Fakultet Australia: 2011

2011/12/31

Get ready :)

MILLIONS of Australians are gathering in city centres as the nation gets ready to celebrate New Year's Eve 2011.

Thousands gather at Sydney Harbour

Thousands of revellers have been gathering since this morning at hot spots around Sydney Harbour as the final touches are put on the New Year's Eve fireworks.

Seven tonnes of pyrotechnic explosives will shoot heavenwards at 9pm (AEDT) and again at midnight, following 15 months of meticulous planning.

A staff member of the Botanic Gardens, which opened its gates at 10am (AEDT) on Saturday, said the crowds appeared to be bigger than usual.

"There seem to be more here this morning than normal because they are camping out," said the woman, who has worked at eight New Year's Eve celebrations.

Picnic blankets have already been rolled out and champagne corks popped at the best vantage points on both sides of the bridge.

By tonight, there will be 1.5 million partygoers ringing in the new year under the stars.

Sydney's New Year's fireworks Marc Newson said the much-anticipated final effect on the bridge would remain top secret until the stroke of midnight.

But he promised a show that was bigger and better than last year.

"There is a really exciting mood across the city at the moment," he said.

"People from around Sydney and the world (are) starting to gravitate towards the harbour foreshore to claim their spot."

Melbourne’s New Year – it’ll be gold

Not to be outdone, Melbourne will ring in 2012 with a $2.6 million celebration involving ten tonnes of fireworks exploding from 17 city locations, expecting to draw half a million people.

Starting at 9.45pm (AEDT), a gold flare will be fired across 11 city rooftops every half hour until the clock strikes midnight.

The city will then burst into gold with a $400,000 fireworks display lasting 10 minutes.

Gold-themed images will also be projected on to St Paul's Cathedral, the State Library of Victoria and the National Gallery of Victoria, as part of the celebrations which harks back to the gold rush era.

With Sydney's fireworks containing seven tonnes of explosives, Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said, "If size matters, we're the biggest".

"The Harbour Bridge is beautiful, but when you see the gold that is the Melbourne moment this year, it will be absolutely spectacular," Mr Doyle said.

Crowds can travel home from the city on public transport for free from 6pm on New Year's Eve until 6am.

2011/12/25

Meanwhile in NT...

GUSTS of up to 140km/h are expected to hit Australia's Top End, as Tropical Cyclone Grant lashes the coast.

The cyclone, which slowly intensified last night, is expected to move south across the Cobourg Peninsula and into the eastern Van Diemen Gulf early today.

The storm is travelling at about 8km/h and packing winds of around 140km/h at its centre.

If it maintains its southward course, it is predicted to cross the coast again east of Point Stuart, at least 80km east of Darwin, around lunchtime today.

Darwin residents may experience gale force winds today as the storm passes through, the weather bureau said.

Localised flooding over the northern Darwin-Daly, Arnhem and northern Roper-McArthur Districts is also expected.

People living west of Maningrida to the Tiwi islands, including Cape Don, Croker Island and Goulburn Island, were told to take shelter yesterday.

Forecasters had previously thought the storm would be downgraded to a category 1 as it crossed over land, but they are no longer expecting that.

Yesterday was the 37th anniversary of Cyclone Tracy, which destroyed much of Darwin in 1974, killing 49 people and a further 22 who perished at sea.

Read more at news.com.au

Not so Merry Christmas...

... or the weather strikes again.

Click the picture to read full article from news.com.au

STORMS pelted Victorians with hailstones as big as billiard balls during a wild Christmas Day barrage.

2011/12/22

Christmas time :-)

Christmas in the southern hemisphere

The heat of early summer in Australia has an impact on the way that Australians celebrate Christmas and on which northern hemisphere Christmas traditions are followed.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas houses are decorated; greetings cards sent out; carols sung; Christmas trees installed in homes, schools and public places; and children delight in anticipating a visit from Santa Claus. On Christmas Day family and friends gather to exchange gifts and enjoy special Christmas food.

BONDI BEACH

Many Australians spend Christmas out of doors, going to the beach for the day, or heading to camping grounds for a longer break over the Christmas holiday period. It has become traditional for international visitors who are in Sydney at Christmas time to go to Bondi Beach where up to 40,000 people visit on Christmas Day.

