Australian Culture & Social Development
Cultural Elements of Australia in Pictures
For more information on the social development of Australia by the encyclopedia of nations visit:
http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Australia-SOCIAL-DEVELOPMENT.html For further reading on the culture of Australia from the country's very own website visit: http://www.australia.com/about/culture-history/culture.aspx |
Australian Culture Photo Montage
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How Australia has changed....
![Picture](/uploads/2/3/4/8/23488086/2313496.png?583)
This image shows the employment rate percentage of ages 15 and older.
![Picture](/uploads/2/3/4/8/23488086/6198300.png?584)
This image shows the quantity of food consumption of sugar and sweeteners (grams per person and day).
![Picture](/uploads/2/3/4/8/23488086/2293077.png?582)
This image shows the sum of public and private health expenditure as a percentage.
Based off these images you can tell that Australia has undergone some major changes in society and health related issues. The first image shows how just throughout a few decades, the employment rate shot up to almost above any other country. Australia is known for having a great amount of jobs and a stable economy because of that. The second images shows how much Australians have become dependent on sugar and sweeteners in their foods in the past few decades. Much like most other countries, Australian obesity has risen along with these rising average grams per day per person. The last image shows the total amount of public and private health related costs for the country. Even though it might seem to be bad that these costs have been rising steeply, so has their death rate. All in all, Australia is on the right track and along side many other countries in these statistics.
Religions Of Australia
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Nearly two thirds (64%) of the population claim at least nominal adherence to a Christian-based religion, but nearly one third (30%), do not identify with any religion. The remaining population is a diverse group that includes fast-growing Islamic and Buddhist communities. (Australian Bureau of Statistics)
Christianity in Australia began when the first fleet of British convicts arrived to the island in 1788. The first church and also the first Christian school was built by Rev Richard Johnson. Arriving in the country on the first fleet, Johnson was Australia's first missionary, bible teacher, and pastor. He was recommended by the society as chaplan for the prison colony of New South Whales. He was appointed in 1786, his wife and him sailed off in the first fleet to bring over 4000 pieces of literature of Christianity to Australia. It was strongly recommended that all Australian children attended the Christian School, in which they would learn about the religion. The church of England started to send missionaries to Australia to help the education as well. The majority of early Australian education was initiated not by the government, but by the Christian church. The Christian-run schools were remarkably successful in meeting the needs of that generation which lead to more of these schools being made. (Video: Australian Christian History Research Institute)
Being that the majority of the first schools were Christian-based, most of the children and families were Christian in the early years of the country. Shown in the 1996 census, 70% of all Australian’s practiced a Christian-based religion. The next highest, coming in at 16%, was no religion at all. Of the 22 "major religions of the world" listed by Adherents.com, all but three (Juche, Jainism and Yoruba religion) are found in Australia. Because of Australia’s location in the world, almost all major religious faiths are practiced making Australia a very culturally diverse society. Only a century ago did 96% of Australians practiced some form of Christianity. In those times, religion was a prominent factor of Australian life, but things changed significantly for the country. Towards the end of the 20th century, religious diversity grew significantly, along with the number of people practicing no religion at all. Both of these trends have grown rapidly. Now, three in ten Australians are not religious or don’t identify their religion on the census. Religious groups and institutions are likely the oldest organizations in the world. Their long-held traditions and values are very slowly, if at all, changing to adapt to modern values and culture. “…the nature of Christian faith – and perhaps religious faith more broadly – is undergoing a transformation. It may be that many Australians are growing wary of traditional organized religions and their formal institutions” (The Australian Collaboration).
Holy places in Christianity are significant because they are the place of birth, ministry, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus. There are no world-known sacred Christian places in Australia. Australia embraces a “rainbow of religious beliefs” and Catholic and Anglican churches, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist temples, mosques and synagogues can be found along the streets. (Australia’s Culture)
Religious freedom is protected by section 116 of the Australian Constitution, which states that: “The Commonwealth of Australia shall not make any law establishing any religion, or for imposing any religious observance, or for prohibiting the free exercise of any religion, and no religious test shall be required as a quantification for any office or public trust under the Commonwealth.” Unlike the US, Australia was not “founded by religious dissidents, but by people who had fallen foul of the state for quite different reasons” (The Australian Collaboration). In the beginnings of Australia through the early 19th century, citizens went to great efforts to build churches and religious-based communities. But based off its born-culture, Australia is not a religious country in comparison to many others. Citizens of Australia, once they had immigrated and escaped from their previous power-enforced homelands, seemed content to settle into a secular lifestyle in Australia. (Religions Place in Australia)
"Australian Bureau of Statistics Celebrating the International Year of Statistics 2013." 1266.0. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. <http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs%40.nsf/Lookup/1266.0main%20features102011>.
