Australia capturing
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Q UINTE S S ENTIA L
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National Icons
Above, left and right: Unmistakably Australian, the Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus) is also the faunal emblem for the Northern Territory. The largest marsupial in the world, males (above left), at 1.5 m tall, are bigger than some humans, and can weigh 80 kg. Females (above right) are often more grey-blue in colour and are sometimes called “blue fliers�.
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Above, left and right: Equally as recognisable as the Red Kangaroo is the ubiquitous Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus). Males are notorious for their pugilistic activities, which gave rise to the famed “Boxing Kangaroo� fl ag often waved at Australian sporting events. Females frequently have a doe-eyed, big-footed joey safely ensconced in the pouch.
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Above: Australia’s national treasures are not all natural — several stand as reminders of the ingenuity of their creators. The Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge are modern masterpieces and artificial co-conspirators in enhancing the natural beauty of the famous harbour. Conceived by Danish architect Jørn Utzon and opened in 1973, the World-Heritage-listed Opera House is Australia’s most famous edifice.
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Above: A fitting frame for the elegant Opera House is the steel span of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, credited to engineer Dr JCC Bradfield and completed in 1932. Known affectionately as the “Coathanger”, the bridge has six million rivets that were driven in by hand to ensure the strength of this 52,000 tonne stalwart, which was tested by lining up 96 steam locomotives end to end along tracks on the bridge’s eastern side! Few realise, when gazing up at its impeccable arch, that the lives of sixteen men are owed for this marvel of modern engineering.
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Above left: The architects of bridges and buildings are undoubtedly talented, but their ingenuity pales in comparison to the brilliance of the ocean’s tiny, cooperative engineers. Australia’s World-Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef is the handiwork of a multitudinous team of coral polyps, all creating interlinking shells of calcium carbonate in which zooxanthellae algae make their homes. Fragments of coral sand, brought together by the tides and held together by salt-resistant vegetation, bird droppings and the cementing actions of rain and force, combine to stud the region with spectacular, secluded coral cays. Above right: Paid tribute to in the animated film Finding Nemo, the Clown Anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris) is a hit with divers who marvel at the spectacle of the reef.
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Above: The Great Barrier Reef comprises the largest collection of corals in the world, including more than one-third of the world’s soft corals and at least 360 hard coral species. This ribbon of more than 2900 individual coral reefs stretches for 2300 km along the Queensland coast, from Bundaberg to Cape York, and covers an area of 344,000 km2. More than 1500 fish species and six species of endangered marine turtle inhabit this incredible submarine paradise.
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The Nation’s Capital Cities 11
CANBERRA
Previous pages: The Parliament House of Australia sits on Capital Hill in Canberra and is topped by an aluminium fl agpole bearing the Australian flag. At 300 m wide by 300 m long, it is one of the Southern Hemisphere’s largest buildings and cost A$1.1 billion to build, replacing the provisional “Old Parliament House” in 1988. Above: Questacon, Australia’s National Science and Technology Centre, sits on the banks of Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra.
From inauspicious beginnings, this cobbled together nation of crooks, unfortunates, Aborigines and hopeful free settlers has, to borrow a phrase from the Strine vernacular, “done alright for itself”. Affluent, ordered capital cities now stand on sites of former penal servitude, and colonial architecture jostles for space with skyscrapers and the clean lines of modern buildings. Traditional carriageways have given way to multi-lane freeways, and in just over 200 years, Australia has transformed itself from outpost to outstanding.
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Above left: In its short history, the nation has been involved in many bloody international conflicts and the Australian Defence Force employed as peacekeepers in several skirmishes. The Australian War Memorial pays homage to the nation’s military history and to those who fought and sacrificed for the wellbeing of future generations of Australians. Above right: The avant-garde Garden of Australian Dreams outside the National Museum of Australia — a treasure trove of relics from Australia’s past. Purposely established as Australia’s capital, Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory was meticulously planned by Sir Walter Burley Griffin and enshrines the mainstays of nationhood — the National Library, Australian War Memorial, National Museum, National Gallery of Australia, Royal Australian Mint, Parliament House and the High Court of Australia.
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SYDNEY
Above left: Sydney, established by Governor Arthur Phillip and the First Fleeters in 1788, was Australia’s premier city. It enjoys all of the drawcards of larger cities — fine-dining restaurants, five-star hotels, boutique shopping, acclaimed theatre, museums, theme parks and attractions galore — yet it complements them with sunny weather and a string of beautiful beaches stretching north and south of Bondi. Above right: Visitors can climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge for a panoramic view of what has been described as “the most beautiful harbour in the world”.
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Above: The Archibald Fountain, in Sydney’s Hyde Park, is sculptor François Sicard’s granite and bronze tribute to the alliance between France and Australia in World War I. It was donated by literary personality JF Archibald, erstwhile editor of The Bulletin and the founder of Australia’s highest accolade for artists of portraiture — the Archibald Prize. Following pages: A view down the Parramatta River, the main tributary of the harbour, towards Sydney’s CBD.
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MELBOURNE
Above: The fractious façade of Melbourne’s Federation Square. Deemed a monstrosity when first constructed, Federation Square has since been embraced by locals. An international competition was held for the design, and London-based Lab Architecture Studio and Bates Smart Architects together won the contract and implemented this ambitious, intriguing design.
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Above left: Melbourne is famed for its trams, which trundle through the streets and make transport a joy in this bustling southern metropolis. Above right: Eureka Tower and the latticed spire of the Arts Centre loom skyward.