FOOD

Christmas in Australia comes at the beginning of summer and many people no longer serve a traditional hot roast dinner. Cold turkey and ham, seafood and salads are often served instead. It has even become acceptable to serve the traditional Christmas plum pudding with cold custard, ice cream or cream. Pavlova, a meringue base topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit, and various versions of the festive ice-cream pudding have also become popular Christmas desserts.

Go here to read a detailed recipe for Pavlova.

For the lazy ones - click on the picture to watch how to make a perfect Pavlova ;-)

SINGING

Aussie Christmas songs are... ehem, somewhat atypical ;-)

Thanks to the mysterious poster who provided the following link in the comments to the previous note. Well done mate! :-) Let me know your name because your team is going to score some bonus points for finding something that mentions Holden ;-)

Jingle Bells Aussie Style

Here is a twist on a well known Christmas song - Let it Snow

And finally something I probably shouldn't post at all... ;-)

I admit - I do have a soft spot for these guys. Their humour is not very subtle but very, very Australian ;-)

Brace yourself for the Scared Weird Little Guys and their unique Christmas Day Song!
(remeber that I warned you! ;-) )

SYDNEY - HOBART YACH RACE

Boxing Day has a special meaning for all interested in sailing.

The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is an icon of Australia’s summer sport, ranking in popularity with other national events such as the Davis Cup tennis and the Melbourne Cup horse race.

No yearly yachting event in the world attracts such huge media coverage as this race. The race starts on Boxing Day in Sydney, NSW and finishes in Hobart, Tasmania. The course covers a distance of 628 nautical miles from Sydney Harbour to the east coast of Australia, Bass Strait, the Tasmanian east coast, Storm Bay, Derwent River and finally Battery Point in Hobart, Tasmania.

The race has been hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia since its beginning in 1945 and is run in cooperation with the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania.

The public and media often focus a lot of attention on which yacht wins Line Honours. It's easy to understand why, because that's the first yacht to cross the finishing line. However, that is often not the Overall Winner. The exact rules to select the Overall Winner have changed over the years. Basically, it's a handicap race where a yacht's finish time is adjusted based on several factors set down in the prevailing rules. In other words, the fastest boat is often not the Overall Winner.

(http://alldownunder.com/oz-u/events/sydney-hobart-race-0.htm)

Go here to watch the start.

Click on the picture to get some first-hand news about this year's race.

NEW YEAR SYDNEY FIREWORS DISPLAY

2011/12/08

WHAT IS HAPPENING AND WHY

... and more importantly what I want YOU to prepare for next week ;)

As you know I can't be in IJO tomorrow, which means I will not see Reds and Camels. Sorry gals :(

Please watch the video below, and pay attention to what people say about staying and defending their house, or leaving the property early.

The most important part begins around the 2 minute mark.

Then study the materials here:

1. Stay and Defend
2. Go Early
3. Do I Stay or Go?

Once you've done that, choose ONE topic, and prepare an informative POSTER (A4 or A3 format).

Include the most important information, preferably using visuals rather than text.

You can follow this link to create some warning signs online (and print them out later) --> Warning Sign Generator.

Have fun with it! :)

And here is the link to the presentation on FEDERATION. Let me know in the comments section if you have any problems accessing it.

NOW ATTENTION EVERYBODY!

For the classes next week I want each team to choose one of the topics below, and prepare a short presentation (up to 8 minutes). Please let me know which topic you're choosing in the comments.

GOLD RUSH - bagged by the Lazy Snakes (Thursday)

THE GREAT BARRIER REEF - goes to the mighty Camels (Friday) and Koalas (Thursday)

GENERAL GEOGRAPHY - Aborigines are taking this one (Thursday)

THE GREAT DIVIDING RANGE - taken by Reds (Friday) and Kangaroos (by default - Thursday)

useful links:
Australian Screen
Gold Rush
Great Barrier Reef
Great Dividing Range

2011/12/06

The letter "F"

"At the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve 1900, as the clock ticked into 1901 and the 20th century, whistles, gongs, church bells, rattles, pots, pans, accordions and all manner of noise-makers joined the sirens of boats on Sydney Harbour.

It was to be a special day"

Do you know what special day it was? No? Then go here to find out :-)

Let's hear more form the historians because it will lead us to other topics.

"Just after that midnight, a storm broke and winds gusting up to 50 miles an hour swept into Sydney. Forty points of rain drenched the harbour city.

