This discussion paper will identify how Surf Life Saving has come to form part of Australia’s cultural identity, through a contemporary and historical perspective. Surf Life Saving, (2014) states that the surf lifesaving organisation acts as the major water safety, drowning prevention and rescue authority within Australia, and has been doing so since 1907. Surf Life Saving (2014) establishes that the philosophy of Surf Life Saving is to create a safe water environment for Australians. “Patrols, education, training, public safety campaigns and the promotion of health and fitness” (Surf Lifesaving, 2014) are some of the mechanisms they use to achieve this philosophy. Surf Life Saving is comprised of both paid, and voluntary employees, however the organisation itself stands as a non-for profit organisation. Therefore they have strong community ties, because they’re dependant on fundraising, community donations and corporate sponsorship. They community ties are strengthened due to Surf Life Saving being a sport for the masses. Surf lifesaving caters for all athletes from, “Nippers” to professional athletes, who perform in such events as the annual Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain ironman series (Australian Institute of Sport, 2009).
Surf Life Saving in Australia was born out of necessity in 1907, after a change of attitude and a social revolution resulted in the abolishment of a controversial that stood until 1905 (Australian Government, 2008). This law prohibited people to ‘bathe’ during daylight hours, as it was seen as an immoral act (Australian Government, 2008). O’Connell (2006) states that early morning and late afternoon were the only designated time men and women could ‘bathe’ legally, although they couldn’t do so together. This was t...
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...Surf Lifesaving in Australia. Australian Journal on Volunteering, Vol. 11, No. 1: [76]-79. Retrieved from http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy.flinders.edu.au/documentSummary;dn=149342671847638;res=IELFSC
Purdie and Craven. (2006). Young People’s Perceptions Of What It Means To Be An Australian. Retrieved from http://research.acer.edu.au/learning_processes/1
Ramsland, J. (2011). A gladiator caste envied by all men, adored by all women'. The surf lifesaver and mythical beach iconography in New South Wales. ISAA Review: Journal of the Independent Scholars Association of Australia, April, 2011, Vol.10(1), p.83(22) Cengage Learning, Inc.
Surf lifesaving. (2014). Our History. Retrieved from http://sls.com.au
Wilks, J., & Atherton, T. (1994). Health and safety in Australian marine tourism: a social, medical and legal appraisal. Journal of Tourism Studies, 5(2), 2-16.
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
stage for the development of Australian cultural identity and the values, attitudes and beliefs of
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.
Bourke, E and Edwards, B. 1994. Aboriginal Australia. St Lucia, Queensland: University of Queensland Press.
Reynolds, H. (2005). Nowhere People: How international race thinking shaped Australia’s identity. Australia: Penguin Group
Australian indigenous culture is the world’s oldest surviving culture, dating back sixty-thousand years. Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders have been represented in a myriad of ways through various channels such as poetry, articles, and images, in both fiction and non-fiction. Over the years, they have been portrayed as inferior, oppressed, isolated, principled and admirable. Three such texts that portray them in these ways are poems Circles and Squares and Grade One Primary by Ali Cobby Eckermann, James Packer slams booing; joins three cheers for footballer and the accompanying visual text and Heywire article Family is the most important thing to an islander by Richard Barba. Even though the texts are different as ….. is/are …., while
Surfing has come a long way since it was first conceived (roughly 1500 years ago). From the Polynesian “watermen” and Hawaiian Kings, to the European takeover in Hawaii and surfing's American debut in the early twentieth century and all the way through present day, surfing has had a rich history. Over the decades, surfing has fit in to a number of roles in society, but whether we surfers are seen as beach-bums or heroes (as of late), we still surf only because we love it, because the ocean’s calls us, because nothing else on this planet can create the sensation felt by riding a wave.
Government of South Australia, 2005. Adelaide's Living Beaches. A Strategy for 2005 - 2025, December, pp. 5-27.
Britton, Veronica. "The Origins of Surfing." The Sport of Kings. N.p.. Web. 6 Dec 2013.
Although partially true in its time, the Australian bush legend fades more and more as time progresses. The Australian identity of the 1890s was not the same as it was in the 1950s, nor do we have the same self-image today, as portrayed in 'The Australian Legend'. Recent statistics show that we work longer hours and drink far less then we used to. Many more Australians go to the beach than to the bush and despite the iconic male bushman, for most men and women in Australia the beach is far more central to our identity and lives, as the majority of the population lives closer to our coastal shores.
Think about it for a moment, each time a surfer goes to a beach, waxes up his board, and surveys the waves from the shore, he is preparing to go into the water to do something quite amazing. This person is willing to test not only his limits, but also the limits of what the ocean can do to him. He wants to battle the power of the entity that covers over seventy percent of the earth, manifested in the form of a wave, and ride it for all its worth.
After two years of recreational diving I have learned some of the ins and outs of the dive community. Diving has become such an enjoyable experience for me that I have decided to make a career change and work towards my dream of being a commercial diver. Before making such a life altering decision, it is important to understand the differences between the two in order to further understand the depth of my decision. In this essay, I will compare portions of recreational diving to its equivalent in technical diving. I will discuss equipment, locations and careers associated with each to assist in better understanding their differences.
The introduction of the Marine Park system in South Australia will help protect and conserve the large biodiversity of sea life in the state. The Marine Parks will enable the stock of fish to replenish and the tourism industry to increase in the long-term. Despite the negatives of the issues of tourism, the possible closing of fisheries and the large sum of money that has been spent setting up the marine parks, this system will help protect the states future, and ensure that the ocean’s ecosystems remain healthy. Overall, the long-term positive effects heavily outweigh the short-term negatives, and Marine Parks were rightly introduced.
Surfing refers to the surface water sport, where the wave rider is called the surfer. The surfer rides deep face or forward of the moving wave that carries the surfer towards the shore. The suitable waves for surfing are found in the ocean, rivers lakes like tidal bore or standing wave. Surfers can also make use of man-made waves like those from boat wakes.
Thinking of surfing brought me to think about my brother who is a surfer. I reminisced about the times he and I had sat quietly in the ocean waiting to see that perfect bump in the horizon. He taught me a great lesson in surfing; you don’t always have to pick the first option because there are more opportunities to