Analysis Of The Poem ' My Island Home '

The Australian Indigenous community hold extremely significant corrections to the land of Australia, of which they refer to as ‘Country.’ Indigenous people acquire deep meaning from the land, sea and the countless resources derived from them. This special relationship has formed for many centuries. To them ‘Country’ is paramount for overall wellbeing; the strong, significant, spiritual bonds embody their entire existence. Knowledge is continually passed down to create an unbroken connection of past,

Mateship. Adventurous. Loyal. Free. Proud. These are the typical words Australians use to describe themselves, to identify themselves as different from the rest of the world. But who is an Australian? Someone that was born in Australia? Only people we choose to call Australian? People with great achievements that we choose to take credit for? Only people that love sport and vegemite? Or maybe only people with ‘Aussie’ accents? The Australian population is a proud one indeed, proud of their nation, their achievements and their own independent way of life, but sometimes us Aussies, forget about the rest of the world and all those other people that make us, who we are.

We can presume from the numerous emphasized lines indicating Australia’s uniqueness, that the distinctiveness of Australia is the main reason for the persona’s perplexing attachment and love for her country.

Through the use of poetic devices, the author has successfully encouraged the audience to explore their thoughts on Australian identity and to reflect on our nation’s history.

Australia... land of the sun, beaches and kangaroo’s, known for being a free and multicultural country accepting you, no matter whom you are... or so we thought. Kevin Gilbert’s insightful poem ‘The New True Anthem’ tries to uncover the faults hidden under Australia’s picturesque surface. It depicts an Aboriginals’ view of Australia, comparing images of Australia to the harsh reality that the author feels is happening in this country. The destruction of the environment and the poor treatment of Aboriginal people are common themes that can be seen throughout the poem which contrast ideas about Australia such as natural beauty and freedom.

Similarly the idea of Australian life and isolation is depicted in ‘Journey: The North Coast’ where poet is eager to reach home. Perhaps the poet desires to visualise beautiful Australian landscapes as to allow the readers to view the magnificence of flora and fauna in contrast to the man-made destructions. It appears that the poet has been isolated for ‘twelve months’, and Sydney in this case acts as a barrier of poet’s desire towards nature. The title itself symbolises poet’s home and the destination which contradicts to the urban

In the early 20th century Charles Meere used art to depict Australia’s beaches as an idyllic place where the average Aussie would spend their free time. These works were during a time when Australian Immigration had a white policy and this was reflected in his subjects being tanned, physically strong, dominant male bodies alongside perfectly shaped young women and carefree children. Meere’s ‘Australian Beach Pattern’ is a symbol of the ideal Australian and promotes it to be typical of Australia’s identity of this era, however, fast forward 49 years to Anne Zahalka’s 1989 ‘The Bathers’ from the Bondi series, ‘Playground of the Pacific’, where she recreates Meere’s iconic painting and compare the characteristics of the Australian people from this timeframe. This photograph highlights how Australia’s culture has evolved while still embracing the importance of the beach to family

The identity of Australia as a place comes from both its physical features and the atmosphere, which is often created by its physical appearance. Three artists who have depicted the Australian landscape in different styles are Arthur Streeton, John Olsen and Sally Morgan. Streeton’s works are in a realistic but lively style typical of the Heidelberg school. He was intent on recreating the light and warmth of the land. Olsen and Morgan’s works, on the other hand, offer more abstract interpretations of the land. During the 1960s and 1970s, Olsen captured the essence and the energy of the landscape with his bold and bright brushwork whilst Morgan’s work from the 1980s portrays Australia from an indigenous perspective, which she achieves through her use of Aboriginal symbolism and cultural imagery.

The patterns of change and continuity in Australia at the time of federation influenced Australia to become its own nation through the creation of the Australian identity. At time of Federation, the majority of people living in the Australian colonies were Australian-born. Colonists were also starting to see themselves as Australian, not as British. This meant people wanted their own identity that didn’t link back to Britain. The way of life in Australia helped build the identity, which was shaped by its differences to the typical Britain life. This was affected by the native flora and fauna, the weather and activities, sports and hobbies. There was also a change in the styles of literature and art, becoming more specifically Australian. This contributed to the growing national identity. For example, the popular oil canvas painting named Near Heidelburg by Arthur Streeton (Source 4.41, page 196, Oxford Big Ideas Australian Curriculum History 9) depicts the grasslands of Australia, and shows how people dressed accordingly to the weather. The change of the crops grown in Australia due to the climate, impacted the lifestyle of the people living in the colonies. This is a different landscape to Britain’s, where most of the population had

A little pondering suggests that the poem has a keen focus on the Australian environment. The poet is successful to grab our attention with descriptive explanation in the line in the

It is thought by many that part of the Australian identity is being a very tolerant country that accepts and includes all cultures and people from all walks of life; however, after coming across the poems No More Boomerang by Oodgeroo Noonuccal and Be Good, Little Migrants by Uyen Loewald, the experiences felt by two Australians prove that this idea is... questionable.

Whether it be marching in an ANZAC day parade, seeing the green and gold boxing kangaroo flag at a sporting event or singing the national anthem, Australians are known for showing ‘true Aussie pride.’ In The Castle, Darryl’s pride is evident when his daughter becomes the first member of the family to receive diploma of Hairdressing. As Darryl stares at Tracey’s graduating certificate, Dale talks about how proud his dad is of his little girl. He states in his narration, “Dad reckons the day Tracey told him she was accepted into Sunshine Tafe for Hairdressing was about the proudest day of his life.” Rupert McCall’s poem Green and Gold Malaria is also another great example of the moments when Australians have shown true Aussie Pride. In his poem he talks about how he felt pride in his country when, “Banjo takes me down the Snowy River,” “It flattened me when Bertrand raised the boxing kangaroo” and “And when Perkins smashed the record, well, the rashes were true blue.” (McCall, R) McCall has shown in his poem the strong spirit of Australian’s and the proud moments in our history where Australians have shown true Aussie

Australia is a nation without limits scene, society and more rooted archaic rich economies in the world. Australia is the sixth largest country in area and is the main country to represent an entire land mass. A wonderful native habitat caliber of different qualities and extraordinary life, Australia is a destination for travelers from all over the world and 10 percent of biodiversity in the world and an impressive number of local plants and creatures he n ' There is no other place on earth. Rainforest in the north to the red deserts of the interior, the snowfields of the Australian Antarctic Territory in the southeast, is a vast region and changed. Australia is home to one of the most experienced companies in the world living with indigenous

The lyrics “Our home is girt by sea” describe the continuing connection that all Australians have with our bordering seas. Eighty five percent of all Australians live within fifty kilometers of the coast. Along with Australia’s love of the coast, our coastal waters hold many of nature's best gifts and landmarks that are deeply associated with “Advance Australia Fair”. The words “young and free”and “boundless plains to share” speak of the trueblue fairdinkum Australian that is seen in Australia

A key component of Australian culture today is not only their diversity, but more importantly, the