But the New Year’s Day morning of 1901 broke clear and fine, and an eight-kilometre procession headed out to Centennial Park, just beyond Paddington, where the federation rites, uniting the erstwhile separate British colonies into one federal Commonwealth, finally took place."

Australian weather has never been easy on the settlers. Southern regions suffer from severe fires, while the North often faces tropical cyclones and floods.
Click the picture above to watch a heartbreaking account of Black Saturday - the 2009 Victorian Bushfires.
Click the picture below to learn more about the 2009 Queensland Flood.

You will find more information about floods clicking on the little poor fellow below.

We touched upon the topic of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia very briefly two weeks ago. This time we'll have a closer look at their work and importance for communities living in distant, remote areas of Australia.

(click on the picture)

IMPORTANT: YOU WILL HAVE SOME PRACTICAL TASKS TO DO IN THE CLASS SO PLEASE BRING SOME COLOURED MARKERS! :-)

2011/11/28

The letter "E" - part 2

Here we go again with the letter "E".

1. Entertainment.

This is a topic we're going to be getting back to again and again. Australians have a distinct sense of humour which - although shares some features with British - mostly retains the flavours of Australia's humble beginnings and the Convict Code.

We'll start with a brief introduction to some of my favourite Aussie comedians and TV personalities.

ANDREW DENTON

Andrew is best known as the host of a TV chat show "Enough Rope". He has a very calm, open, inviting persona and is one of the best interviewers I know. Click on the picture to see him talk to Nigella Lawson.

ADAM HILLS

Adam is probably the most recognisable Aussie comedian outside Oz. I love him to bits! ;-)
Click on the picture to sample his stand-up comedy.

TIM MINCHIN

Click on the picture to listen to Tim perform his song/poem "Mitsubishi Colt". Here you will find the lyrics. Pay attention to accents. Tim is quoting a conversation between two people and he uses accents to help to differenciate them.

And finally follow this link to watch and listen to Tim's wonderful spoof of "ecological anthems" that are so often associated with artist supporting PETA or "Live World". He has a gentle jab at how some musicians think too much of themselves and are too obsessed with creating their own artistic persona.

This clip is also a wonderful link to our second topic:

2. Endangered and Extinct Species.

Read about the factors that threaten Australian wildlife here.

Click the picture to browse around and learn about some species that are facing extinction.

And we are going to spend some time talking about the fate of this unfortunate litte fellow. Click on the picture to learn more.

2011/11/20

The letter "E" - part 1

Exploration and long distances (in space and time) are the main topics for tomorrow. Confused? Just read on ;-)

1. Let's start with European discovery and colonisation. We have already talked about James Cook and the First Fleet, but this time please concentrate on non English explorers. Click the map to get some information (focus on nationalities only). Go here to see the chronology of landings, and here to see a cute animation.

2. Our second topic is a little tricky - excavation. But we will not be talking about gold - not just yet! ;-)

In fact what we are going to discuss is Australia's fossil past. Click on the picture to read some fascinating facts.

***

3. And finally a few words about (long distance) education.

This video unfortunatelly has a Danish commentary, but it still gives a wonderful insight into what The School of the Air is and how it operates. Have a look:

Here you can read about The School of the Air.

(Click on the picture to visit Alice Springs School of the Air website).

2011/11/06

The letter "C" - part two

IMPORTANT - COULD FRIDAY GROUPS "REDS" AND "CAMELS" JOIN THURSDAY GROUPS THIS WEEK, PLEASE?

This week we are going to step aside from the chronological path for a moment in order to delve deeper into the Aussie soul.

We'll be talking about following topics:

1. customs

A very interesting (if somewhat ridiculous) read here: Department of Immigration and Citizenship ;-)
Drinking etiquette as described on my favourite website.

Click on the picture to see a really thought-provoking social commentary on The Australian Citizenship Test.

2. car fetishism

Aussies LOVE their cars. Watch the clips and try to work out which two cars have cult status in Australia.

car 1:
Road Warrior (1981)
Love the Beast (2009)

car 2:
Two Hands (1999)
[it's a very vague clue, pay attention to the first shot]

If you are still confused go here, type the title(s) in the search box, and then read "plot" and "trivia" sections.

***For movie buffs only***

The Cars That Ate Paris (1974) - a film from Peter Weir, the same director who later shot the cult classic Picnic at Hanging Rock, and such films as Dead Poets Society and recently Master and Commander.