"Australian Census Religion." - .id. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. <http://home.id.com.au/id-community/australian-census/australian-census- religion>.
"Australia's Culture." Australian Culture. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. <http://www.australia.com/about/culture-history/culture.aspx>.
"Religion's Place in Australia." Canberra Times. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.canberratimes.com.au/federal-politics/religions-place-in-australia- 20120304-1uarw.html>.
Henry, Nicola. "Religon in Autralia." The Australian Collaboration. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. <http://www.australiancollaboration.com.au /pdf/FactSheets/Religion-FactSheet.pdf>.
Video: "Welcome." Australian Christian History Research Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. <http://chr.org.au/>.
Image: "Central Intelligence Agency." The World Factbook. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2122.html>.
Christianity in Australia began when the first fleet of British convicts arrived to the island in 1788. The first church and also the first Christian school was built by Rev Richard Johnson. Arriving in the country on the first fleet, Johnson was Australia's first missionary, bible teacher, and pastor. He was recommended by the society as chaplan for the prison colony of New South Whales. He was appointed in 1786, his wife and him sailed off in the first fleet to bring over 4000 pieces of literature of Christianity to Australia. It was strongly recommended that all Australian children attended the Christian School, in which they would learn about the religion. The church of England started to send missionaries to Australia to help the education as well. The majority of early Australian education was initiated not by the government, but by the Christian church. The Christian-run schools were remarkably successful in meeting the needs of that generation which lead to more of these schools being made. (Video: Australian Christian History Research Institute)
Being that the majority of the first schools were Christian-based, most of the children and families were Christian in the early years of the country. Shown in the 1996 census, 70% of all Australian’s practiced a Christian-based religion. The next highest, coming in at 16%, was no religion at all. Of the 22 "major religions of the world" listed by Adherents.com, all but three (Juche, Jainism and Yoruba religion) are found in Australia. Because of Australia’s location in the world, almost all major religious faiths are practiced making Australia a very culturally diverse society. Only a century ago did 96% of Australians practiced some form of Christianity. In those times, religion was a prominent factor of Australian life, but things changed significantly for the country. Towards the end of the 20th century, religious diversity grew significantly, along with the number of people practicing no religion at all. Both of these trends have grown rapidly. Now, three in ten Australians are not religious or don’t identify their religion on the census. Religious groups and institutions are likely the oldest organizations in the world. Their long-held traditions and values are very slowly, if at all, changing to adapt to modern values and culture. “…the nature of Christian faith – and perhaps religious faith more broadly – is undergoing a transformation. It may be that many Australians are growing wary of traditional organized religions and their formal institutions” (The Australian Collaboration).
Holy places in Christianity are significant because they are the place of birth, ministry, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus. There are no world-known sacred Christian places in Australia. Australia embraces a “rainbow of religious beliefs” and Catholic and Anglican churches, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist temples, mosques and synagogues can be found along the streets. (Australia’s Culture)
Religious freedom is protected by section 116 of the Australian Constitution, which states that: “The Commonwealth of Australia shall not make any law establishing any religion, or for imposing any religious observance, or for prohibiting the free exercise of any religion, and no religious test shall be required as a quantification for any office or public trust under the Commonwealth.” Unlike the US, Australia was not “founded by religious dissidents, but by people who had fallen foul of the state for quite different reasons” (The Australian Collaboration). In the beginnings of Australia through the early 19th century, citizens went to great efforts to build churches and religious-based communities. But based off its born-culture, Australia is not a religious country in comparison to many others. Citizens of Australia, once they had immigrated and escaped from their previous power-enforced homelands, seemed content to settle into a secular lifestyle in Australia. (Religions Place in Australia)
"Australian Bureau of Statistics Celebrating the International Year of Statistics 2013." 1266.0. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. <http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs%40.nsf/Lookup/1266.0main%20features102011>.
