2013/12/17

Christmas in Australia


More will come so watch this space, but we can start with this nostalgic clip ;)


p.s. As agreed I'm doing all presentations tomorrow. You can relax for once ;)

G: Gold Rush (some details for those who are interested in the topic)

From the australia.gov.au website:


The gold rushes of the nineteenth century and the lives of those who worked the goldfields - known as 'diggers' - are etched into our national folklore.

There is no doubt that the gold rushes had a huge effect on the Australian economy and our development as a nation. It is also true to say that those heady times had a profound impact on the national psyche.

The camaraderie and 'mateship' that developed between diggers on the goldfields is still integral to how we - and others - perceive ourselves as Australians. The diggers' defiance and open disdain of authority during this time is still a dominant theme in any discussion of our history and national identity.

Indeed, mateship and defiance of authority have been central to the way our history has been told. Look at Australia's World War I 'diggers' (named after their goldfield predecessors) at Gallipoli and how they have been portrayed: mates in the trenches with a healthy disrespect for their 'English superiors'.

Even today, nothing evokes more widespread national pride than groups of irreverent Aussie 'blokes' beating the English at cricket, or any other sport for that matter!

It is this early flowering of a national identity that makes any study of the gold rush days so intriguing. It is also true to say that the idealisation of goldfield life excludes or overlooks the squalor, greed, crime, self-interest and racism that were part and parcel of the times.



















Watch a video about Eureka Stockade - the only revolution ever in Australia.

Still want more details? Click here.

2013/12/11

The Great Barrier Reef in danger

My Aussie friends have asked me to spread the word, so please consider signing this petition:

GREENPEACE AUSTRALIA

Of course it's totally voluntary. 

2013/12/02

G: Gold Rush and Great Depression

And we're back to Australian history. Two vital events this week. We'll spend around 20 minutes talking about gold discovery and its consequences (my presentation) and then we'll move on to some practical tasks connected with the Great Depression. Read and watch the materials below.



The Great Depression


Visit our trusted Australian Screen website to watch some clips taken from a TV documentary "Bread and Dripping". Read teacher's notes to get a broader context.


Clip 1

Clip 2

Clip 3


Have fun and good luck in the class :)

F: follow-up

A water sprout and a fire twister - only down under :)





Homework: "road signs"

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

You can follow these links to create some warning signs online (and print them out later)

1) Safety Sign Generator.
2) Sign Generator Widgets

Simple picture editing tools - free online apps.

SPEECHABLE

PHRASE.IT

SUMO PAINT

PIXTON 

Have fun with it! :)



NOW ATTENTION EVERYBODY!

For the class in two weeks  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.


GENERAL CLIMATE - Cassowary

THE GREAT BARRIER REEF - Cockatoos

GENERAL GEOGRAPHY - Zebra Finch + Magpies

THE GREAT DIVIDING RANGE - Kiwis


useful links:
Geography 1
Geography 2

2013/11/26

F: Floods and Fire - the land of extremes

*

"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.


















We touched upon the topic of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia very briefly last week. 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! :-)

***

2013/11/19

E (part 2): Entertainment and Environment

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" (sadly discontibued). 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 Cate Blanchett.


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 standard and broad Aussie 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 little fellow. Click on the picture to learn more.

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).

2013/11/11

D & E: going back in time

And here we go with another set of topics. This week we'll have history mixed with some cultural information.

The topics are:

1. Diggers and Discipline
So far we had a look at the beginning of colony from the point of view of Aborigines, convicts and free settlers. The last group affected were the British soldiers and convict overseers. They may seem as the most priviliged group, but that's not entirely true.

Click on the link in the title to learn a little more.

And you can play this song in the background as you read:



2. Darwin


















Now something cheerful to follow the previous topic- click on the picture to watch a clip showing Darwin from the point of view of an insider.

And then read the inevitable bit of historical trivia. [But please do not memorise the names of ships or numbers of casulties, I'm not going to quiz you on that! ;-) ]


3. Demographics (ethnic groups)

4. Exploration

















A. 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.


B. 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.












***
***

WHAT A DAY IN AUSTRALIAN HISTORY, 11th Nov

Source

1) Ballarat Reform League and the start of Eureka

On Saturday, 11 November 1854 an estimated at more than 10,000 miners gathered at Bakery Hill, directly opposite the government encampment. At this meeting, the Ballarat Reform League was created, under the chairmanship of Chartist John Basson Humffray. Several other Reform League leaders, including Kennedy and Holyoake, had been involved with the Chartist movement in England. Many of the miners had past involvement in the Chartist movement and the social upheavals in Britain, Ireland, and continental Europe during the 1840s. In setting its goals, the Ballarat Reform League used the British Chartist movement's principles. The meeting passed a resolution "that it is the inalienable right of every citizen to have a voice in making the laws he is called on to obey, that taxation without representation is tyranny". The meeting also resolved to secede from the United Kingdom if the situation did not improve.

