CULTURE Oceania Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands

Australian Culture  Much of Australia’s culture is shaped by its history  Aborigine/British influence  English is official language  Spoken w/ distinct Aussie accent  Also has growing Asian population  Began moving to area during the 1970’s

Culture continued  Aborigine Culture:  Have no deities in religious beliefs  Lives revolve around belief of Dreamtime Ancestor heroes created the world & all it contains Believe in spirits that inhabit the natural world Spirits can be reborn/return to earth many times  Young men often go through the bora Initiation ceremony in which boys introduced into manhood --- often involves losing a finger/tooth

Culture continued  Walkabout  Rite of passage journey for many Aborigine males  Spend 6 months in the Outback  Suppose to be spiritual journey for Aborigines to be in touch w/ nature as their ancestors once were  Didgeridoo  Wind instrument native to many Aborigines  Usually played at ceremonial rituals/dances  Food  Honey Pot Ants Eaten for the sweetness of the ant’s abdomen/colony produce  Kangaroo --- tail

Culture continued  Boomerang Initially used as a hunting stick used by Aborigines Today, mostly used as sporting item --- throwing contests

Culture continued  Australian Food  Draws from British, Asian, Mediterranean influences  Eat seafood, beef, lamb --- barbecue (grilling) “shrimp on the barbie” (prawn)  Vegemite Bitter, salty yeast extracted product Usually spread on toast

Kangaroo Tail Soup ↑ ← Vegemite ↑ Crocodile Filets

Culture continued  Australian Music  AC/DC  Jet  Silverchair  Australian Sport  Rugby  Cricket  Australian Rules Football Cross between rugby/soccer Can be fairly violent at times

Australian Cities  Sydney  Australia’s oldest/largest city  Port city  4 million people  Sydney Opera House Inside the Opera House

Melbourne 2 nd largest city Factories major source of goods for Australia’s consumer market

Australian Cities continued  Canberra  Australia’s capital  Country’s only planned city  Gov’t modeled from British Australia’s Parliament In Canberra

New Zealand’s Culture  Culture mixture of Maori/British culture  Maori --- original inhabitants of New Zealand  Haka  Action chant/war dance originally performed by Maori warriors  Today performed by many rugby teams All Blacks rugby team --- New Zealand  Moko  Sometimes called Ta moko  Facial tattoos originated by the Maori

Haka of the All Blacks Rugby Team New Zealand aWg