"Australian Census Religion." - .id. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. <http://home.id.com.au/id-community/australian-census/australian-census- religion>.
"Australia's Culture." Australian Culture. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. <http://www.australia.com/about/culture-history/culture.aspx>.
"Religion's Place in Australia." Canberra Times. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.canberratimes.com.au/federal-politics/religions-place-in-australia- 20120304-1uarw.html>.
Henry, Nicola. "Religon in Autralia." The Australian Collaboration. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. <http://www.australiancollaboration.com.au /pdf/FactSheets/Religion-FactSheet.pdf>.
Video: "Welcome." Australian Christian History Research Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. <http://chr.org.au/>.
Image: "Central Intelligence Agency." The World Factbook. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2122.html>.
Maps of Religion
![Picture](/uploads/2/3/4/8/23488086/4960851.png?417)
People who identify as Christian as a percentage of the total population in Australia divided geographically by statistical local area, as of the 2011 census.
Retrieved from:
"File:Australian Census 2011 Demographic Map - Australia by SLA - BCP Field 2793 No Religion Persons.svg." Wikimedia Commons. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. <http://commons.wikimedia.org /wiki/File:Australian_Census_2011_demographic_map_- _Australia_by_SLA_ _BCP_field_2793_No_Religion_Persons.svg>.
Australian Cuisine
![Picture](/uploads/2/3/4/8/23488086/1385424230.png)
Australian cuisine of the first decade of the 21st century shows the influence of globalization. Australia got things from British traditions like domestic cooking, the takeaway food sector, roast dinners and more. Meat is a core food in Australia. Barbequing meat is the most common way of making any type of meat. Australian agriculture supplies an abundance of fresh produce for the local markets. Stock grazing (mostly sheep and cattle) is all throughout the country. Because the majority of Australia’s population lives along the ocean, fish and seafood are very popular. The majority of Australian meals have fish and seafood incorporated in this because Australia's fishing zone is the third largest in the world. “Lobster, prawn, tuna, salmon, and abalone are the main ocean species harvested commercially, while aquaculture produces more than 60 species for consumption including edible oysters, salmon, southern bluefin tuna, mussel, prawn, barramundi, yellowtail kingfish, and freshwater finifish”
(Australian Food & Grocery Council).
Fresh produce is always available and used abundantly. Because the government urges health initiatives, a lot of meals are focused around low-salt, low-fat healthy cookery incorporating lean meat and lightly cooked, colorful, steamed or stir-fried vegetables.
Iconic foods: An Australian food that is known around the world is Vegemite. Other iconic foods include macadamia nuts; Violet Crumble, a honeycomb chocolate bar; Cherry Ripe; Jaffas, chocolate with an orange-flavoured confectionery shell; the Chiko Roll, a deep-fried savoury roll similar to a spring roll; and the dim sim, a Chinese-inspired dumpling.
The meat pie (minced beef in a beef gravy, in what looks to be like a bread bowl, pastry type shell a
bout 10 cm across) is a well-known Australian meal. Popular pies include beef burgundy and chicken and mushroom.
(Australian Food & Grocery Council).
Fresh produce is always available and used abundantly. Because the government urges health initiatives, a lot of meals are focused around low-salt, low-fat healthy cookery incorporating lean meat and lightly cooked, colorful, steamed or stir-fried vegetables.
Iconic foods: An Australian food that is known around the world is Vegemite. Other iconic foods include macadamia nuts; Violet Crumble, a honeycomb chocolate bar; Cherry Ripe; Jaffas, chocolate with an orange-flavoured confectionery shell; the Chiko Roll, a deep-fried savoury roll similar to a spring roll; and the dim sim, a Chinese-inspired dumpling.
The meat pie (minced beef in a beef gravy, in what looks to be like a bread bowl, pastry type shell a
bout 10 cm across) is a well-known Australian meal. Popular pies include beef burgundy and chicken and mushroom.
![Picture](/uploads/2/3/4/8/23488086/8342779.jpg?404)
“ The traditional Aussie Meat Pie is about 15cm (6 inches) in diameter, just large enough to hold in one hand and often tomato sauce is liberally poured on top
The filling is beef or chicken with enough thick gravy inside to stick it all together.