2) Elizabeth Scott first woman to be executed in Victoria.

At nine thirty in the morning of Wednesday 11th November 1863 at Old Melbourne Gaol, Elizabeth Scott stood on the scaffold with Julian Cross and David Gedge for the murder of her husband. Moments before the hangman released the trapdoor, she turned her hooded face to David and asked, ‘Davey, will you not clear me?’. For an hour after the hanging Elizabeth’s lifeless body swung from the scaffold. Her head and face were grossly swollen. So great had been the effect of the fall, her head was nearly severed from her body.

3) Ned Kelly's executed

He was hanged on 11 November 1880 at the Melbourne Gaol. Kelly's gaol warden wrote in his diary that when Kelly was prompted to say his last words, the prisoner opened his mouth and mumbled something that he could not hear. The Argus reported that Mr. Castieau, the governor of the gaol, informed the condemned man that the hour of execution had been fixed at ten o'clock. Kelly simply replied "Such is life." His leg-irons were removed, and after a short time he was marched out. He was submissive on the way, and when passing the gaol's flower beds, he remarked "what a nice little garden," but said nothing further until reaching the Press room, where he remained until the arrival of chaplain Dean Donaghy. The Argus reported that Kelly intended to make a speech, but he merely said, "Ah, well, I suppose it has come to this," as the rope was being placed round his neck. Although the exact number is unknown, it is estimated that a petition to spare Kelly's life attracted over 30,000 signatures.

4) Remembrance Day

Marks the anniversary of the armistice which ended the First World War on the 11th of November 1918. Each year Australians observe one minute silence at 11 am on 11 November, in memory of those who died or suffered in all wars and armed conflicts.

5) Sacking of the Prime Minister Gough Whitlam

Edward Gough Whitlam, served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia from 1972 to 1975. Whitlam led the Labor Party to power for the first time in 23 years at the 1972 election, retained government in 1974 before being controversially dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis. Whitlam remains the only Prime Minister to have his commission terminated in that manner.

2013/11/03

C (cont.): Customs, cars, cinema

As you remember our course is about BOTH Australian history and its culture.

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

2013/10/27

C: Convicts

This week we are going to be talking about:

- convicts: historical background (have a look at the TIMELINE), 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 BELOW to read more about:

Convict Daily Life
Convict Biographies
Convict Escapes
(downloadable PDFs)


and...
- crocodiles











(click on the picture)

*

2013/10/22

B: Botany Bay

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.

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.




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 ;-)

BBQ booze

(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.

***

A: Aboriginal Australia - aftermath

Read more about kinship terms, moieties and skins HERE.


















Skin system (taken from: http://www.dia.wa.gov.au/en/Heritage-and-Culture/Aboriginal-culture/Lifestyles-and-traditions/Aboriginal-kinship/)












Kinship terms (taken from: http://www.ausanthrop.net/research/kinship/kinship2.php)



 

The first National Sorry Day was held on 26 May 1998 - one year after the tabling of the report Bringing them Home, May 1997. The report was the result of an inquiry by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission into the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families.

Read more about STOLEN GENERATIONS




2013/10/14

A (part 1): Aboriginal Australia

In the class this week we'll be talking about the first inhabitants of the continent. We'll try to understand the special connection they have with the land, the way they understand the world, the complexities of their society, and the special family ties they have.

We'll also discuss the topic of so called Stolen Generations.

Please get yourself ready by reading/watching the materials below.


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

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.

Australian Aboriginal Flag

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. Animation in Australia and New Zealand

See if you can see the connection? What do the following have in common?
- The Lord of the Rings
- King Kong
- District 9
- The Hobbit
- Avatar

WETA Digital is one of the leading CG/FX houses in the world, along George Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic. Follow the links to visit their website and be sure to watch their commercials (especially "Snowball" ;-) ) and reels.


Australian animated feature films and shorts have won many awards. Here are just two examples.

- Oscar winning short: Harvie Krumpet



The odd biography of a man who has Tourette's Syndrome, chronic bad luck, menial jobs, nudist tendencies, and a book of "fakts" hung around his neck.
- some clips from Happy Feet (click the picture below)






















2013/10/08

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? ;-)

Please remember to use the comments below to let me know who is in your group, and what you choose to call it.

