This chapter explores the uniqueness of Australian culture and its blend with global influences. It discusses the role of writers and poets in shaping Australian culture, as well as the concept of class distinction and egalitarianism. The chapter also touches on the influence of Australia's weather and landscapes, the sense of freedom, and the role of Christianity in shaping the deeper levels of Australian culture.
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Australia, a name derived from the Latin for “southern land”, sits as a continent unto itself at the far reaches of the Asian landmass, receiving its first settlers over 50,000 years ago when the ice age connected the two by a land bridge. It was not until the European settlements in the 17th century did Australia have a written record, and also when it started receiving its largest growth in population. When Australia became united as a federated commonwealth in 1901, one of the first acts it passed was the White Australia Policy, favoring European settlement and limitation of the recent Asian, particularly Chinese, immigration and influence. Only until the 1970s did this policy shift towards broader and more open immigration. Tonight, Matthew Grant from the Australian Natives Association joins us to discuss why this shift occurred, and perhaps why a return to the older policies might be beneficial to the people of his country.