3. cinema (industry and film festivals)

Australian Tropfest is the world's largest short film festival. Visit their official site, browse around, and find out some information about the rules and the venue. You can also watch some competition films. They are all under 7 minutes long, so it won't take you too long ;-)

The ones which I would recommend are: The Story of Bubble Boy and An Imaginary Life.

4. Canberra

2011/11/01

The letter "C" - part one

This Thursday/Friday we are going to be talking about:

- convicts: historical background, settlement, life conditions, pardons and famous prisoners
- convicts in popular culture: songs, stories, art
- the impact of convict past on Aussie mentality and national pride (concentrate on "social psychology" and "why?" in this article; we'll also touch upon the concept of "mateship")

(the Fremantle Prison flogging post)

Click on the picture above to re-watch the clip about Fremantle Prison

CLICK BELOW to read more about:

Convict Daily Life
Convict Biographies
Convict Escapes
(downloadable PDFs)

and...
- crocodiles

(click on the picture)

*

2011/10/26

The letter "B"

So far we have a pretty good understanding of what Australia was like when its shores were still untouched by the white man. But the first contact was inevitable.

In three weeks (letter "E" - European exploration) we'll be talking about French and Dutch expeditions, but today we'll go straight to captain James Cook and his landing in Botany Bay.

To get you in the proper mood first listen to this Irish shantie - The Shores of Botany Bay

(go here to see the lyrics)

Captain James Cook did not "discover" Australia, but his landing in Botany Bay on 29th of April, 1770 symbolicaly marked the beginning of colonisation. Read this summary of Cook's first voyage on Australia's East Coast.

It was just a quick stop for Cook, and Botany Bay remained quiet and peaceful for the next 18 years. The British Empire welcomed the "discovery" of the new land - and a potential colony - but that part of the world was not politically or economically significant enough to claim these lands for the British Crown just yet.
However the situation changed with a rather rapid development of events in America, and year 1788 saw the arrival of First Fleet to Botany Bay.

Watch this video to see what impact it had on the local Aboriginal population.

Now let's have a look at these events from the point of view of the English - Redcoats, sailors and convicts. Go here to read about FIRST FLEET and the problems they encountered on their arrival to Australia.

***

All right, to have a short break from history overload let's move now for a moment to present day Botany Bay and its biodiversity.

Have a look at this video:

Follow the link in video description on YouTube to find answers to following questions:

1. What was Botany Bay called before it received its present name?
2. What is Eastern Blue Grouper, and why is it important?

***

Got a bit tired and hungry doing all the research, eh? ;-) Watch this 1984 commercial featuring Paul "Crocodile Dundee" Hogan. It is a great introduction to two more topics: BBQ and beaches.

See if you know answers to these questions:

1. What is the etymology of the word "barbecue"?
2. What fuels do Aussies use?

Here is a reminder of some social rules concering BBQ ;-)

(click to see bigger version)

And finally click here to see a stunning picture. Read the description. I'll ask you some questions on it.

***

2011/10/19

The letter "A" - week 2

Sorry Day and the Stolen Generations

This is a fictional "sorry speech" spoofed in one of the greatest satirical series on Oz TV - "The Games".

Listen...

... and compare it with the actual speech.

Which one do you like better? ;-)

* Current Australian PM - Julia Gillard

1. Dreaming.

Dreaming is essential to Aboriginal cultures. It explains the special bond the people have to their land. Below you will find three short clips taken from Australian Screen - an amazing website which archives the best of Aussie TV and film.

Curator’s notes

by Romaine Moreton

Dog Dreaming is a documentary about the journey of two ancestral dogs across the land that became a Dreaming story. In the land that belongs to the people who speak Mengerrdji, two dogs – the male dog called Adjumalar and the female Womarr – named sites as they crossed the land. Jacob Nayinggu follows their path, telling us what happened to Adjumalar and Womarr as they crossed the country, and how Womarr eventually became a dreaming place at the point where she sank into the ground.

Dog Dreaming is an interesting documentary that invites us into Indigenous cultural beliefs about the land being created by ancestral beings. As Jacob Nayinggu follows the dogs’ journey, he informs us what happened to them and the significance of the sites as a result of the dogs’ passage. Here, we gain an insight into how story is a way of mapping territory, and Jacob Nayinggu can tell us what landmark – a waterhole for example – was created and the name the dogs gave it. But it is the story of Dog Dreaming that Jacob follows as he moves through the land.

