies of assimilation, protection and integration had mainly negative impacts on the community, causing loss of identity, language and religion. The policies of self-determination and reconciliation, had mostly positive effects to the indigenous Australian community, creating a stronger bond between black and white Australians, encouraging the concept of closing the gap between indigenous Australians and non-indigenous Australians. These policies had an incredible influence on the indigenous Australians life, changing many ways they lived. The policies changed the path of history for all Australians.
Prime Minister Ben Chifley, 1946, Victory Day Celebration Speech, Commonwealth of Australia, Accessed 19th April 2014, http://www.anzacsite.gov.au/operationclick/Topic_06/6F_WS_mix.pdf
The 2014 Walkley Award winning documentary, "Cronulla Riots: the day that shocked the nation" reveals to us a whole new side of Aussie culture. No more she’ll be right, no more fair go and sadly no more fair dinkum. The doco proved to all of us (or is it just me?) that the Australian identity isn’t really what we believe it to be. After viewing this documentary
Firstly, the ‘U-turn’ policies of 1971 to 1972 demonstrate clearly the lack of control that is evident throughout Heath’s premiership. Cracks were beginning to develop after these policies, which indicate a rough start to Heath’s reign. This is evident as the economic U-turn established that there was a growing number of unemployment and a growing inflation record that reached over one million. There were cuts in taxation and lows interests increased borrowing and house prices. Compared to a period of ‘affluence’ in Wilson’s government especially with his social policies, there is unprecedented change as the inflation demonstrated that the retail prices rose by 8.6% between 1970 to 1973 which acclimated to the U-turn policies in 1971-1972 which demonstrated a retreat from the free market and principles that had to be outline to maintain full employment leading Heath to give state aid to key industries including Rolls Royce. However, the ‘U-turn’ policies demonstrates largely that Heath had been seen by the public that he was too willing to give up on his aims and objectives, lacking a clear sense of direction indicating that the failures situated in his government led people finding him unreliable as a PM.
They have juggled power between them and Australia has emerged a powerful and intelligent nation under their leadership.
The contributions and achievements of Indigenous role models continue to make substantial impacts upon our history in areas such as the arts, sport, education, science and more increasingly; the world of Politics. Modern Australia is recognising and celebrating the achievements of Aboriginal people more than ever before, where the social landscape is changing (albeit slowly) as a result. The gradual change of peoples ingrained preconceptions, unfounded ideas and prejudiced notions are being challenged and ultimately transformed.
The government changes the way that reality looks like by altering the past, use of pure power and propaganda. People really think that the government is there to help them from their enemies, they get happy with the increasing food rations announcement and really think the Big Brother exist. Therefore, the citizens of Oceania, especially the proles prevent rebellion against the party because they admit that they have an ideal society. The winners in this type of society, are all the members of the inner party and higher ranks members whom steal away the rights of living from the lower class in order to create a lavish lifestyle for
Prime Minister Robert Menzies was a believer in the need for ‘great and powerful friends’ and the idea of ‘forward defence’. Before the 1949 federal election, Menzies campaigned on the representation of the Labor Party as out of touch with Australia’s postwar ambitions. He was aided by Chifley’s willpower to cover union wage stresses and control increase. Predominantly injuring for Labor was a Communist-led coal strike in New South Wales, and the government’s practice of troops to
Maestro by Peter Goldsworthy provides an insight into 1960s/70s Australia and helps reinforce common conceptions about Australian culture. One common conception Goldsworthy reinforces in this text is Australia’s increasing acceptance of multiculturalism. Maestro, set in the 1960s to 1970s, shows Australians growing more accepting and tolerant of other cultures. This shift in perspective was occurring near the end of the White Australia/Assimilation Policy, which was phased out in the late 1970s/early 1980s. An example of this shifted perspective in Maestro is Paul’s father’s opinion about living in Darwin:
Therefore, it is clear that a monarchy in Australia should remain. Even though he led the Republican Movement for the 1999 referendum at the time, it has been stated explicitly by the Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull that a republican Australia will only occur if there is widespread public momentum for the change. Thus, there is today not enough interest in changing our system of government, so why bother with it if the people do not want it? Becoming a republic requires constitutional change, and thus means two-thirds of people in a majority of states must be supportive for a monarch to be replaced by a republic. Traditionally, senior citizens have not been in support of topics such as a republican movement; thus, those who emigrated from England and the United Kingdom would predominantly reject a republic. Hence, the younger generations in society are the citizens in which usually are more divisive or willing to all options. “Many young Australians just don’t see the point of conducting a referendum.” These young Australians also hold the belief that by becoming a republic, the financial detriment will prove to be far too much of a burden and are not in favour of the switch to an untried system from one in which functions effectively now. Moreover, since Australia has always been with the Commonwealth, and having been required
Of the 8 successful, the 1967 referendum which proposed the removal of the words in section 51 (xxvi) ‘… other than the aboriginal people in any State’ (National Archives of Australia ND), and the deletion of section 127, both, which were discriminative in their nature toward the Aboriginal race, recorded a 90.77% nationwide vote in favour of change (National Archives of Australia, 2014). As a result, the Constitution was altered; highlighting what was believed to be significant positive political change within Indigenous affairs at the time (National Archives of Australia, 2014). Approaching 50 years on, discussion has resurfa...
In the year of 1939, Australia had joined the war effort. In this year Poland had been invaded by Hitler resulting in Britain declaring war on Germany. This declaration initially meant that Australia would be called to support Britain. Many Australian men enlisted in the armed forces leaving predominately women on the home front. This movement initially affected the Australian home front where the labour force had predominately consisted of men. In order for the Australian economy and war effort to function it was clearly evident that all members of Australian society would need to chip in.
Australia is a relatively young country; only becoming a unified nation in 1901 (Commonwealth of Australia, 2012). A young country is no different from a young person; identity is an issue. Questions of who am I and where do I fit in the world are asked, and unfortunately not often answered until a tragedy occurs. National identity is a sense of a nation and its people as a connected whole. This feeling of cohesiveness can be shaped by many events in a nation’s history but none more so than war. War is a stressful, traumatic affair that changes forever, not only the people that go to it but the nation as a whole. Many consider the Great War Australia’s tragedy where we became a nation (Bollard, 2013) with our own modern identity.
Throughout our rich history, we have overcome these issues by making great changes in our country by promoting multiculturalism and giving everyone a fair go which means giving everyone chance to live a healthy and prosperous life. But, even with these changes, Australia once was plagued with injustice. Australia now has a good reputation, but our horrid past will never be forgotten.
T Australians can be represented in a positive way by celebrating its diversity as a united nation, between its people and the land. Nevertheless, Australia can also be seen in a negative way, as being harsh and cruel. S – This presentation will be analysing one Australian song, I am Australian by Bruce