FREE ESSAY ON BEING AUSTRALIAN

BEING AUSTRALIAN

'Being Australian'
What is the Australian National Identity? Who can decide what it is? Who is
truly Australian? These questions have been asked throughout this country's short life.
Many have different views on what is what, but I believe that you can't really just say
well this is what an Australian is and that's that. But there are definitely unique
qualities about "Australians" that are evident. The booklet entitled 'Being Australian'
has many different representations on what is Australian, these are the images that
came from that booklet.
"...During the colonial era, many of the true Australian qualities were shown.
They showed, 'resourcefulness, independence, mateship, egalitarianism, and endurance
to name a few'...Distinct Australian qualities(traits) were seen to be identifiable and
reflected the democratic and egalitarian values and aspirations of the people".
There were other people with very strong views on what is Australian. "By the
term Australian we mean not just those who have been merely born in Australia. All
white men who come to these shores- with a clean record- and who leave behind them
the memory of class distinctions and the religious differences of the old world; all men
who place the happiness, the prosperity, the advancement of their adopted country
before the interests of imperialism are Australian". 
Then there were other people like Henry Lawson who described the "typical
Australian" as having, "pessimism, callousness, atheism and stoic endurance". But
unfortunately, according to Fred Broomfields, Henry Lawson "is not the seizer and
historian of the typical Australian, simply because there is no such being...But these
things are common to all isolated people".
Fred Broomfields, also wrote that there is the typical "small town" Australian.
"The climate breeds a desire for out-of-door exercise. Men will transact business under
verandahs, and make appointments at the corners of streets. The evening stroll will be
an institution...The boys, brought up outside their homes...learn to roam, and as they
conquer difficulties for themselves...learn to care little for their parents".
James Hogan stated that there is definitely three traits most evident in an
Australian and they are:
1 An inordinate love of field sports.
2 A Very decided disinclination to recognise the authority of parents 
or superiors.
3 A grievous dislike to mental effort
There are many different views on what is Australian, but it is also so difficult
to say, as there is "an Australian of the coast, an Australian of the bush and an
Australian of the city"; so which do you choose. But Australia has been put together
with many races and cultures and that's just how it is, but as W.K.Hancock said, "the
unity of Australia means nothing if it did not imply a united race".