Myth
According to this myth, Lieutenant Cook and naturalist Sir Joseph Banks were exploring the area when they happened upon the animal.
They asked a nearby local what the creatures were called. The local responded "Kangaroo", meaning "I don't understand you", which Cook took to be the name of the creature.
The kangaroo is unique to Australia and appears on our coat of arms. It is a mammal and a macropod, a family of marsupials that includes wallabies and pademelons. Kangaroos are the only large animals to travel by hopping and breeding adult males often fight by boxing with their front paws and kicking their back legs. There are 55 kangaroo species spread across Australia.
The word 'kangaroo' derives from the Guugu Yimithirr word gangurru, referring to grey kangaroos. The name was first recorded as Kangooroo or Kanguru.
Guugu Yimithirr is the language of the people of the area.
The largest species in the family are called "kangaroos" and the smallest are generally called "wallabies". The term "wallaroos" refers to species of an intermediate size. There is also the tree-kangaroo, another genus of macropod, which inhabits tropical rainforests.
The kangaroo is an unofficial symbol of Australia and appears as an emblem on the Australian coat of arms and on some of its currency and is used by some of Australia's well known organisations, including Qantas and the Royal Australian Air Force. The kangaroo is important to both Australian culture and the national image, and consequently there are numerous popular culture references.
Kangaroo
Didgeridoo
The didgeridoo is a long wooden flute, perhaps the oldest musical instrument on earth.
Traditionally, an Aborigine would go into nature and listen intensely to animal sounds, not just voices but also the flapping of wings or the thump of feet on the ground. The Aborigine would also listen to the sounds of wind, thunder, trees creaking, and water running. The essences of all these sounds were played with as much accuracy as possible within the droning sound of the didjeridoo. For the Aborigine, the observation of nature immediately requires a state of empathy, which leads to an imitative expression.
Did you know that the didgeridoo ...
... is possibly the world's oldest musical instrument.
... a wind instrument is.
... is made from limbs and tree trunks hollowed out by termites (insects).
... is cut to an average length of 1.3 metres and cleaned out with a stick. or hot coals.
... wasused as an accompaniment to chants and songs.
... roduces a low-pitch, resonant sound with complex rhythmic patterns.
... is being called the sound of Australia.
Currency
Australia’s national currency is the Australian dollar which comes in denominations of $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 notes. Coins come in 5, 10, 20 and 50 cent and 1 and 2 dollar.
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The $100 note: World-renowned soprano Dame Nellie Melba and the distinguished soldier, engineer and administrator General Sir John Monash.
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The $50 note features Aboriginal writer and inventor David Unaipon and Australia’s first female parliamentarian, Edith Cowan.
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The $20 note features the founder of the world’s first aerial medical service (the Royal Flying Doctor Service), the Reverend John Flynn, and Mary Reibey, who arrived in Australia as a convict in 1792 and went on to become a successful shipping magnate and philanthropist.
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The $10 note features the poets AB ‘Banjo’ Paterson and Dame Mary Gilmore.
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The $5 note features Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Parliament House in Canberra, our national capital.
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The $2 coin depicts an Aboriginal tribal elder set against a background of the Southern Cross and native grass trees.
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The $1 coin depicts five kangaroos.
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The 50 cent coin features Australia’s coat of arms: the six state badges on a central shield supported by a kangaroo and an emu.
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The 20 cent coin carries a platypus(=vogelbekdier),(soon to be replaced by cricket legend Donald Bradman).
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The 10 cent coin features a male lyrebird(a small bird with a few peacock feathers) dancing.
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The 5 cent coin depicts an echidna(=mierenegel).
Uluru is known as a monolith, set the middle of Australia. Although there is a similar rock in Western Australia, as well as the nearby Kata Tjuta, World Heritage site Uluru is unique in its composition.
What is Uluru to the Aborigines, who consider it sacred, is better known as Ayers Rock to most. The native islanders have been in the area for thousands of years, but the rock is now contained within the aptly named Uluru National Park, which is overseen by the Anangu and Australian government. The park lies 463 kms by road southwest of Alice Springs.
What is Uluru made of?
The 300 million-year-old rock is comprised of sand, feldspar (various crystalline minerals) and rock, and originally hailed from a sea floor. A large chunk is above ground today (348m), and the flat top and grooved sides are a result of weathering. Uluru was ‘discovered’ by William Gosse in the 1800s, who named it after the Chief Secretary to South Australia, Henry Ayers.
As well as climbing up the side of Uluru, it is possible to walk around it (about 10kms by path). There are also several noted caves in the flanks, although parts are off-limits as they are particularly sacred to the natives. There are also dozens of birds and mammals in the area which visitors will usually see on a tour of the rock. People typically watch the sunset from the viewing spot to the west, while there is another in the east for the sunrise.
How big is Uluru?
Uluru…
is 348 metres (1141 feet) high
rises 863 metres (2,831 ft) above sea level
is 3.6 km long (2.2 miles)
is 1.9 km wide (1.2 miles)
is 9.4 km or 5.8 miles around the base
covers 3.33 km2 (1.29 miles2)
extends about several km/miles into the ground (no-one knows exactly how far)
How long does it take to walk around Uluru?