- Dog Dreaming part 1
- Dog Dreaming part 2
- Dog Dreaming part 3

2. Aboriginal Flag

The Australian Aboriginal flag represents the indigenous people of Australia. It was designed in 1971 by the Aboriginal artist Harold Thomas. Australian government officially recognized it as a flag of Australia on the 14th of July, 1995.

It consists of three colors (red, yellow, and black).

The black is said to represent the Aboriginal people of Australia, the red is said to represent the red ochre of the outback, and the yellow of the sun. Other interpretations of the colors used in the flag say that the red symbolizes the blood spilled when Europeans first came to Australia.

The designer of the flag Harold Thomas was quoted as saying "I wanted to make it unsettling. In normal circumstances you'd have the darker color at the bottom and the lighter color on top and that would be visibly appropriate for anybody looking at it. It wouldn't unsettle you. To give a shock to the viewer to have it on top had a dual purpose, was to unsettle.. The other factor why I had it on top was the Aboriginal people walk on top of the land. It's an obvious fact as well. So it had.. that was the reason why the black was on top was visibly unsettling and because of how I was trained at art school, not to make things too obvious but to have a bit of a shock but also to say that the people walk on the land."

Official Australian buildings often display the Australian Flag and the Aboriginal Flag side by side. The colors of the Aboriginal flag have also become powerful symbols of pride and strength for the indigenous people of Australia.

(from: IndexOz)

3. Adelaide

And a short clip from my favourite traveller/YT poster Overlander

4. "Aussie soul"

Can be best illustrated by this film:

*

2011/10/11

Getting prepared

Just a sneak preview of what we'll be taking about on Thursday/Friday.

Since it's going to be our first "serious" lesson, I'll do most of the talking, but still I need you to familiarise yourself with these two topics:

To learn about SORRY DAY and STOLEN GENERATIONS just click here.

Click on the picture to read about "Ten Canoes" (2006), an amazing film which I have scheduled for our Film Club.

Read the curator's notes, and then watch the clips. They offer a wonderful glimpse at Aboriginal culture.

More on Stolen Generations in this clip:

G'day!

Hello everyone!

So you have successfully made it here. Well done! ;-)

Please check this space regularly - I will be adding tons of materials, clips, links and pictures related to the topics of our classes.

Also please feel free to comment and add your own recommendations. They are most welcome!

Happy exploring!

So, how does it work exactly?

Well, I DO hope you listened carefully in the class, but if someone is still a little confused here is the general idea again:

1. In each class we will be talking about an array of Australia-related topics, all of which will begin with a given letter of the alphabet.

2. You will know these topics in advance, so you'll be able to find out some information beforehand.

3. In class, first I'll give a short presentation with audio/video materials, and then will be asking you some very tricky questions.

4. You will have a chance to score points (marks) for giving me answers which are not only correct but also interesting.

Still confused?

Well, then watch this clip. It comes from "QI" - a gameshow hosted by the brilliant Stephen Fry [no, he isn't Australian but he can do a very convincing Aussie accent ;-) ]. Anyway, our classes will be based on the same format as QI. Is that clear now? ;-)

Which group am I in?

THIS WEEK you are in following groups --> see below. But since Ms Stanisz insists that we need to have at least 12 people in a group, I will have to do a little bit of shuffling.

GROUP A (Thursday)

1 Pancerz Bożena
2 Wójs Gabriela
3 Grzegorzek Sylwia
4 Gargas Joanna
5 Szwala Grzegorz
6 Schabińska Justyna
7 Zaręba Mirek
8 Potoczny Anna
9 Lisowicz Diana
10 Klimczak Dawid
11 Adamczyk Paulina
12 Gardoń Anna
13 Adamek Katarzyna
14 Koralik Anna
15 Bołoz Kinga
16 Damasiewicz Agnieszka
17 Citak Marta
18 Joniec Agnieszka
19 Strączek Alicja
20 Motyka Adam

GROUP B (Friday)

1 Kamieniarz Monika
2 Obrąbska Magda
3 Majka Paulina
4 Smajdor Katarzyna
5 Zwolennik Małgorzata
6 Owsianka Anna

2011/06/08

Letters "Y" and "Z"

1. Youth culture and youth problems

This boy has recently become an Aussie hero. When you watch the clip below, you'll see why. Knowing a bit about Australian identity and values, you should be able to understand why this "underdog" story appealed so much to people across the nation.

