Australian Stories matching your query...

Each year the Sydney Festival offers a rich and diverse program spanning all art forms including dance, theatre, music, visual arts, film, forums and large scale free outdoor events. The National Multicultural Festival is held over two weeks and features...

Easter commemorates the resurrection (return to life) of Jesus Christ following his death by crucifixion. Easter eggs are traditionally eaten on Easter Sunday, however stores start stocking Easter treats well before the Easter holiday period. Early on Ea...

In the early days of the Australian colonies, convict ballads and songs became the foundation of Australia's later day folk music and its first original compositions. Bush songs, ballads and music influenced and defined the folk music of the 1950s. Indi...

Portrait of Slim Dusty at the Australia Day Concert (i.e. Australia Day Live), Sydney Entertainment Centre, 1984, transparency. Country music, a derivative of folk music, originated in southern and western USA and consisted mainly of rural songs accompan...

Art forms such as dance, theatre, writing, music and the visual arts draw on the creativity and interests of Australians of many abilities. The Australia Council, Arts Access Australia, [formerly Disability in the Arts, Disadvantage in the Arts (DADAA)] ...

Marvellous Melbourne Jazz Festival - Bernie McGann Group - Bernie McGann, sax; John Pochee , drum; Chuck Yates, keyboard; Jeff Kluke, bass. An Australian jazz sound has developed through a practice of innovation where performers improvised within particu...

Australia has had a strong and vibrant jazz scene since the 1920s, commencing with visiting performers and reciprocated by Australian jazz performers touring regularly in America and Europe. Mainstream jazz centres on 'swing', although most jazz styles co...

Like other art forms, Australian theatre has built on previous traditions and developed over time, shaped by local and international artistic movements, events and trends. Australian theatre history incorporates the stories of many actors, entrepreneurs,...

As Australia had no native grape varieties suitable for wine-making, grapes were imported from Europe and much of the wine produced was shipped back to the United Kingdom. Early wine production at Lindemans, established in the Hunter Valley (New South Wa...

Comedy is central to Australian cultural identity. Comedy forms the basis of many forms of popular entertainment from live cabaret with stand up comedians to television sketch shows. Australia is a country of climatic and geographic extremes and Austral...

Protestant and Roman Catholic churches hold Christmas Day services on 25 December. The Eastern churches - the Ethiopian Orthodox church, Russian Orthodox church and the Armenian church - celebrate Christmas on 6 or 7 January. Christmas is the celebratio...

Cathy Freeman, with the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games identity logo. Photograph courtesy of Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games Corporation. The XVIII Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne from 15 to 26 March 2006. ...

Indigenous film is either film portraying Indigenous people, issues and stories or film made by Indigenous Australians. The portrayal of Indigenous issues and people in film provides a unique insight into Australia's relationship with its Indigenous peop...

Hoopdive, The Flying Fruit Fly Circus. Troupes like the Flying Fruit Fly Circus and Circus Oz have spearheaded a new style of circus performance that features highly physical activities and no animal tricks. Nicole Brackertz, teacher of circus history at...

Nicola Finetti, Dress of silk georgette, silk chiffon and metallic embroidery on silk organza. Fashion can be defined by colour, cut, cloth, garment type, garment styles and interpretation of looks. Chinese silk embroidered shawls and Chinese surcoats b...

A number of organisations promote Australian music and assist Australian musicians and composers. This Fellowship acts on behalf of Australian composers in matters of copyright, composers' fees and the amount of Australian music broadcast on radio and te...

Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. Memorabilia is displayed in museums like the Chinese Museum, Melbourne, and the Golden Dragon Museum, Bendigo. Bendigo Chinese Association Golden Dragon Museum....

Australian independent (indie) music fills a space left by rock and pop music. With the punk movement came a formation of a new style of music, new bands, and independent music labels generally ran from backyard operations. One of the pioneering bands fo...

Australian animation is internationally recognised, Leisure (1976), Harvey Krumpet (2003) and Happy Feet (2006) have all won Oscars. Leisure employs cell style animation, Harvey Krumpet is made using the method of stop-motion claymation and Happy Feet fe...

A wide variety of Australian fashion textiles - hand-coloured, printed and painted silks, woven wool, dyed discharge and devore prints, ground velvets, and ochred designs based on traditional Aboriginal body paintings have all contributed to the definitio...