It is probably fair to say that talk of Australian culture doesn’t inspire the world as does talk of French, Italian or Japanese culture. For example, in 2005, the Sydney Morning Herald ran a story regarding how migrant women felt about Australian culture. The story began with the paragraph:
"When asked to talk about Australian culture, their first reaction was laughter. Australia was a cultural vacuum; any culture that existed was "bland" and characterised by "average-looking" people."
The comments were probably fair enough. Australia is a country where egalitarianism has freed many people from the kind of pretension that demands refinement. Consequently, instead of going to the supermarket in the latest designer clothes, Australians may shop in tracksuit pants or ugg boots. The same attitude is expressed in much of their life. Although this doesn’t always impress foreigners, it can lead to the kind of mental freedom identified by English author D.H Lawrence when he wrote,
"You feel free in Australia. There is great relief in the atmosphere - a relief from tension, from pressure, an absence of control of will or form. The skies open above you and the areas open around you"
While some Australians have used that freedom to find contentment in being average, others have used that freedom to be creative in ways that are anything but average. |