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Culture & Lifestyle 19
Previous pages: Ever since a ban on swimming in daylight was lifted in the early 1900s, Aussies have flocked to the beach to swim, surf and mingle. So intrinsic is the beach to Australian culture that the nation implemented the world’s first surf lifesaving system to protect swimmers and beachgoers. Above: Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders are recognised as the first Australians. Rock art galleries, like this one in Arnhem Land, are found throughout Australia and record Dreaming mythology.
In 1964, author Donald Horne penned a phrase that has become the national slogan. Horne’s original comment was cautionary: “Australia is a lucky country, run by second-rate people who share its luck”. However, in true Aussie tradition, it was not long before the phrase “lucky country” was reinvented as a compliment. Few who visit or inhabit the land today could argue against its serendipity. The island continent is hugged by some of the world’s most beautiful beaches and revels in a wealth of natural resources — an abundance of sunshine, an outdoors lifestyle, a commitment to democracy, and plenty of space — but it is, undoubtedly, the culture, history and lifestyle that cement its reputation as one of the best countries to live or visit in the world.
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Clockwise from top left: Indigenous contributions to history and society have often been overlooked, but a greater effort is now being made to celebrate Indigenous culture. Ceremonial dance reinforces ritual and spiritual beliefs; “Bush tucker� displays inside Warradjan Cultural Centre in Kakadu, Northern Territory; Barramundi are caught with a traditional fishing spear; Many Aboriginal people continue to work the land, as drovers, tour guides and rangers.
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Above: Even in far-flung places, evidence of the isolation and hardships of pioneering life remains. This decrepit settlers’ hut stands abandoned in a lonely crop field near Burra, in the Clare Valley of South Australia. Pioneers often lived for months at a time without company as civilisation was days, weeks or even months away.
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Clockwise from top left: Although most of the nation’s denizens live in the cities or on the coast, Aussies have a soft spot for the outback and for the irreverent attitude of “bushies”. Corrugated iron, barbed wire and other rustic items are often turned into quirky artwork that breaks the monotony of a long, dusty drive. A horse visits the local pub in Silverton, New South Wales; Intriguing metal drum sculptures in Tibooburra, New South Wales; A wall of hubcaps and odds and ends, Winton, Queensland; Corrugated iron camels. Opposite: Eschewing the crowded cities, some plucky Australians remain in the bush, where they enjoy the solitude of spacious homesteads, and where Red Kangaroos are the only frequent visitors.
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Attractions & Events
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Previous pages: Luna Park in Sydney has promised enthralling rides and activities since 1935. Above left: Frocks, jocks, and equality for all are advocated by the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, a fl amboyant festival complete with colourful floats and troupes of parading participants. Above right: Many of the most amusing events are for charity, including the annual Variety Bash, a “wacky race� in which fundraisers drive unorthodox vehicles around Australia.
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Above left: Australia Day, celebrated on 26 January annually, is a chance to revere colonial heroes (or villains) such as Ned Kelly, and to refl ect on Australia’s history and culture, past and present. Above right: Veterans proudly display their medals in the annual Anzac Day March. Anzac Day, on 25 April, is one of the nation’s most important days of remembrance. It pays homage to those who have fought and died for this country and huge crowds take to the streets to pay tribute to Australia’s “diggers”, servicemen and servicewomen during dawn services — Lest We Forget.
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Iconic Destinations
Above: One of the most admired and pondered geological structures in Australia, the Devils Marbles, about 110 km south of Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory, are precariously balanced, rust-coloured stones that formed some 1640 million years ago from a single piece of volcanic rock. Spheroidal weathering over millennia has stripped away layers like the skin of an onion, leaving the “marbles” exposed and seemingly scattered across the landscape. Opposite: Blue and red are the colours of the Australian fl ag and both are well represented on the continent. Here, the curvaceous lines of Kata Tjuta, one of the Northern Territory’s most sacred rock formations, rise from the horizon.
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Previous pages: The gleaming jewel in the crown of the Northern Territory’s many memorable landscapes is Kakadu. Presiding over the teeming wetlands and the famed Anbangbang Billabong is imposing Nourlangie Rock. Galleries of rock art there showcase an ancient culture with a history of at least 40,000 years, if not thousands more. Above: Jim Jim Falls in Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, in full flood. Although rarely seen cascading so enthusiastically, Jim Jim Falls fill the waterholes with the wet-season rains that flow from the craggy escarpments of Arnhem Land.
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Clockwise from top left: Kakadu is renowned for its wildlife as much as its scenery. Estuarine Crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus), the largest reptiles on the planet, are razor-toothed shadows that lurk beneath the surface, breaking the water only with their snouts and steely eyes; Bird life is especially prolific. Australia’s only stork species, the Black-necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus), or Jabiru, wades in Kakadu’s shallows hunting fish and snakes; The lovely Sacred Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) adorns the mirrored wetlands. Following pages: The wetlands of Kakadu gilt by a Top End sunset.
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Above: Widely recognised and just as widely remarked upon are the sea-sculpted stacks of The Twelve Apostles in Port Campbell National Park, Victoria. Despite their name, there hasn’t been twelve in living memory and now only eight remain after one tumbled into the surf in 2005. All of these limestone pillars will eventually share the same fate, as the waves erode them at the base and undermine their solidarity. 36
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Showcasing the continent’s striking landscapes, beautiful cities and unique animals, Australia: Capturing the Quintessential Australia is a visual celebration of this vast and remarkable land.
Steve Parish, Australia’s best-known nature photographer, shares his incredible story in Steve Parish: 50 Years Photographing Australia. Filled with stunning images, this must-have book celebrates Steve’s half a century of capturing Australia’s animals and wild places on camera.
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