In a way we have already touched upon the topic of bullying talking about subcultures. Pity we didn't have a chance to watch Romper Stomper.

Here is the trailer again.

On a slightly brigther note - a trailer for Muriel's Wedding.

And here are two movie tips. Both films are a perfect illustration of the topic of youth problems.
Both deal with the insecurities of young people: loneliness, lack of understanding, problems with defining one's identity, lure of the big world and its temptations, and so on...
Both star a very talented female - Abbie Cornish - who is well on her way to become next Cate Blanchett.
In both she co-stars with two Australian actors representing the young generation whose potential has been recognised by Hollywood.

Here are the trailers for you:

Candy (2006)

Somersault (2004)

2. Time Zones

Australia has 3 Time Zones

EST - Eastern Standard Time
Australian Capital Territory,
New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania and Victoria
CST - Central Standard Time
Northern Territory and South Australia
WST - Western Standard Time
Western Australia

		Standard Time	Daylight Savings
1	Western Australia	+ 8.0 hours GMT	no change
2	Northern Territory	+ 9.5 hours GMT	no change
3	South Australia	+ 9.5 hours GMT	+ 10.5 hours GMT
4	Queensland	+ 10.0 hours GMT	no change
4	Lord Howe Island	+ 10.5 hours GMT	+ 11.5 hours GMT
5	New South Wales	+ 10.0 hours GMT	+ 11.0 hours GMT
5	ACT	+ 10.0 hours GMT	+ 11.0 hours GMT
6	Victoria	+ 10.0 hours GMT	+ 11.0 hours GMT
7	Tasmania	+ 10.0 hours GMT	+ 11.0 hours GMT

3. Zoos

Sydney Aquarium - Amazing - The most amazing videos are a click away

2011/06/02

Waltzing Matilda

Original song (or at least one of its existing lyrics versions)

Lyrics and glossary.

And here is the promised version in the style of Eminem ;-)

And here you can look up the "updated" lyrics.

2011/06/01

The letter "W"

A couple of interesting topics this week.

Let's kick off with Western Australia. This young and dynamic state offers attractions for tourists of all ages and walks of life. Click the picture below to learn the highlights.

Western Australia is also one of the most important wine regions of the country.

Australia is such a large country that almost every climate and soil type can be found. This means that we are able to produce all of the major wine types, from red wines to white wines, fortified wines (such as port), and sweet wines to sparkling wines.

Australia also has some of the oldest grape vines in the world. Many of Europe's established vineyards were destroyed by disease in the 1800s with the only survivors being the vines brought to Australia.

To learn more click the picture.

But wines are very much dependent on seasons and weather patterns. Australia has the four "traditional" seasons (though reversed - Southern Hemisphere), and in addition boasts dry and wet seasons in its northern part dominated by "tropical" climate.

(click)

===============================================

We didn't have too much time in our classes to explore New Zealand, but at least let's focus today on Wellington.

The capital city of NZ is also home to WETA Digital, a five-time Academy Award® winning visual effects facility, which created CGI for such films as Lord of the Rings, King Kong, District 9 and Avatar.

Visit their website and have a look at their effect reels, and especially commercials (Snowball is my personal favourite).

===============================================

Finally I would like you to watch a rather disturbing clip. It comes from a film called This woman is not a Car, which is a very important voice in a discussion about the role of women in Australian society in the 80s.

Read the curator's note below, and then go to Australian Screen website and watch clip 2.

This Woman is Not a Car is the film version of artist and filmmaker Margaret Dodd’s sculpted interpretations of the original FX Holden and how women are objectified by men. In 1982 she was already well known for her sculpture series of ceramic cars dressed as brides, mothers and babies. Like other feminist artists of the time, Dodds was exploring how women were trapped in narrowly defined roles of wives, mothers and sex objects.

Described by Glenys Rowe as 'the quintessential Australian horror movie’, This Woman is Not a Car is an imaginative examination of suburbia and sexual violence. It predated other films about the dark side of suburbia made in the 1980s. David Lynch’s feature Blue Velvet was made four years later in 1986.

Margaret Dodd sets the scene of suburban isolation and despair brilliantly in the first few minutes of This Woman is Not a Car. Almost immediately there is a hint of things to come when 'the wife’s’ dressing gown comes apart to reveal a car headlight instead of a breast. A picnic at the beach could be a welcome escape from the routine of motherhood but the kids’ laughter becomes loud and unrelenting and the beach is uninviting. A long, fast tracking shot pulls away from the picnic as the children devour their pies (mother?). This is the moment when the woman begins to lose contact with reality (see clip one).

