Effects Of Whiteness On Australian Identity

The history wars of Australia is an area of great controversial debate. Throughout the course of Australian history, the public has been mainly subjected to one perspective that focused on the glorifying moments of European settlement and its progress such as its involvement in world wars and the transition of the nation into a globalised continent. As a result, there is a rigid dichotomy between the perceptions of white Australians and the indigenous population on subjects such as the colonisation or invasion of Australia. History told from the perspective of Aboriginal people greatly contrasts what is written in the history books and also what is exposed or encouraged towards the public. It focuses on the dispossession of indigenous people, the massacres and the attempted eradication of culture. This view of Australian history has been labeled as 'black armband history', which was first used during an interview by a historian, Geoffrey Blainey.

I argue that the ideologies behind The Assimilation Policy were evident since the first white settlers had arrived in 1788. Since first contact, Aboriginal people’s values, customs, beliefs and traditional way of life began to erode. From the 1850s onwards, Aboriginal people were forced onto reserves, and then into towns and cities in the mid 20th century . Many people feared that the ‘Australian’ culture was being affected by immigrants. Since the early 1900s, there had been a ‘White Australia’ policy and assimilation was expected upon arrival. However, Aboriginal people did not immigrate, so their policy, dictated by the Australian States and Commonwealth Government was known as The Policy of Assimilation. Assimilation policies were supported by racist assumptions and represented by settler nationalist imperatives . In the 1950s, assimilation policies for Aboriginal people were supported by the

When it comes to false representations and stereotypical conversations, Australia is one of the biggest nations on the talking list. From choosing a barbeque with mates over work to kids riding kangaroos to school, it leave many australians with one question. Are we being represented as the raw product, or are texts twisting the facts to make us seem far from the normality?

The discourse of whiteness began at Colonisation when Indigenous Peoples were dehumanised. To legitimise the colonisation Moreton Robinson (2004) and Phillips (2005) state the traditional owners of the land needed to be ‘othered’, thus lacking innately human characteristics and, therefore, of unequal civil status. Othering of Indigenous Peoples enabled Australia to be defined as ‘Terra Nullius’, and according to McGrath (1995) and Crowley (1980), the myth of Terra Nullius is central to the discourse of whiteness and the white epistemology of Australia. The invasion and subsequent Colonisation

Australia is a young, modern country made up of a diverse and multicultural population, therefore, it’s difficult to say that it has a single national identity. This essay will examine what Australia’s identity may look like, specifically, through art.

Australia’s identity has always been a complicated one. Starting with Aboriginal genocide, 1800’s cowboys and villains, two world wars and a bunch of poems describing them, it makes it difficult to conclude on what being an ‘Aussie’ really is. Thankfully, the two thought-provoking poems Nobody Calls Me a Wog Anymore by Komninos Zervos, and My Country by Dorothea Mackellar both use their discerning selection of themes to reflect modern attitudes in some extent. Along with their themes, Nobody Calls Me a Wog Anymore and My Country both use their story to capture the attributes modern Australians possess to some degree.

The nature of Australian’s national identity has been an ongoing debate for many years. It involves how Australians see themselves, and how other countries view Australia as a whole. Throughout the country’s history, the national identity has not remained constant, and currently it is a debate to what Australian’s true national identity is.

Paul Keating’s ‘Redfern Speech’ demonstrates textual integrity as it has dichotomy of real and ideal values. Paul Keating uses the power of rhetoric to effectively highlight the mistakes made by “White Australians”. Some journalists showed surprise that this speech bluntly acknowledged the cultural devastation wrought by colonial conquest. This is affirmed by the inclusivity in “it was we who did the dispossessing” followed by short sentence “We brought the diseases. The alcohol” reinforcing the atrocities

The immigration policy of Australia has been in a constant state of flux ever since Federation in 1901, when the first legislative piece, the Immigration Restriction Act, was introduced. The Immigration Restriction Act has become infamous in Australian history and throughout the world, more nefariously as the ‘White Australia Policy’. The White Australia Policy was Australia’s seemingly indestructible way of ensuring a White Australia. However, the immigration of European refugees after World War II, which aimed to defend the nation from Japanese invasion, challenged this policy. From 1901, Australia held a strong belief that coloured people, specifically Asians, were inferior and detrimental to the Australian way of life, and did all in it’s

Around the time of federation in Australia, the term 'white man's country' could be used to describe the climate within Australia to a significant extent. During this period many were occupied with the welfare of the empire (5), and the declining birth-rate at the time left many deeply concerned about the success of the new nation (5). There was also apprehension about non-white immigration, particularly Asian (5, 12), and this saw the press publishing anti-Asian immigration material (7). Furthermore, in 1901 the newly federated Australia passed two significant pieces of legislation which express the 'white man's country' sentiment clearly. Namely, the 'immigration restriction act' which essentially prevented non-Europeans from entering Australia, and the 'Pacific Islanders repatriation

ESSAY ON WHY THERE WAS CONFLICT BETWEEN WHITE AND BLACK AUSTRALIANS IN THE NINTEENTH CENTURY

Australia has always been centered around diversity and change, specifically with the vast multiculturalism and migrant culture throughout the nation. The specifics of Identity hold an important role in shaping our identity as students and as a nation. Australians pride themselves on being a land of the free and full of diverse culture. This is specifically referred to in our national Anthem; “For those who've come across the seas, We've boundless plains to share; With courage let us all combine,”(McCormick, 1984). Displaying Australia’s open attitude towards immigrants and contributes to the diversity present within our society today. Even before this, much of Australia’s Identity was associated with caucasian culture (Originating from British Settlers). Which is the dominant perception of Australia through the media with australian representation being present through the stereotypes of Bogans, which was made popular through shows like Kath and Kim (ABC, 2007). Also, represented through the popular depiction of Australian people - the bushman made popular by movies like Crocodile Dundee (Faiman, 1986) and through famous real life bushman; Steve Irwin. An important aspect of Australian identity which is consistently neglected is the culture and representation of the initial owners of the land; the aboriginal people. Throughout history the constant mistreatment and neglect of the indigenous, has lead to a massive gap in privilege between the aboriginal people and our

Remember, the Stolen Generation! Australians, mainly so called ‘white people’ have been criticising, bullying and jumping into conclusion from the very beginning. They saw humans with different coloured skin, different race and without thinking, they named themselves “superior”.

Australia’s problem with racism is denial, this arguably dates to 1788 with the arrival of the First Fleet. For people of Aboriginal heritage, and many others, the First Fleet is synonymous with the word invasion, as it was the “colonial British invasion that displace Aboriginal occupants.” (Nelson, 2015, p. 342). The Indigenous peoples of Australia are said to have

Australia is now facing the reality of globalization. The Indigenous Aborigines are becoming fearful of their country's increase in the Asian population. They've begun expressing this lately, mainly through hateful speech. "Until recently, a society that had carved out its identity as an isolated slice of Britain had appeared to be broadening its outlook, forging an Asian connection based on trade, mutual security and the growing "Asianization: of its own populace." (Clifton). The Australian government is adopting this new culture with hopes of economic improvement and additional alliances for their country. There are many sensible reasons for both powers to come together, however, in order for Australia to profit from this globalization, the Aborigines, must be willing to accept a multiracial society. The fear they carry most likely stems from a lost of identity and power within their 'territory'. In this case the move of ideas is being brought by 80,000 new immigrants into Australia each year, half of them being of Asian descent. The joining of these two cultures undoubtedly will bring about much upset, as globalization will most likely be