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Tag: Australian culture

History & Culture

Early Victoria: Bushfires, gold rushes and sad bushrangers

FROM VICTORIA’S GOLD RUSHES to its bushrangers, English artist William Strutt’s (1825-1915) paintings captured the state’s colonial history in vivid scenes and sketches. William arrived at Melbourne in 1850 and began work as an illustrator painting portraits of people such as explorer Robert O’Hara Burke, who’s famous expedition with William John Wills ended in their tragic deaths. William illustrated the scenes around Burke’s demise in the epic ‘The burial of Burke’ (1911). He also recorded many historical events such as Victoria becoming a separate state and the devastating Victorian bushfire on Black Thursday in 1851. His paintings depict the hardship of colonial life, exploration and the dangers of the environment. His oil paintings, watercolours, portraits, prints and preparatory sketches will be on display at ‘Heroes and villains: Strutt’s Australia’ exhibition at the State Library of Victoria until 23 October 2016. The exhibition is the first retrospectives of William’s work in Melbourne, it includes pop-up talks of three of his well-known paintings; ‘Bushrangers’ (1887), ‘The burial of Burke’ (1911) and ‘Black Thursday’ (1864).

History & Culture

GALLERY: Pedal Prix 2015, SA

The annual 24-hour Australian International Pedal Prix is the oldest, longest, largest and fastest human powered vehicle (HPV) race in the world. At Murray Bridge, riders who have gone head-to-head in the shorter races during the UniSA Australian HPV Super Series gather for one last, gruelling battle. The 2015 competition attracted a staggering 225 teams – each with 8–20 riders – from almost every corner of Australia. Read more about the Pedal Prix in #AG133.

Destinations

GALLERY: The golden heart of Tennant Creek

Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory has a population of just 3000 people, and is found 1000km south of Darwin and 500km north of Alice Springs. This outback town is as gritty as it’s charming, and with its swag of multicultural locals and a zealous community spirit, it’s a place that’s now luring newcomers with more than just gold dust. Find the full story in the Nov/Dec issue (#129) of Australian Geographic.

History & Culture

Gallery: The top 10 most iconic Australian foods

Aussie food classics suggests that it’s the simpler things that take our fancy. Whether at a family Christmas feast at the height of a scorching Australian summer or barracking at a local footy match in the depths of winter, Australians enjoy foods that suit our laid-back lifestyle. Here are five sweet and five savoury Australian foods that will pluck at your Aussie heartstrings to remind you of days spent around the good old Australian backyard barbecue, lounging on the beach or simply the everyday.