Australiana
Australiana is a term denoting items, people, places, flora, fauna and events of Australian origins. Anything pertaining to Australian culture, society, geography and ecology can fall under the term Australiana, especially if it is endemic to Australia. Australiana often borrows from Australian Aboriginal culture, or the stereotypical Australian culture of the early 1900s.
Objects can be Australiana in their own right, such as boomerangs, Akubra hats, didgeridoos, or can be common objects with Australian cultural images displayed on them. Such items could include two-man saws, snow globes or tea towels with Australian scenery or icons imprinted on them in the national colours of Australia.
Australiana can also refer to art with an Australian style or subject. Paintings, ceramics, crafts and coins that depict Australian imagery would fall under this category.
These images are often well-known Australian animals and birds, such as kangaroos, koalas, the platypus, echidnas and budgerigars.
People are sometimes depicted in the artwork, such as Australian explorers, drovers, bushmen, swagmen, Australian Aborigines, diggers and the like.
Being on the beach in summer is also generally made out to be part of Australian, as well as Surf Life Savers, as Australia is a coastal culture, because of the nature of inland Australia (dry, harsh desert).
Some commercial brands have become part of Australiana due to their perceived "Australianness". Advertisements and posters depicting these brands often become part of Australiana as well. These include:[1]
- Chiko Roll
- Kangaroo (Qantas)
- Koala
- Kookaburra
- Hills Hoist
- Holden
- Australian rules football
- Victa lawn mower
- Vegemite
- Mambo Graphics
- Arnott's Biscuits
- Ugg boots
- Cricket
- XXXX beer
- Mortein
- Fairy bread
- R. M. Williams boots
- Four'N Twenty Pies
- Peters Ice Cream
- Rosella soup
- Rugby League
- Boomerang
- Driza-Bone coats
- Akubra hats
- Billabong
- Damper
- Milo (drink)
- Tim Tam
Australiana has also been called a style of kitsch art.[2]
See also
- Culture of Australia
- William Dixson— collector of early Australiana
- Canadiana — a similar concept in Canada
- Americana — a similar concept in the United States
- Kiwiana — a similar concept in New Zealand
- Rhodesiana – a similar concept in Rhodesia
References
External links
- The Australiana Society - The Australiana Society publishes a quarterly magazine, Australiana, which features research on Australian art, decorative art, artifacts and history.