Understanding Australia provides information, opinion and comment on many aspects of Australian life. It is accompanied by audio and transcripts of Radio Australia's 13-part radio series Australia Now, presented by Sue Slamen, and study notes from Monash University's National Centre for Australian Studies.
A brief introduction which outlines the aims and features of the website.
Tourist images portray stereotypes. Are they a fair representation? Are visitors surprised by what they find in Australia? And how does this stereotyping affect the way Australians themselves see their country and their society?
The ethnic diversity of the Australian people at the beginning of the 21st century is in sharp contrast to the continent's history. The disposession of the indigenous inhabitants, the founding of penal colonies and the imposition of racially-restrictive immigration laws were suceeded by immigration policies which have made the population one of the most diverse in the world.
Australia is an independent Western democracy of 20 million people. Its political structure is based on the British model, with important modifications. Along with Canada, New Zealand and other former British colonies, it is a constitutional monarchy.
Australia is a highly urbanised society but outside the cities and towns, the environment boasts great variety. Despite its arid interior, about 60 per cent of Australia is used for agriculture and grazing. The extent of the damage caused by these industries is only now being assessed.
Australia's education system has amongst the highest participation rates in the world, with 31 per cent of the adult population completing tertiary education. Investment in research is rapidly increasing. The last 20 years have also seen a large increase in the number of international stuents studying in Australia.
How much do Australian's earn? What side of the road do they drive on? What's they weather like? Find out more here.
Credits, acknowledgements and contact details.
Audio and transcripts of Radio Australia's 13-part radio series, presented by Sue Slamen.
- Australia Now Home
- Postcard from Down Under
- View from the Grandstand
- Unfinished Business
- Taming the Land
- Suburbia
- Where the Jobs Are
- The Internationalisation of Education
- Coming to Terms with Asia
- The Australian People
- The Local and the Global in Australian Culture
- The Changing Face of Australian Politics
- Australia's Place in the World
- Youth Forum
Study notes compiled by the National Centre for Australian Studies at Monash University, Melbourne.
Instructions on how to listen to transcripts of the radio series,
Australia Now, using Windows Media Audio.
Full details on how to view and print Contemporary Australia study
notes, using Adobe Reader and Adobe Portable Document (PDF) files.
