This Southern Cross flag was based on earlier designs used in the Australian colonies. It was used as the battle flag of the Eureka Stockade in 1854. Captain Charles Ross of Toronto, Canada is said to be the designer of this flag. The rebellion was led by Peter Lalor who in later, life became Speaker of the Parliament of Victoria. Trooper John King retained a portion of the flag after the miners’ stockade was over-run on 3 December, 1854 and this remained in the King family’s possession until 1895. Today the remnants of the design are on display at the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery in Victoria.
Australia
Australia: The Land Where Time Began
MY COUNTRY
I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror
The wide brown land for me!
Dorothea Mackellar OBE (1 July 1885 – 14 January 1968)
I Am Australian (1987 - Bruce Woodley, The Seekers and Dobe Newton, The Bushwackers) I came from the dreamtime from the dusty red soil plains I am the ancient heart, the keeper of the flame I stood upon the rocky shore I watched the tall ships come For forty thousand years I'd been the first Australian. I came upon the prison ship bowed down by iron chains. I cleared the land, endured the lash and waited for the rains. I'm a settler. I'm a farmer's wife on a dry and barren run A convict then a free man I became Australian. I'm the daughter of a digger who sought the mother lode The girl became a woman on the long and dusty road I'm a child of the depression I saw the good times come I'm a bushy, I'm a battler I am Australian [chorus] We are one, but we are many And from all the lands on earth we come We share a dream and sing with one voice: I am, you are, we are Australian I am, you are, we are Australian. I'm a teller of stories I'm a singer of songs I am Albert Namatjira I paint the ghostly gums I am Clancy on his horse I'm Ned Kelly on the run I'm the one who waltzed Matilda I am Australian I'm the hot wind from the desert I'm the black soil of the plains I'm the mountains and the valleys I'm the drought and flooding rains I am the rock, I am the sky The rivers when they run The spirit of this great land I am Australian [chorus] We are one, but we are many And from all the lands on earth we come We share a dream and sing with one voice: I am, you are, we are Australian I am, you are, we are Australian.
ABORIGINAL AUSTRALIA
Immerse yourself in Australia’s Aboriginal experiences, places and journeys. The Aboriginal people of Australia have a rich, living culture stretching back at least 50,000 years. Throughout Australia you’ll find opportunities to explore and immerse yourself in Aboriginal culture.
Experience Aboriginal Australia
9 Aboriginal sacred places you should visit (and one you shouldn’t!)
Indigenous Weather Knowledge
The D’harawal Country and language area extends from the southern shores of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) to the northern shores of the Shoalhaven River, and from the eastern shores of the Wollondilly River system to the eastern seaboard.
INDIGENOUS FOOD EXPERIENCES AROUND AUSTRALIA
DISCOVER ANCIENT ROCK ART IN AUSTRALIA’S NORTHERN TERRITORY
According to Aboriginal belief, ancestral spirits assumed human forms thousands of years ago to create the world and Australia as we know it. Applying red, yellow, white and black pigments to rock, indigenous Australians began recording tales of this creation period, known as the “Dreamtime,” as early as 50,000 years ago. Over time, they illustrated everything from hunting methods to laws and ceremonies to early contact with Europeans as a means of imparting knowledge to future generations. Today, these ancient canvases represent some of the oldest and longest running historical records of any group of people in the world.
INDIGENOUS FESTIVALS AROUND AUSTRALIA
AUSTRALIA’S TOP 7 ABORIGINAL ROCK ART SITES
Australia is home to some of the oldest and most prolific collections of rock art in the world, and interpreting these ancient artworks provides valuable insights into our history.
19 Of The Most Beautiful Aboriginal Australian Words
KOALA
THE 20 AUSSIE SLANG WORDS YOU NEED TO KNOW
The top arts and culture festivals in Australia
Australia’s cutest animals… and where to find them
How to make a positive impact on local communities while you travel
7 Aussie travel experiences that help protect the planet
The top 9 sporting events in Australia
6 great mountains to hike in Australia
How to reduce your transportation footprint while travelling Australia
5 best YHA rooftops in Australia
EXPERIENCE AUSTRALIA IN 8D SOUND
Australia is a country painted with a vivid rainbow of colours and enriched with unique and exotic sounds; it’s a place that dazzles your every sense. Experience it for yourself through our new series of videos that take you on an immersive journey of Australia through 8D audio.
7 MUSIC FESTIVALS WORTH TRAVELLING INTERSTATE FOR
THE 11 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE TACKLING AN OUTBACK ROAD TRIP
9 OF AUSTRALIA’S MOST INCREDIBLE UNESCO SITES
AUSTRALIA’S EAST COAST IN 30 DAYS: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE
HOT DRINKS OUTDOORS (BYO MARSHMALLOWS)
AUSTRALIAN FOOD AND DRINK FESTIVALS WORTH TRAVELLING FOR
The great thing about the Australian food scene is that it’s so different, not only from state-to-state, but it also widely varies from region-to-region within each state. There’s just one teensy, tiny problem – with so many festivals celebrating the unique food culture of Australia, how do you know which ones are worth going to, let alone jumping on a plane for?
ICONIC AUSSIE FOODS THE WORLD IS MISSING OUT ON
BROADSHEET
Through breaking news, features, event guides and insight from industry experts, Broadsheet is the authority on the cultural life of your city. We’re here to keep you across the goings on around town and to cover, analyse and comment on it all with accurate reporting, sharp photography and clear, clean design.
TIME FOR AN ADVENTURE!
GREAT AUSTRALIAN WALKS
AUSTRALIA’S BEST ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS
WEIRD and WONDERFUL NATURAL PHENOMENA in AUSTRALIA
WHAT TO DO IN AUSTRALIA IN WINTER
STILL OUR COUNTRY
We Yolngu, we are proud of our culture, of who we are. Our culture makes us strong. We Yolngu, we belong to our country and our country belongs to us. Our country makes us strong.
Sydney 1940
Paul Hogan – shrimp on the BBQ ad
Answer to Waltzing Matilda Mystery Found in Broome, Western Australia
ABC Arts: Girt by Sea, An Archival History of the Australian Coast
Recently overseas friends have been asking about travel info for Australia and for your interest I have put some general info here:
YHA – HOW WE’RE MAKING YOUR STAY MORE SUSTAINABLE
HOW DOES THE AUSTRALIAN WALKING TRACK GRADING SYSTEM WORK?
TEN CHEAP, EASY AND HEALTHY MEALS YOU CAN WHIP UP IN A HOSTEL KITCHEN
MONUMENT AUSTRALIA website is a historical and educational research site which records the public monuments and memorials in all Australian States and Territories under various themes. These public monuments and memorials were erected by a public desire to commemorate people or events.
An Interesting Web Page FIND MY AUSTRALIA
Interesting information about Australia on All Down Under
Car Rentals – economy car rentals
SUMMER OUTDOOR CINEMAS 2017-2018
There are a few visual cues that mark the beginning of summer in Australia. Jacarandas blossoming on suburban streets. Cricket replacing footy on local ovals. Backpackers sunburning on crowded beaches. And big screens popping up in parks and on rooftops around the country, preparing for another summer of outdoor cinema. Because what better way to spend a balmy evening than under the stars watching your favourite flick?
The world’s longest golf course:
As if golf didn’t take long enough to complete as it is, Australians have created a course that takes four days to play. Stretching 1365 kilometres from Ceduna in South Australia to Kalgoorlie in the West, the Nullarbor Links is a great way to break up the tedious journey on the long drive across the desert heartland of Australia.
Though it’s forbidden to get too close to whales, special permission has been granted to a number of tour operators on the Great Barrier Reef. Passive diving, in which the whales are the ones who need to initiate contact, allows you to get up close to majestic giants of the sea. If you’re lucky, you can be just metres away. The Minke Whale Project
View the oldest living organisms on Earth:
Travel on the longest stretch of straight rail:
Visit the world’s largest sand island:
Travel down a horizontal waterfall:
Drive around the world’s smallest continent:
AUSTRALIA’S EAST COAST IN 30 DAYS: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE
Discover some of Australia’s hidden gems. Turn your road trip into an experience you’ll always remember, with adrenaline pumping adventures, amazing food stops for a classic pub feed, and locations so beautiful they’ll keep you mesmerised. For a road trip large or small, pack the car and let’s go!
10 BEST AUSSIE TOWNS YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF
Drink among the world’s oldest grape vines
Dutch navigator William Jansz in the Duyfken explored the est coast of Cape York in 1606, not realising that this was the Australian mainland.
Endeavour beached at Endeavour River for repairs after her grounding on the Great Barrier Reef in 1770. By Johann Fritzsch, published 1786.
Captain Cook Claims Botany Bay, New South Wales, Australia, 1770 (1886): a wood engraving depicting Cook proclaiming NSW a British possession from Picturesque Atlas of Australasia Vol I by Andrew Garran. Photograph: Print Collector/Getty Images.