On the way back, stopping to get petrol at an isolated service station, a fantasy takes shape. Four car mechanics stare at the woman as though she is their prey. What follows is a powerful scene that incorporates eroticism, humour, intimidation and violence. One man moves toward her but then veers off to make love to the car – his true object of desire. At first the analogy between the car and the woman (set up by the glimpse of the headlight replacing the woman’s breast earlier) takes on an erotic quality and it could be the woman’s fantasy. But as his mates, car fetishists, move in, they gang rape their love object, the car (see clip two). This sets off a horror sequence from the 'woman as victim’ point of view as the woman questions the meaning of marriage and sexuality. The final scenes of the woman giving birth to a ceramic car take this fantasy to its logical, painful and absurd conclusion.

In this film, the filmmaker successfully and dramatically undermines the Australian dream of the time. The suburban ideal of marriage, children and conformity is turned into a nightmare. The woman character is trapped inside this male-dominated culture. But the filmmaker is not. Margaret Dodd succeeds in making her feminist point to the audience that this woman (and others like her) is not a car!

2011/05/29

The Battle of Long Tan revisited

I found a great PPS presentation which may be an alternative for those of you who find watching the Long Tan documentary too difficult.

You can download it from my "chomik" account (link below) using my transfer limit.

Folder: Long Tan
Password: 1966

The Battle of Long Tan PPS

Just to make it clear - I will not be asking any detailed questions on the battle. I simply believe that whoever is interested in Australian history SHOULD have a basic understanding of what happened there.

2011/05/27

Open Day presentation (backup)

2011/05/23

Letters "V" and "W"

This class is all devoted to Australians at war - WWI, WWII and Vietnam.

1. The Boer War

This was the first major conflict Australians were involved in (or rather dragged into by the British) before they even became the Federation. One of the most controversial events of the war was the trial of Harry Morant and his two colleagues. The story was brought to screens in the famous Australian film, Breaker Mornat. Watch the trailer below.

Synopsis:
Breaker Morant concerns the murder trial of three Australian Army officers of the Bushveldt Carbineers serving in South Africa during the Second Boer War (1899-1902). Lieutenants Harry "Breaker" Morant, Peter Handcock, and George Witton are accused of the murder of one Boer prisoner and the subsequent murders of six more. In addition, Morant and Handcock are accused of the sniper-style assassination of a German missionary, the Rev. H.C.V. Hesse. Their defence counsel, J.F. Thomas, has had only one day to prepare their defence.

Great Australian War Drama based on a true story.

2. World War I (the "Great War")

Australian were sent to both Eastern and Western fronts.

Read this general introduction first.

Click the picture below to enter a great interactive website that will help you learn the story behind the tragic Battle of Gallipoli. As you remember it was a turning point in Australian history and an abrupt change in Australia/Britain relations. It gave rise to a strong sense of Aussie identity and resulted in development of "broad" Aussie accent.

Western Front and the controversy of "voluntary" enlisting - click here.

3. World War II

WWII for Australians meant involvement in the military operations in the Pacific Ocean arena (e.g. bombing od Darwin), but Aussie soldiers were also fighting in Europe. It was another importan time for shaping national identity.

Mateship was defined through the experience of trench warfare, concentration camps, hunger, injury, forced labour and the boredom and terror of war.

In the [Japanese POW] camps the Australians discarded their differences and became a tribe, a tribe which was always the most successful group. The core of this success was an ethos of mateship and egalitarianism which not only survived the ultimate dehumanising duress of the death camps, but shone through as the dominant Australian characteristic.
Paul Sheehan, Among the Barbarians, 1998

Mateship between soldiers helped define their manhood, and in turn, this helped define Australia as a nation.

4. Vietnam

The Vietnam War was the longest war Australia was ever involved in. Australian involvement in the Vietnam War was marked by controversy and significant levels of public opposition to conscription and concern about casualties. The Vietnam War was also the first war witnessed 'live' on television.

It was also a war in which ANZAC fought a battle against all odds, one that they should have lost - 108 people against Viet Cong's troops of 1,500-2,500. They didn't have any chance to win... but they did.

Below are five parts of a trully brilliant documentary on the Battle of Long Tan. It may make a difficult listening (no subtitles) but I think it is really worth your while. Such honest and heartwrenching accounts of human bravery and mateship are rare these days.

