Australian Culture
Australian culture is a unique blend of established European traditions and new multicultural influences. With a population of more than 20 million its people are open, friendly and hospitable.
The country is a diverse landscape of desert, parched waterways, mountains, open cut mines, flat farmlands, tropics, rainforests, bright sunshine and beaches that is home to both the world’s oldest cultural traditions and a rich mix of migrant and many ethnic cultures. Its flora and fauna are both varied and unique; they are examples of evolution in isolation.
In the 17th Century, Australia was visited frequently by Europeans including explorers from England, Holland, Portugal, Spain and France. British explorer Captain James Cook claimed the east coast for King George III of England and called it New South Wales in 1770. A harsh Penal Colony was established in 1788 at Sydney Cove and this transportation of convicts continued until 1840. Free settlers populated the coastal ports and moved inland becoming pastoralists, miners and farmers. The city of Sydney was formally established in 1842.
The ancient land is home to the oldest continuous civilizations on the planet. In northern parts of the continent indications are that indigenous Aboriginal Australians may have inhabited the continent for more than 60,000 years, arriving initially by watercraft through Indonesia.
The spiritualities of indigenous Australians emphasise the inextricable connection of the Dreaming, the region or country and their identity. But Australia, like many other western countries, is becoming known as an increasingly secular society. 63.2 % of Australians identify with a Christian tradition but only 14.6 % are affiliated with a worshipping community. Other religious faiths include Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism.
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