Unique Australian Icons: How to See and Cherish Aussie Culture
Brim grain silo art mural in Brim in Victoria, Australia.
There are many unique and famous Australian icons that have been associated with Aussie culture. But how relevant are popular Aussie icons of the past to the fast changing demographics of Australian society and Australia’s place in an ever evolving world? After photographing famous Aussie icons I began to think on these questions and the relevance these icons hold to Aussie culture in our contemporary world.
Australian icons such as farmers, sportsmen and sportswomen, musicians, designers, actors, architecture, food, flora and fauna are all worth celebrating. By taking the time to study Aussie icons we can better appreciate our history, our unique Aussie Culture and, ultimately, our place in the world.
Brim: Iconic Australian Silo Art Site
I photographed this spectacular silo art mural, painted by artist Guido Van Helten, in the tiny town of Brim in the Wimmera region of Victoria in rural Australia.
The mural celebrates the contributions made to this country by hard working farmers and points to the value of family and mateship in Australian culture.
Created in 2016, the Brim Silo project was the first silo artwork to appear in the state of Victoria. Painted onto a set of 30 meter high decommissioned grain silos, the mural aims to uncover the essence underpinning many of the social issues existing in regional towns across Australia.
I love the use of earthy colors and the quiet, intimate moment explored in the artwork.
I consider this particular artwork to be a classic as it so poignantly portrays the unique, laconic Aussie spirit that I grew up with in rural Australia.
It’s a spirit that still exists today, particularly in the colorful, hard working characters found right across rural Australia.
However, what it is to be an Australian is not what it was in days gone by. That is to say, it’s more complex than it used to be. And that’s as it should be. The demographics of this country are radically different to what they were just a few decades ago.
The same is true for our economy, and in the way we entertain ourselves and communicate with each other.
Needless to say we are an ever more connected and, yet, more fractured society.
We seek experience and engagement, yet many folk are in desperate need of a more purpose driven, meaning rich existence.
I’m of the belief that, while travel is probably the best education one can have in life, wonderful experiences and deeper levels of engagement exist all around us.
We simply need to get off social media and streaming services, which provide largely passive user experiences, get out and about in the light and the fresh air, and more deeply engage with the people and environment surrounding us.
What is the National Icon of Australia?
The golden wattle, Australia’s floral emblem, originated in South Australia and is regarded as the Icon of Australia. It was officially proclaimed the national floral emblem in 1988, the year of Australia’s bicentenary.
In 1992 September 1 was formally declared National Wattle Day by the Minister for the Environment, Mrs Ros Kelly.
The fast growing golden wattle (Acacia pycnantha) grows from 2 to 10 metres in height. Appearing in late winter and spring, it’s many golden flowers have a fragrant aroma, which can be used to make perfume, and a bright yellow hue, making this a particularly appealing floral emblem.
It should be no surprise then that his lovely tree with it’s yellow, ball shaped flowers features prominently on Australia’s Coat of Arms.
Unofficial Australian National Icons
The number of unofficial Australian national icons is significant and diverse, encompassing people, places, architecture, flora and fauna from states and territories across our great country.
Popular people that have become regarded as Aussie national icons include the following:
Kylie Minogue
A hugely successful singer and cultural icon, Kylie Minogue has also become famous for her costumes and music videos.
Steve Irwin
Wildlife advocate and entrepeneur Steve Irwin’s TV show successfully brought wildlife from Australia and abroad into our lounge rooms.
Paul Hogan
The quintessential Aussie larrikin, Paul Hogan introduced Australia to the world through his Crocodile Dundee movie franchise.
In addition to the above mentioned Aussie icons, Australia also has a number of significant architectural sites that are commonly considered to be national icons.
Sydney Opera House
Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the Sydney Opera House was formerly opened in 1973. Considered to be one of the 20 century’s mot iconic buildings and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site the Sydney Opera House is a stunning site to behold.
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and Sydney Harbour are widely considered to represent the most iconic view of Sydney and, at the same time, to be symbolic of Australia itself.
Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne
Completed in 1880 to host the 1880-1881 Melbourne International Exhibition, the Royal Exhibition Building was the very first building in Australia to be awarded UNESCO World Heritage status.