Click on the pictures:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

5. Recent Australian involvement

I think Aussie attitude is best summarised in this short clip.

2011/05/13

Blogger failure [update: it's fixed now! :-) ]

Oh well, our last lesson is gone... at least for now.

I got following info from Blogger:

"To get Blogger back to normal, all posts since 7:37am PDT on Weds, 5/11 have been temporarily removed. We expect everything to be back to normal soon. Sorry for the delay."

"We’ve started restoring the posts that were temporarily removed and expect Blogger to be back to normal soon."

Anyway, in the meantime you can enjoy this Wednesday's episode of Spicks and Specks.

Remember what I told you about Aussie humour and how Hamish understands it? ;-)

*

2011/05/11

The letter "T" - part 2 + the letter "U"

Hey there! This Friday it's the last time I'll see you before the Open Days. So we'll have to devote a little time to discussing what's happening and what you will need for your presentation(s).

The rest of time will be taken up by these topics:

1) Tourism revisited ;-)

2) TV

Now, where do I even start... ;-)

Inevitably this topic is going to be very arbitrary. Imagine that a foreigner asks you to recommend best 10 programmes/soaps/talk shows on Polish television now and in the past. Yes? Well? Czterej Pancerni or Szymon Majewski Show? I bet everyone would come with a unique list...

I've been nagging my Aussie friends for suggestions, plus I've discovered some gems of Aussie TV on my own. It will be a very incomplete list, but I feel that's the only way I can do it - just to share with you my personal favs.

First visit the infallible Culture Portal for a comphehensive insight into the history of TV in Australia.

And now you are ready to look at Top 10 Programmes (or rather categories - but let's not be too pedantic, eh? ;-) )

1. comedians: Adam Hills, Tim Minchin, Judith Lucy

You've seen some clips with Adam and Tim already, but now have a look at the one which unites them on screen :-)

And this one shows Judith at her sarcastic best. :-D I rarely find female comedians funny, but her style of comedy never fails to entertain me.

2. radio presenters guesting on TV shows: Hamish and Andy, Myf Warhurst

Hamish and Andy are a comedy duo with their own radio programme but often appear on Spicks and Specks and Rove.

Here is a little clip in which they instruct their mothers to play pranks on Mother's Day. It is not very highbrow humour, mind you, but it's endearing nevertheless :-)
Look for the expression of sheer dread in the boys' faces when they realise what they have made their moms do. And you have to admit that the ladies are really game to take on any challenge ;-)

Myf appears as team captain on Spicks and Specks. She is the heartwarming, adorable, gentle soul of the show. But her being the only girl in the gang, the host - Adam Hills and Kiwi team captain Alan Brough never miss an opportunity to put Myf in an embarrassing situation ;-)

Here is what happened one of the very rare times when Myf's team actually won...

3. talk show hosts: Rove McManus, Andrew Denton, Paul McDermott
4. comedy shows: Spicks and Specks (newest episode on YouTube)
5. kids TV: The Wiggles, The Upside Down Show, High 5, Marine Girl, Silversun
6. soaps: Neighbours, Home and Away, Blue Heelers
7. modern TV dramas: Love My Way
8. "mystery"/sci-fi: Bryan Brown's Twisted, Two Twisted

From Two Twisted promo:
'Two Twisted' follows on from the 'Twisted Tales'(1996) series produced by Australian actor/producer Bryan Brown. These Australian series' follow the tradition of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' and 'The Twighlight Zone', of short dark thrillers which develop with a surprising twist. 'Two Twisted' consists of 14 episodes of 30 minutes each, screened in pairs, with a link connecting each of the two episodes. Can you spot the link?

It's another show which I love to bits! :-) Mostly because when I was your age I used to write such sting-in-the-end stories. Nice to see they sometimes make it to the screen.

Hare is the trailer:

9. spoof documentary: The Games

Love the dry humour!

10. entertainment: Strictly Come Dancing

3) Live, Universe and Everything

That's mostly Aboriginal Astronomy. I'll show you a presentation I prepared last year for Open Days. You don't need to read anything.

2011/05/07

TIMELINE - aftermath ;-)

An easy, "all-in-one" summary of the bit of Australian history we have covered so far. Links will take you to relevant blog entries.

Feb 2009 - "Black Saturday" - the worst bushfire in Oz history