Meat pies are found in take away shops, bakeries and most everywhere else”
a. Filling – Ingredients
1 kg (2 pounds) chuck or round steak
2 bacon rashers (bacon slices), chopped
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
375 ml (13 fl. oz) water
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon thyme
2 tablespoons flour, plain (flour, all-purpose)
a. Filling – Method
1. Remove any fat and cube the chuck into about 1 cm
(½ inch) pieces.
2. Fry the bacon and onion over a low heat and add the chuck when the onions are slightly soft.
3. Season with salt, pepper and thyme, add the water, cover and simmer for about 1 hour.
4. In a bowl, slowly add a little water to the flour and stir until it forms a smooth, runny mixture.
5. Slowly stir the flour-water mixture into the meat mixture until it thickens. Remove from heat and let it cool.
b. Pastry – Ingredients
300 grams (2 cups) flour, plain (flour, all-purpose)
pinch salt
60 grams (2 ounces) margarine or butter
150 ml (5 fluid ounces)cold water
1 package commercial puff pastry
b. Pastry – Method
1. In a mixing bowl, add salt to the flour and then cut in the margarine until mixed with the dough.
2. Add water and lemon juice to the dough.
3. Remove the dough and gently knead on a lightly-floured surface.
4. Let the dough rest for about 20 minutes and then roll it out.
c. The Pie – Method
1. Line the small pie dishes with the pastry and fill with the cooled meat mixture.
2. Moisten the rim of the pies with milk or beaten egg so the tops will stick to it.
3. Place a layer of commercial puff pastry on top of each pie to form a lid and trim away the excess.
4. Press the edges together with a fork to seal.
5. Make a hole in the centre of each pie to allow the steam to escape and glaze the tops with beaten egg or milk.
Bake pies at 180° C ( 375° F) for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve hot with tomato sauce on top.
The filling is beef or chicken with enough thick gravy inside to stick it all together.
Meat pies are found in take away shops, bakeries and most everywhere else”
a. Filling – Ingredients
1 kg (2 pounds) chuck or round steak
2 bacon rashers (bacon slices), chopped
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
375 ml (13 fl. oz) water
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon thyme
2 tablespoons flour, plain (flour, all-purpose)
a. Filling – Method
1. Remove any fat and cube the chuck into about 1 cm
(½ inch) pieces.
2. Fry the bacon and onion over a low heat and add the chuck when the onions are slightly soft.
3. Season with salt, pepper and thyme, add the water, cover and simmer for about 1 hour.
4. In a bowl, slowly add a little water to the flour and stir until it forms a smooth, runny mixture.
5. Slowly stir the flour-water mixture into the meat mixture until it thickens. Remove from heat and let it cool.
b. Pastry – Ingredients
300 grams (2 cups) flour, plain (flour, all-purpose)
pinch salt
60 grams (2 ounces) margarine or butter
150 ml (5 fluid ounces)cold water
1 package commercial puff pastry
b. Pastry – Method
1. In a mixing bowl, add salt to the flour and then cut in the margarine until mixed with the dough.
2. Add water and lemon juice to the dough.
3. Remove the dough and gently knead on a lightly-floured surface.
4. Let the dough rest for about 20 minutes and then roll it out.
c. The Pie – Method
1. Line the small pie dishes with the pastry and fill with the cooled meat mixture.
2. Moisten the rim of the pies with milk or beaten egg so the tops will stick to it.
3. Place a layer of commercial puff pastry on top of each pie to form a lid and trim away the excess.
4. Press the edges together with a fork to seal.
5. Make a hole in the centre of each pie to allow the steam to escape and glaze the tops with beaten egg or milk.
Bake pies at 180° C ( 375° F) for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve hot with tomato sauce on top.
"Australian Food and Grocery Council." Australian Food and Grocery Council. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. <http://www.afgc.org.au/>.
"Meat Pie Recipe." ALLdownunder. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. <http://alldownunder.com/australian-food/meat-pies-recipe.htm>.
"Meat Pie Recipe." ALLdownunder. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. <http://alldownunder.com/australian-food/meat-pies-recipe.htm>.