CHAPTER 11

Culture & ART of

Australia & Oceania
What comes to your mind when we
talk about Aussie culture?
Basic Facts on Australia
• Capital: Canberra
• Population: 22.6 million
• Is a commonwealth of Britain
▫ it is a government still connected to Britain whose
participants are all equal
▫ Officially recognizes Queen Elizabeth as its monarch &
Head of State—as a CEREMONIAL leader
• Australia operates under a parliamentary democracy
and has a Prime Minister (Tony Abbott)
▫ Also a governor-general who reports directly to the
queen on behalf of Australia (Quentin Bryce)
 Governor General
Prime Minister Peter Cosgrove
Martin Turnbull
The Governor General (R)
has more power,
technically, than the Prime
Minister (L) since she is a
representative of the
“official” Head of State, her
Majesty Queen Elizabeth
II. However, the PM plays
a much larger role in law-
making
The History
• Aborigines have lived in the region for over
40,000 years
• European contact began when Australia was
founded by Captain James Cook in 1770; he
claimed land for Britain
• Gold rush in the late-1800s massive
(European) immigration into the region
• Increased population and increased exploration
allowed for “Crown Colonies” to be established
in the 1800s
• 1901: six colonies became a federation
▫ Commonwealth of Australia was established!
 The Flag of Australia

Union Jack
flag (British)

• Chosen in 1901; legally made the official flag

in 1954
• Only flag to fly over an entire continent
 Australia Today: Aborigine Culture
Ceremony

Rock Art
Australian Culture: Non-Aborigine
• Culture is heavily influenced by British
colonization:
▫ Most practice some form of Christianity
▫ Official language: Australian English
▫ Pastimes also influenced by the British
• Still, they have things of their own! 
 Uggs are made in
Australia

Australia has the highest rates of

Vegemite to Australians is what PB
& J sandwiches are to Americans
skin cancer in the world—partially
because of a hole in the ozone layer,
and partially because of the
numerous outdoor activities Aussies
participate in.

Rugby, brought by the British, is a

very popular (and violent) sport in
Australia
Famous Aussies
Celebrated Holidays
• Australia Day: January 26
▫ Celebrates the first arrival of convicts on Botany Bay, near
Sydney
▫ (really, the first British settlement, 1788)
• ANZAC Day: April 26
▫ ANZAC= Australian & New Zealand Army Corps
▫ Honors the Australian & New Zealand soldiers who died
in WWI & WWII
• Easter Sunday (depends)
• Queen’s Birthday (2nd Monday in June)
• Christmas: December 25
▫ Usually celebrated on the beach (what season is it in
Australia?)
New Zealand
Basic Facts: New Zealand
• Capital: Wellington
• Population: 4.4 million
• Is a commonwealth of Britain
▫ it is a government still connected to Britain whose
participants are all equal
▫ Officially recognizes Queen Elizabeth as its monarch &
Head of State—as a CEREMONIAL leader
• NZ ALSO operates under a parliamentary
democracy and has a Prime Minister (John Key)
▫ Also a governor-general who reports directly to the
queen on behalf of New Zealand (Jerry Mateparae)
Prime Minister
John Key

Similar to Australia, New

Zealand’s Governor-
General (R) holds more
power than the PM. Jerry
Mateparae is the first
Maori person to hold this
office!

Queen Elizabeth is still the

Head of State, but usually
only in a ceremonial
capacity
History
• Settled by Polynesians in 700s (“Maori”);
created own culture
• James Cook actually reached New Zealand
BEFORE Australia and was the first explorer to
circumnavigate the area (1769)
• Was adopted into the British Empire in 1880
▫ Eventually, Europeans took over  Maori
impoverished
Oceania/Pacific Islands
• Islands of Melanesia thought to be the first
inhabited during the Ice Age
▫ Migrated from SE Asia
▫ Crossed the water in canoes & small boats—lower
sea levels then!
Melanesia
• Original inhabitants:
migration around 30,000
years ago
• Melanesians make up ¾ of
indigenous pop. of the
islands
• Includes:
▫ Papua New Guinea
▫ Fiji
▫ Vanuatu
▫ New Caledonia
Micronesia
• Have mongoloid physical characteristics:
▫ Mongoloid: describes people of E. Asia
▫ Lighter skin, dark, straight or wavy hair
• People here generally live in coastal villages
• Native culture was the last to develop in this
region
• Most islands are independent, but were
colonized by USA, Germany & British
Empire at one point
• Includes:
▫ Marshall Islands
▫ Kiribati
▫ Guam
▫ Palau
▫ Nauru
Polynesia
• All islands are very similar in
terms of culture, language &
physical appearance
• Physical Characteristics of
natives:
▫ Mongoloid features
▫ Generally taller & lighter-skinned
than Micronesians & Melanesians
• Polynesians responsible for the
stone statues on Easter Island
• Includes:
▫ Tonga
▫ Pitcairn
▫ Hawaii
▫ New Zealand
• What are the arts of Australia?
• Performing arts
• Indigenous dance.
• Ballet.
• Other forms of dance.
• Indigenous music.
• Folk music and national songs.
• Classical music.
• Pop and rock.
• Country music.
• What type of ARt work Australia is known
for?
• Traditional Indigenous art. There are several
types of and methods used in making Aboriginal
art, including rock painting, dot painting, rock
engravings, bark painting, carvings, sculptures,
weaving and string art. Australian Aboriginal art
is the oldest unbroken tradition of art in the
world
• Types of Aboriginal Art
• Awelye, Body Paint and Ceremonial Artifacts. ...
• Bark Paintings. ...
• Aboriginal Rock Art. ...
• Ochre Paintings. ...
• Fibre Art. ...
• Wood Carvings and Sculpture. ...
• Paintings on Canvas, Linen or Board. ...
• Works on Paper
• What is Australian Aboriginal Art called
for?
• Rock Art. Rock art is the oldest form of
indigenous art and comes in the form of painting,
engraving, carving, and stenciling. The earliest
dated rock painting is a charcoal drawing on a
fragment in southwestern Arnhem Land, in the
Northern Territory of Australia, and it dates back
28,000 years.
• What are the 5 types of arts?