This year we're going to have team names inspired by Australian birds. Your choices are:


COCKATOOS

CASSOWARIES

EMUS

MAGPIES

ZEBRA FINCHES

Eyewitness describes Ned Kelly's capture.

A LETTER has been unearthed in Scotland.

A short but pretty interesting read.

2013/06/02

It's almost the end: X, Y, Z

1. Youth culture and youth problems

 Romper Stomper is a film which kick-started the career of Russel Crove and which tackles the difficult topic of bullying and subcultures. A raw and brutal film, but one of the most iconic in Australian cinematography.
Here is the trailer.



On a slightly brigther note - a clip from 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

2013/05/26

W: Australians at war

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.


T_Gallipoli

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.

OPTIONAL MATERIAL:

Below is a truly 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.



5. Recent Australian involvement

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




2013/05/19

Letters "S" & "T" (general part 2): Science, Subcultures, Tourism and Television

Some catching up to be done:



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
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) Science and the inventive Australian mind.

Have a look at the long list of Aussie inventions.

Here is the history of one of them:



4) Subcultures

This is a trailer of a film that not only started off the great career of Russell Crowe but at that time was a very important voice in the discussion about Australian youth.




*

2013/05/13

TIMELINE

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
T_Black Sunday
2008 - Kevin Rudd apologises
T_stolen-generations-sorry-day
2000 - Sydney Olympic Games
T_Sydney_Olympic_Fireworks
1992 - Native Title Act (Aboriginal Australians reclaim their sacred lands)
T_Native Title Act
1970s-80s - boom of independent cinema ("Ocker" films)
T_not-quite-hollywood
1976/78 - battle between two iconic cars: Ford XB Falcon vs. Holden Commodore
T_car fetishismpetrol station
1974 - Cyclone "Tracy" destroys Darwin and claims many lives
T_Tracy & Yassi
1973 - Sydney Opera House
T_Sydeny Opera House
1967 - referendum grants Aboriginal Australians electoral representation
T_Civil rights fo Aborigenes
1966 - The Battle of Long Tan (most significant battle ANZAC were involved in Vietnam)
T_Long Tan 4
1950s - Cultivated pearls industry starts in Broome
T_pearls
1948 - The Shool of the Air broadcasts first lesson
T_School of the Air
1942 - Darwin bombings (WWII) - the largest military attack against Australia ever
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1936 - last Tasmanian Tiger dies in Hobart Zoo
T_Tasmanian_Tiger
1929 - 1933 - Great Depression
T_great_depression
1928 - beginning of Royal Flying Doctor Service
T_RFDS
1915 - The Battle of Gallipoli (WWI) - the birth of ANZAC identity and "Aussie voice"
T_Gallipoli
1869 - 1969 - "Stolen Generations"
T_stolen-generations
1913 - construction of Canberra commenced, it becomes actual capital city of Australia
T_Canberra
1907 - Bondi Surf Bathers' Life Saving Club becomest world's first surf lifesaving service
T_bondi-beach1
1901 - 1907 - No 1 Rabbit Proof Fence finished to protect WA pastures against rabits
T_rabbitprooffence
1st January 1901 - FEDERATION: The Commonwealth of Australia is founded
T_Federation
1880 - Ned Kelly executed at Melbourne Gaol
T_ned-kelly
1879 - Royal National Park founded (world's second oldest national park, after Yellowstone)
T_crocodile
1859 - 10 Rules of Australian Footbal (AFL) first written down
T_AFL
1854 - Eureka Stockade (Australia's only revolution)
T_Eureka Flag
1851 - Gold Rush in New South Wales
T_Gold_Rush
1840 - Edmund Strzelecki explores Snowy Mountains and names Mount Kosciszko
T_Strzelecki
1814 - Matthew Flinders first introduces the name of the continent - Australia
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1793 - first free settlers arrive
T_Free_Settlers
1788 - 1850 - total of 162,000 convicts were transported to Australia on 806 ships
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1788 - First Fleet arrives at Bottany Bay and establishes first settlement in Port Jackson
T_First_Fleet
1770 - James Cook lands at Bottany Bay and claims the "new land" for the British Crown
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17th century - European exploration
T_exploration_terra australis
1606 - Dutch merchant Willem Jans lands at Cape York
T_Cape York Landing
1300 - explorer Marco Polo describes "Southern Land"
T_Marco Polo
Time of Creation - Dream Time: Aboriginal ancestral Totemic Spirit Beings form the land
T_Dream Time
60,000 - 40,000 BC - Aboriginal tribes colonise the continent of Australia
T_Aborigene