Shrine of Remembrance, Melbourne
Constructed during the 1930’s, the Shrine of Remembrance is a memorial originally dedicated to servicemen and women from the state of Victoria who served in WWI. Over the years the shrine has come to function as a memorial to all Australians who have served in any war.
Based upon the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, a tomb built between 353 and 351 BCE in Halicarnassus, now known as Bodrum in present day Turkey). Interestingly, he Parthenon in Athens also influenced the design of Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance.
Queen Victoria Building, Sydney
Built in 1898 and characteristic of late 19th-century Romanesque architecture, the huge Queen Victoria Building has served many purposes including produce market, police station and Magistrate’s Court.
Parliament House, Canberra
Opened to the public by Queen Elizabeth II on 9 May 1988, Australia’s Parliament House is a visually striking site that includes 4,700 rooms.
A popular tourist attraction, it’s possible to tour both the current and former Parliament House buildings in the nation’s capital, Canberra.
Eureka Tower, Melbourne
At 975 feet or 297 metres in height, Eureka Tower is one of Australia’s tallest buildings.
I worked across the road from Eureka Tower during it’s construction, which was finally completed in 2006. It’s a beautiful example of a modern city skyscraper and, surprisingly, photographs well from a variety of distances and angles.
Queensland Number One, commonly known as Q1
At 1,058 feet or 322 metres high, Q1 is officially regarded as Australia’s tallest building. It also happens to be the seventh tallest residential bulding in the world.
Inspired by the Sydney 2000 Olympic Torch, Q1 offers both long term and casual accommodation options. I stayed there a number of years ago, when attending a conference, and enjoyed photographing Surface Paradise from my extensive balcony.
Symbols that are Iconically Australian
Some of this country’s most iconic symbols include the following:
Australian National Flag
Commonwealth Coat of Arms
Golden Wattle, Australia’s floral emblem
Australian opal, regarded as the best in the world.
Advance Australia Fair, Australia’s National Anthem
Vegemite, the nation’s favorite food spread.
The colors green and gold which are worn by national sporting teams and also appear on the famous Boxing Kangaroo flag.
Ned Kelly lookalike in the town of Chewton, Australia.
Hail, The Aussie Larrikin: The Quintessential Aussie Icon
We are, in the main, a country of migrants with indigenous peoples very much in the minority and, all too often, disadvantaged and under represented in civil and political discourse.
Australian’s live in cities and towns but, despite the ravages of political correctness, an element of the Aussie larrikin prevails.
It's that peculiar trait that allows us to punch above our weight in sport, politics and, I’d like to think, through the provision of financial assistance to the less privileged around our world.
(Though of course we can and should do more).
The notion of a fair go has been a part of what it is to be Australian for a very long time. It’s why we stand up to bullies and back our friends, both at home and in conflicts abroad.
Bushranger Ned Kelly became famous not just for the brutality of the murders he committed, nor for the armour he wore in his last gunfight against police. Kelly is also famous for the way he stood up and fought against the injustice that the legal system placed upon him and his family.
As such he represents the underdog in our society, and Australian’s love to support the underdog. Particularly one who ‘has a go’.
We are a loyal people. And that's why I pray that very particular and quite peculiar part of our national character, the larrikin, remains with us, long into the future.
Four time world boxing champion Kostya Tszyu in Melbourne, Australia.
Australian Sporting Icons
I had a lot of fun photographing four time world boxing champion Kostya Tszyu in Melbourne, Australia.
Kostya was super easy to get along with and, given the fact that I only had a few minutes to work with him, I was really happy with the photos that resulted.
As you can see I opted for a muted color palette for this image, pulling out most of the color from Kostya’s skin and amplifying the cool bluish skylight light reflecting onto his leather jacket and throughout the background.
Aussie Rules Football, or AFL, is certainly a unique an iconic sport and, over the years, Aussie sports stars, across many sports and codes, have reached the status of icon.
Here’s a few names you might remember.
Tennis
Rod Laver
John Newcombe
Ken Rosewell
Cricket
Don Bradman
Shane Warne
Dennis Lillee
Geoff Thompson
Ian and Greg Chapelle
Adam Gilchrist
Mathew Hayden
Swimming
Ian Thorpe
Dawn Frasier
Emma McKeon
Murray Rose
Cate Campbell
Shane Gould
Incidentally, I had the great pleasure to work with Ian Thorpe a number of years ago while working as a stills photographer on a documentary movie Ian hosted for Foxtel in Australia titled ‘Fish Out of Water’.