The Uluru Base Walk is a 10km walk on a flat marked dirt path, and can be completed in around 3.5 hours.
Did you know?
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Uluru is probably Australia’s best-known natural landmark. The ancient monolith is pretty impressive close up and boasts intriguing statistics.
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It is better known as Ayers Rock; it named by William Gosse in 1873 after Sir Henry Ayers. Uluru is the Aboriginal and official name.
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The rock was created over some 600 million years, and the Aborigines have been in the area for the last 10,000 years. It originally sat at the bottom of a sea, but today stands 348m above ground. One of the most startling Uluru facts however, is that some 2.5kms of its bulk is underground.
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Uluru lies west of the Simpson Desert, not far from the ‘Red Centre’ of Australia, about 335kms southwest of Alice Springs (as the crow flies) and 463kms by road. Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t the biggest monolith in the world; Mount Augustus in Western Australia holds that titleMore Uluru Facts
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The rock is about 3.6kms long and 1.9kms wide, with a circumference of 9.4kms. The climb to the top is 1.6kms, much of which is at a steep angle, while the summit is generally flat. The surface is made up of valleys, ridges, caves and weird shapes that were created through erosion over millions of years. Surface oxidation of its iron content gives the would-be grey Uluru a striking orange-red hue.
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The nearby Kata Tjuta (or Olgas) are said to originate from a similar time. They are thought to have originally been one massive monolith, as opposed to the 36 separate domes they are today – one of the lesser known Uluru facts. They are a part of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, which was founded in 1950 as ‘Ayers Rock-Mount Olga National Park’, changing to its current title in 1995. The Aboriginals own the land, although the Australian government currently holds a 99-year lease.
RECENT EVENT: Uluru closed due to record rain and flash flooding
Record-breaking rain and flash flooding closed Uluru national park on Monday until further notice.
Uluru
Australian Flag
In 1901 Australia’s first Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Sir Edmund Barton, announced an international competition to design a flag for the new Commonwealth of Australia. There were 32,823 entries and five nearly-identical entries were awarded equal first.
The flag was flown for the first time in September 1901 at the Exhibition Building in Melbourne, which was then the seat of the federal government originally governed. In this original design the stars of the Southern Cross had different numbers of points to signify their brightness.
The flag has three elements on a blue background: the Union Jack, the Commonwealth Star and the Southern Cross.
The Union Jack in the upper left corner represents the history of British settlement.
Below the Union Jack is a white Commonwealth, or Federation, star. It has seven points representing the unity of the six states and the territories of the Commonwealth of Australia. The star is also featured on the Commonwealth Coat of Arms.
The Southern Cross is shown on the flag in white. It is a constellation of five stars that can only be seen from the southern hemisphere and is a reminder of Australia’s geography.
The Commonwealth Coat of Arms is the formal symbol of the Commonwealth of Australia. It is used to identify the authority and property of the Australian Government, the Australian Parliament and Commonwealth courts. For example, it appears on the cover of Australian passports, government buildings and some 50 cent coins.
The first Commonwealth Coat of Arms was introduced on 7 May 1908. The second was introduced on 19 September 1912 and is still used today.
The Commonwealth Coat of Arms contains a shield with the symbols of the six Australian states. These symbols are enclosed in a border to represent federation in 1901, when the states united to form a nation. The shield is held by two native Australian animals, a kangaroo to the left and an emu to the right. The gold Commonwealth Star above the shield has seven points. One point represents each of the six states and the seventh point represents all the territories. There is a scroll displaying the word 'Australia' beneath the shield. The national floral emblem, golden wattle, forms the background.
Coat of Arms
National Anthem
Australia day
On Australia Day we come together as a nation to celebrate what's great about Australia and being Australian. It's the day to reflect on what we have achieved and what we can be proud of in our great nation. It's the day for us to re-commit to making Australia an even better place for the future.
Australia Day, 26 January, is the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet of 11 convict ships from Great Britain, and the raising of the Union Jack at Sydney Cove by its commander Captain Arthur Phillip, in 1788 (you can read a comprehensive history of the evolution of Australia Day here).
Though 26 January marks this specific event, today Australia Day celebrations reflect contemporary Australia: our diverse society and landscape, our remarkable achievements and our bright future. It also is an opportunity to reflect on our nation's history, and to consider how we can make Australia an even better place in future.
On Australia Day, half of the nation’s population of 24 million attend either an organised community event, or get together with family and friends with the intention of celebrating our national day. Many more spend the public holiday relaxing with family and friends.
Yet Australia Day is much more than barbeques and fireworks. It is more than another public holiday. It is more than the pride and excitement of new citizens who call themselves Australian for the first time on 26 January after being conferred citizenship.
At its core, Australia Day is a day driven by communities, and the celebrations held in each town, suburb or city – unified by the celebration of what’s great about Australia and being Australian – are the foundation of its ongoing success.