Australian and Oceania Cultural Notes

Mr. Broughman

Thursday, April 17, 2014

• Where do most people in Australia live? Why? – Along the coast, especially the eastern

and southeastern coast; the climate in the center of the continent is not suitable for life

• The Pacific Islands are generally very sparsely populated.

Overall, Australia is developed as the majority of the population lives in urban areas and along the coast. Nevertheless, lifestyles range from small-scale subsistence farming to today’s modern city life.

• Australian cultures reflects a combination of traditional indigenous cultures (i.e. Aborigines in Australia and Maori in New Zealand) and the European immigrants who settled Australia.

• For the most part, traditional ways of life continue to shape life in the Pacific Islands.

BBC on Aboriginal Life

• 1. Sydney, Australia

• 2. Canberra, A.C.T. (Australian Capital Territory)

• 3. Auckland, New Zealand

• 4. Melbourne, Australia

• Name: Sydney Opera House

• Location: Sydney, Australia

• Significance: Noted for architecture and celebration of the arts

• Name: Research Station

• Location: Antarctica

• Significance: Site of only settlements in Antarctica

• Name: Sheep and cattle ranches

• Location: Australian Outback

• Significance: Way of life for people living in inland Australia

• Name: Thatched-roof houses

• Location: Pacific Islands

• Significance: Use natural materials to build homes in warm climates