Thorpie was great to work with and I really appreciated his friendly nature and the professionalism with which he approached his role.
Golf
Greg Norman
Peter Thomson
Adam Scott
Jan Stephenson
Surfing
Layne Beachley
Mick Fanning
Stephanie Gilmour
Sally Fitzgibbons
Boxing
Jeff Fenech
Kostya Tszyu
Lion Rose
Athletics
Cathy Freeman
Betty Cuthbert
Shirley Strickland
Herb Elliott
Victorian Football League/Australian Football League (VFL/AFL)
Ron Barassi
Ted Whitten
Hayden Bunting
Bob Rose
Gary Abblet sen
‘Plugger’ Lockett
A very long time ago, probably around 1994, I received a call from VFL/AFL legend Ron Barassi. I was working at Kodak (Australasia) Pty Ltd at the time in the Photo Information and ProPassport department call centre.
Without introducing himself Ron enthusiastically launched into a long-winded spiel about how it would be good for Kodak to contribute to the establishment or redecorating of a room in a hotel he owned in Melbourne, Australia.
I figured Ron was most likely wanting us to pay for the cost of printing and, possibly, framing historical VFL/AFL photos and other associated memorabilia.
After a few minutes I interrupted and asked who I was speaking with.
He answered, quite forcefully, Ron Dale Barassi.
It’s possible the call had been put through to me after Ron had delivered his proposal to a number of other people at Kodak.
Ron then asked which team I barracked for. When I said Collingwood he replied, “That’d be right”.
Ron’s frustration was evident in the tone of his voice, so I did what I could to help.
Frankly I wasn’t a fan, though I recognized he was one of the games greats, being a champion player and coach winning 10 grand finals in a truly illustrious career from 1953 till 1995.
Prior to putting Ron through to someone who would be in a position to help, I suggested to Ron that he be a little more specific as to how Kodak would actually benefit from such an arrangement.
Rugby League
Wally Lewis
Andrew Johns
Arthur Beetson
Darren Lockyer
Brad Fittler
Johnathan Thurston
Rugby Union
John Eales
David Campese
Mark Ella
Michael Lynagh
Michael Hooper
Tim Horan
Basketball players
Luc Longley
Lauren Jackson
Andrew Gaze
Andrew Bogut
Formula One Racing
Jack Brabham
Alan Jones
Mark Webber
Racing Horses
Phar Lap
Black Caviar
Manikato
Might and Power
Makybe Diva
Jockeys
Roy Higgins
Damien Oliver
Jamie Kah
Iconic Australian Movies
Australia has a rich and culturally strong movie industry. Here’s just a few ground breaking films that come to mind.
Picnic At Hanging Rock
The Chant Of Jimmy Blacksmith
Muriel's Wedding
These films have challenged our perception of ourselves and what it is to be Australian.
Icons of Australian TV
Dame Edna Everage (Sir Barry Humphries)
Graeme Kennedy and Bert Newton
Norman Gunston (Garry McDonald)
Kath and Kim
The Australian Songbook
The Australian songbook is both wide and diverse. My favorite era for Aussie music is the seventies, but we’ve been well represented across the decades.
Here’s just a few classic tunes from the Australian songbook.
Pub With No Beer by Slim Dusty
Friday On My Mind by The Easybeats
The Real Thing by Russell Morris
Eagle Rock by Daddy Cool
I Was Only Nineteen by Redgum
Khe Sanh by Cold Chisel
Down Under by Men At Work
Many of those songs are uniquely Australian and, very much, of their time. But there are so many other, incredible musicians and iconic Aussie songs that have contributed to the Great Australian Songbook.
Aussie singer/songwriter Richard Clapton and rock bands like Skyhooks, Cold Chisel and Midnight Oil have celebrated and/or challenged the perception of what it is to be Australian.
Perhaps it’s that which marks their most important contribution to Australian culture and their greatest legacy.
