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Symbols of Australia: Imagining a Nation
Author(s): Melissa Harper (editor) & Richard White (editor) (Author)
- Publisher: NewSouth Publishing
- Publication Date: 30 Nov. 2021
- Language: English
- Print length: 416 pages
- ISBN-10: 1742237126
- ISBN-13: 9781742237121
Book Description
They also challenge some long-held myths – what flag did Anzacs fight under? Who invented the pavlova? Where did the lifesaver come from? How rational is the fear of sharks? How revered was the baggy green?
Entertaining, provocative, informative, and often surprising,
Symbols of Australia reveals a great deal about the ways nations are imagined – and how they imagine themselves.Editorial Reviews
Review
‘Humorous, insightful and profound, this book is a thought-provoking survey of twenty-eight of Australia’s best-known and most significant symbols. Entries range from Indigenous symbols that resonate with meaning, such as the Rainbow Serpent or Uluru, to animals and the natural world, official symbols, cultural practices, and commercial items of consumption. Most importantly, it showcases the agency of ordinary Australians and the role of popular culture in forging national identity.’ –Associate Professor Hsu-Ming Teo, Macquarie University
‘If the nation is imagined, the business of creating its meaningful symbols gives us the very essence of its history. The star-studded cast of Symbols of Australia takes us on a fascinating tour among kangaroos and pavlovas, baggy green caps and rainbow serpents, Holden cars and vegemite jars — and much more besides. On this splendid journey across desert and beach, reef and harbour, city and bush, we see and hear the nation in its full dignity, diversity and dagginess.’ –Frank Bongiorno, Professor of History, Australian National University
‘Just when we most need it, a lively reassessment of the symbols that define us and their commercial and political exploitation. A mixture of scholarly ease and irreverent playfulness that also defines us.’ –David Malouf, award-winning Australian writer
‘This book is a fascinating look at the symbols that have been used to define and represent our nation. At a time when Australian identity is so contested, Symbols of Australia provides invaluable insight and context, overturning long-held assumptions and rattling revered icons. Symbols of Australia will make you re-think who we are, and where we came from. Even better, it’s a bloody good read.’ –Monica Dux, writer, columnist, and social commentator
About the Author
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