• Traditional categories within the arts include

literature (including poetry, drama, story, and so
on), the visual arts (painting, drawing, sculpture,
etc.), the graphic arts (painting, drawing, design,
and other forms expressed on flat surfaces), the
plastic arts (sculpture, modeling), the decorative
arts (enamelwork, ...
• What are the 4 main arts?
• Some view literature, painting, sculpture,
and music as the main four arts, of which the
others are derivative; drama is literature with
acting, dance is music expressed through motion,
and song is music with literature and voice.
• Why is Australian art important?
• The arts have a long tradition of shaping our
society and an important part to play in our
future. They help define and negotiate who
we are, what we believe in, what we value
and what we aspire to. The arts inspire
Australians and help us express ourselves to other
people
• What is Australian design style?
• Australian Interiors reflect a relaxed and laid
back style with the use of greys and whites
as the base color palette. A soft mix of colour
is introduced through cushions, rugs, throws,
wall art and home décor accessories
• What are the three things that make Australia
unique?
• Australia is globally famous for its natural
wonders, wide-open spaces, beaches, deserts,
"The Bush", and "The Outback". Australia is one
of the world's most highly urbanised countries; it's
well known for its attractive mega cities such as
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth
• What are the 7 traditional arts?
• The traditional subdivision of the arts,
being Architecture, Sculpture, Painting,
Literature, Music, Performing, and Film.
• 10 of the Most Common Aboriginal
Art Symbols
• Aboriginal Art Symbols #1: The People. ...
• Aboriginal Art Symbols #2: The Hunter. ...
• Aboriginal Art Symbols #3: The Waterhole. ...
• Aboriginal Art Symbols #4: The Flow of Water. ...
• Aboriginal Art Symbols #5: The Goanna. ...
• Aboriginal Art Symbols #6: The Snake. ...
• Aboriginal Art Symbols #7: The Coolamon
• What are the main types of ART?
• The three fine arts of painting, sculpture, and
architecture are sometimes also called the
“major arts”, with “minor arts” referring to
commercial or decorative art styles.
• How is the Traditional Australian Art?
• Evidence of Aboriginal culture is found in the
rock art, which so far has been dated back at
least 20,000 years, while archaeology has
dated ancient campsites back to 50,000 to
65,000 years
• What is Australian Modern Art?
• Australian modernism, similar to European and
American modernism, was a social, political
and cultural movement that was a reaction
to rampant industrialisation, associated
moral panic of modernity and the death
and trauma of the World Wars
• Why are symbols used in Aboriginal art?
• They are an important part of the ceremonial
process and were used to instruct initiates about
the Dreamings. Key sites, travelling routes and
Dreamtime legends were all outlined using
symbols. Today, Aboriginal artists use these
symbols in their paintings to pass down culture
and traditions within a family.
• Why is it called ART???
• The term “art” is related to the Latin word
“ars” meaning, art, skill, or craft. The first
known use of the word comes from 13th-century
manuscripts. However, the word art and its many
variants (artem, eart, etc.) have probably existed
since the founding of Rome
• Who started ART
• The first painting was made by primitive men,
believed to have been made by Homo
Neanderthalis in the prehistoric era.
Archaeological excavations carried out in Europe,
Africa and Asia reveal that primitive men were the
first painters and sculptors and demonstrated
through these arts their daily lives.
• What are the 13 arts?
• The 13 arts of Zurich chusum are painting,
carpentry, carving, sculpture, casting,
blacksmith, bamboo and cane craft, gold
and silver smithing, weaving, embroidery,
masonry, leather works and paper
making.
• What are the Big 5 in art?
• Alton Kelley, Victor Moscoco, Rick
Griffin, Wes Wilson, Stanley Mouse.
Photo: Bob Seidemann. Even if you've never
heard their names before, chances are you're
more than familiar with the work of the
legendary poster artists known as 'the Big Five'
• What are the 9 subjects of art?
• The major subjects in Arts Stream
include Economics, History, Political
Science, Geography, Sociology, Philosophy,
Psychology, Computer Science, Hindi,
Regional language, etc. From Law and Literary
Studies to Journalism and Hotel Management,
careers after Arts stream are copious
• What is ART ans its TYPE?
• art, also called (to distinguish it from other art
forms) visual art, a visual object or
experience consciously created through an
expression of skill or imagination. The term
art encompasses diverse media such as painting,
sculpture, printmaking, drawing, decorative arts,
photography, and installation.
• What are the three purpose of ART?
• The functions of art normally fall into three
categories: physical, social, and personal.
These categories can and often do overlap in any
given piece of art.
• What is the art capital of Australia?
• Canberra: Australia's Arts Capital - Arts, Culture
and Creative Policy 2022-2026 Action Plan.