Iconic Aussie Artists
Australia has been blessed with talented and historically significant artists. Some of our most notable include the following:
Sidney Nolan
Tom Roberts
Arthur Boyd
John Brack
Albert Namatjira
Brett Whiteley
Margaret Olley
Iconic Australian Writers
A rich and varied literary history begins with these icons of Australian literature.
Henry Lawson
Miles Franklin
Xavier Herbert
Colleen McCullough
Thomas Keneally
Richard Flanagan
Tim Winton
Germaine Greer
Patrick White
Australia’s Iconic Wildlife
Australia’s wildlife is indeed iconic. This country’s most unique wildlife offerings include the following:
Needless to say not all he wildlife you’ll find in Australia are cute and cuddly. It’s an amazing country to explore, but you do need to keep your wits about you.
I currently live directly across the road from a lake in my hometown, Hamilton in Western Victoria. It’s a pretty spot and I undertake the 4.2 km walk around the lake whenever I can.
But, this is Australia and there’s two populations of snakes living just off the trail. There’s the ubiquitous Tiger snake (Notechis scutatus), which is aggressive and poisonous, and the Copperhead (Australaps superb), not usually aggressive but, when threatened, is known to bite.
The Copperhead’s venom contains a neurotoxin and haemolytic properties.
I’m not at all backward in saying that snakes, sharks and crocodiles give me the screaming willies.
Iconic Australian sunset featuring wheat field and sheep near Mildura.
Iconic Australian Landscapes
I'm not sure if there is any one particular subject matter or scene that says Australia. More likely there are many.
The Australian landscape is varied and diverse including stunning coastal views; rainforests; the arid outback; fertile, agricultural farmland; and mineral rich reserves.
We certainly have our share of iconic landscape locations that offer incredible opportunities for photography.
Whitehaven Beach
Kakadu National Park
The above image is all about mood which is why, at this stage, I haven't done too much to clean up the uneven density of the sky.
My friend Ashley and I were nearing the end of a six hour drive from Melbourne to the regional city of Mildura on the marvelous Murray River.
As the sun began to set, we pulled the car off the road and began photographing over a farmer’s fence. The day had been extremely hot and the landscape was clearly suffering from a prolonged dry spell.
Nonetheless, photographing into the warm sunset light and seeing the sheep move in and out of the dust filled haze was exhilarating. It provided us with great photo opportunities and a climatic finish to a long day’s driving.
Notice how I cropped the photo to further concentrate attention on the flock of sheep, as they moved through the dry, dusty wheat field.
I actually quite like the imperfect nature of the photo as it provides a dream-like, pictorial look and feel to the image.
It was a beautiful scene to behold and I’m really happy with the nostalgic look that reminds me of an old faded color print from days gone by.
How to Create Your Own Iconic Photos
In fact the image also reminds me of when I used to tone black and white prints, I’d made in the darkroom, in tea. Here’s how I’d go about doing that.
Get an old black and white photo, from the day’s of film based photography, with which you’re happy to experiment. (Just remember, it won’t be the same when you’ve finished this process).
Make a cup of black tea, which we can refer to as a liquid concentrate.
Dilute it with water so that it half fills a shallow tray or container at around 68 degrees Fahrenheit or 20 degrees Celsius. We can refer to this more diluted form of our tea as the working strength solution.
Immerse the print into the solution and gentle rock the tray or container, backwards and forwards, to ensure the solution is continually moving over the print’s surface.
After a few minutes you should end up with a black and white print that displays a warm, orange color.
Basically, the process you’ve undertaken is to stain the photographic paper with the tea. You’ll notice this staining is particularly evident if the print is surrounded by a white border.
By further diluting the brewed tea into a working strength solution you’ve obviously weakened its strength. This will give you the time you’ll need to more evenly coat the surface of the paper and to control the degree of toning (i.e., color change) you desire.
In any case, don’t forget to continually move the solution over the surface of the paper to help ensure even coverage and a more pleasing (i.e., non-blotchy) result.
Gravestone, Christian cross and rainbow at Lake Bolac Cemetery in Victoria, Australia.
Icons of the Future and Our Nations Identity
In this country, while most of us live in cities on or near the coast, we tend to revere farmers, graziers and rural folk.
After all, the wealth of this country was built initially on gold, then wool and, more recently, on mining.
