Culture of Australia

Uncommon card · No. 152845

Australian culture is of primarily Western origins, and is derived from its British, Indigenous and migrant components. Aboriginal Australians arrived as early as 60,000 years ago, and evidence of Aboriginal art in Australia dates back at least 30,000 years. Spiritual beliefs endure among Aboriginal peoples. Torres Strait Islanders, another indigenous group, have their own cultural traditions. The British colonisation of Australia began in 1787 and waves of multi-ethnic, primarily Anglo-Celtic, migration followed shortly thereafter. Several states and territories had their origins as penal colonies, with this convict heritage having an enduring effect on Australian music, cinema and literature. Manifestations of British colonial heritage in Australia include the primacy of the English language and Western Christianity, the institution of constitutional monarchy, a Westminster-style system of democratic parliamentary government, and Australia's inclusion within the Commonwealth of Nations...

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