• What is the main purpose of art?

• Art can uplift, provoke, soothe, entertain
and educate us and is an important part of our
lives. At its most profound level, it takes us from
the everyday to a place of introspection and
contemplation, to see the bigger picture of the
human condition.
• What is Australian culture known
for?
• Aussie's are known for being open-hearted and
open-minded and think that everyone has
the right to get a fair go. This can be seen in
universal support of publicly funded health care
and education systems.
• What makes Australian unique?
• Australia is globally famous for its natural
wonders, wide-open spaces, beaches,
deserts, "The Bush", and "The Outback".
Australia is one of the world's most highly
urbanised countries; it's well known for its
attractive mega cities such as Sydney, Melbourne,
Brisbane, and Perth
• What makes Australian design unique?
• “Australian architecture is unique because of
our climate. Australians live in the transition
zone between inside and out. Also, the quality of
the sun and the natural light [gives architects] an
amazing design tool.”
• What are Australia's 5 values?
• Australian values include: ​respect for the freedom
and dignity of the individual.
...
Australian values
• ​mutual respect.
• tolerance.
• compassion for those in need.
• equality of opportunity for all.
• What are the five interesting facts of
Australia
• Well here are a few little gems that might
surprise you!
• The Australian Alps get more snow than the
Swiss Alps. ...
• 90% of Australians live on the coast. ...
• Tasmania has the cleanest air in the world. ...
• The Great Barrier Reef is the largest eco-system
in the world. ...
• Australia has over 60 separate wine regions
• What are 3 Australian values?
• Sign or accept the Australian Values
Statement
• mutual respect;
• tolerance;
• compassion for those in need;
• equality of opportunity for all;
• What Are the 7 Different Forms of Art?
• Painting.
• Sculpture.
• Literature.
• Architecture.
• Cinema.
• Music.
• Theater
• What is the popular ART STYLE?
• Pop Art. Pop Art is perhaps one of the most well-
known and well-loved art styles throughout
history and for good reason. It is, after all, a
reimagination of sorts that “popped up” and took
inspiration from mass or popular culture,
particularly American consumerist culture, hence
the name
• What is the TRADIONAL ART called?
• Folk art covers all forms of visual art made in
the context of folk culture. Definitions vary, but
generally the objects have practical utility of
some kind, rather than being exclusively
decorative.
• What are the main colours used in Aboriginal art?

• These pioneers of western desert art relied on a

range of basic colours, often gouache or water-
based paints, using black, white, yellow, red
and brown tones. These colours were the ones
most like the ochre earth pigments that had been
used for ceremonial painting and rock art for
thousands of years.
• What colours did Aboriginal art use?
• Materials (colours) used for Aboriginal art was
originally obtained from the local land. Ochre or
iron clay pigments were used to produce colours
such as white, yellow, red and black from
charcoal. Other colours were soon added such as
smokey greys, sage greens and saltbush mauves.
• What do colours mean in Aboriginal art?
• Black represents the earth, marking the campfires
of the dreamtime ancestors. Red represents fire,
energy and blood - 'Djang', a power found in
places of importance to the Aborigines. Yellow
represents water, and the markings on the back of
the great snake ancestor (see our last blog on the
Rainbow Serpent Myths).
• How do you explain ART?
• Art is generally understood as any activit
product done by people with a
communicative or aesthetic purpose
something that expresses an idea, an emot
more generally, a world view. It is a compo
culture, reflecting economic and social sub
in its design.
• What is the nature of art?
• It is easier to describe it as the way something is
done “the use of skill and imagination in the
creation of aesthetic objects,
environments, or experiences that can be
shared with others” rather than what it is.
• Who is the first artist in AUSTRALIA?
• After two centuries, the first artist to call
Australia's frontier settlements home is recognised
for his flair and contribution.
• JOHN LEWIN-first Australian professional artist