Minerals such as iron ore and coal have made substantial contributions to our economy. But coal is hardly a sexy commodity these days and I live in hope that we’ll move to a sustainable, energy efficient model based upon clean and green alternatives.
Sun, wind and waves, we have it all.
We need governments to get out of the way and provide the confidence and incentives for these green, world saving industries to thrive.
And, no, I don’t want to see wind turbines on top of Uluru or on The Twelve Apostles along Australia’s Great Ocean Road. Nor do I think it’s right to have large concentrations of wind turbines or solar on prime agricultural land.
Australia is a huge country. However, over recent years, government policy has resulted in a dramatic increase in migration, placing significant demands on affordable housing and transport.
To accomodate a significantly larger population we need to speed up our transition to sustainable energy. But that comes with huge investment in technology, training and infrastructure.
And we need to find a balance when it comes to protecting prime agricultural regions and situating sustainable green power generation in areas that are appropriate (e.g., where the sun shines or the wind blows) and positioned close to our current electricity transmission grid.
If that’s not possible, then we’ll need to get cracking and build these solar and wind turbine plants in more remote parts of the country and find an affordable means of transmission to get the power that’s generated into homes and business around the country.
Politicians Playing Tall Poppy Syndrome
Elon Musk answered a challenge to support critical power supply issues by installing, what was then, the world’s largest battery in South Australia.
And for his efforts he was ridiculed, for short term political advantage, by our national leaders.
What a disgrace!
The perception is that much of our relative wealth has come from the land and the farmer/grazier, like the American cowboy or the Icelandic Fisherman, has been elevated to near icon status in this country.
It’s probably for this reason that farmers feature so heavily in commercials that promote potentially controversial projects undertaken by large mining and oil companies.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m fully supportive of Australian farmers and rural communities, and the value they provide to our country, both economically and culturally.
I’m also happy for the hard working and long suffering Aussie farmer to remain high on the totem pole of unique Aussie icons.
But I’m of the belief that, together with the grain silo and the Merino sheep, that there’s a place for green energy symbols on that pole as well.
Fine, they’re not unique to Australia, but if we invest the right amount of time, talent and money into it, we may well create new icons that are uniquely Australian.
Think of the Hills Hoist, a rotary clothesline developed by World War II veteran, Lance Hill, in Adelaide during 1945. This method of drying clothes, via wind and sunlight, spread right across the world.
What we need is one or more green energy equivalents of the Hills Hoist for the 21st Century.
Iconic Australian Photos
As far as photography is concerned SunBaker by Max Dupain is perhaps the most iconic Australian photograph.
However, like so many other icons, it promotes a certain myth.
Take the lifesaver as a case in point. While a valued and potentially heroic figure, the Aussie lifesaver represents a very small component of the Australian population.
The average Aussie is neither a digger, a lifesaver nor a surfer. We are an extremely diverse bunch of individuals living in a multicultural society, mostly in large cities along the Australian seaboard, in a very ancient land.
Ethnic and religious diversity, underpinned by common goals and aspirations are at the heart of what it is to be an Australian. The notion of a fair go, of treating people with dignity and compassion has long been a part of our national identity. And it needs to remain so into the future.
Statues and red flowers at the Shrine Of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia.
Religious Icons and the Loss Of Myth
With the coming of science, particularly from the Renaissance onwards, the role of religion, for better or for worse, has diminished over the centuries.
As more and more people perceive the world around them via the accumulation of fact and rational conclusions, much of the mystery associated with religion and myth has been lost to us.
It's my belief that photography and nature can provide us with a link back to a simpler understanding of our world and our place and purpose within it.
After all, how can we truly understand or know something without first experiencing it.
While there are plenty of locations that scream Australia, perhaps it's your own unique understanding of the location that will allow you to make a truly iconic Australian photograph.
Just remember that, when it comes to telling a story that expresses the unique nature of that landscape, you must first experience it. And that’s true, where ever you live.
So, get up and get out, into the light and into the fresh air. Enjoy our natural world and immerse yourself in the country, culture and subculture in which you were born and/or have migrated into.
You’ll find that paying respect to local icons is a great way to start your journey and, in doing so, find your own place in this world.