The first fleet had 11 ships carrying around 1470 souls. Enters Sydney Harbour, January 26, 1788. http://www.visitsydneyaustralia.com.au/history-5-first.html

National Colonial Flag for Australia (8123-4) The Southern Cross featured on this first attempt by Captains Bingle and Nicholson to create a natinal flag.
- Australia’s first £1 note found after 80 years at the National Library of Australia. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-05/first-one-pound-note/6446036
THE first banknotes to circulate in the colonial days in Australia were issued by private banks. The Bank of New South Wales was the first after Governor Macquarie decided to form the financial institution. This week’s image is a genuine Bank of New South Wales five-pound note that was issued on October 6, 1866, just one of a series of denominations issued by the bank.
The holey dollar was created to address a shortage of coins in the new colony. Governor Lachlan Macquarie imported 40,000 Spanish reales in 1812 and had convicted forger William Henshall cut the centre out of each, to double the number of available coins. The coins were counterstamped and the outer ring became known as the holey dollar, with the centre renamed the dump.
- Tom Roberts Bourke Street West 1886
- Tom Roberts The Opening of the First Federal Parliament 1901

Tom Roberts “Shearing the Rams” https://www.directartaustralia.com.au/news/art-of-tom-roberts-at-the-national-gallery-of-australia-paintings-prints/
Australian Folk Songs Click go the Shears
- Grace Cossington Smith “Reinforcements: troops marching” https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/OA5.1967/
- George Lambert “A sergeant of light horse” https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/explore/collection/work/5822/
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