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The cultural diversities in Australia can well be traced back to centuries ago, when human settlement first began in the region. Australia is known for its unique blend of the modern and the traditional, the native and the western influences, the old and the new, the folk and the cosmopolitan, reflected best in the art & history of Australia. It represents a melting pot, which has for centuries, invited people from the world over.
History of Australia
The history of Australia can be traced back to almost 40,000 years ago, when aboriginals from south east Asia landed in what was to be called Australia. The number of these natives was considerable, with as many as million surviving the European settlement in Australia in the 17th century.
Today, there are as many as 350,000 Aborigines living in Australia currently. Since then, it has invited people of different communities, including the Dutch, the Spanish and the Portuguese, among others. The British had also begun to arrive to the land of Australia. However, it was only in 1770, with the arrival of Captain James Cook, that the land was first claimed by the British.
In 1788, the first fleet of eleven ships landed in Australia, most of the occupants being British convicts, both men and women, along with necessary supplies. It was in the 19th century that the six colonies were created in Australia. Over the decades, Australia developed to draw many immigrants from the world over, many from Great Britain, China, North America and Ireland, among others. While most came in search of economic opportunities, others cane in search of the gold rush, especially during the 1850s.
In 1901 was for formed the Commonwealth of Australia under the British domination, with Canberra as the capital of the same, till 1927. The federal tiers were combined with a parliamentary constitution and more liberal laws, directed toward democracy and development of people.
Australia played a major role in both the World Wars, when in the first World war, it participated under Great Britain, while in the second World War it had leanings more toward the United States. Post World War II, Australian history saw an influx of Asian immigrants, and especially, Chinese population, adding to the diverse ethnic backgrounds of the country, which had been predominantly Irish and British. Today, this diversity is well reflected on the art & history of Australia.
Thus, the art & history of Australia is a blend of the Aborigines culture and European influences. This multicultural impact can also be seen in the fine arts, which developed with the immigration. The breathtaking beauty of the Australian landscape has captured the imagination of many artists, with some of the most noted ones being John Lewin, Sydney Parkinson and Charles-Alexandre Lesueur.
Australian Aborigine Art
Australian Aborigine art is considered one of its kind and the oldest known form of folk art in the world. But the basic art scene has drawn inspiration from the Heidelberg School, with some of the popular artists of this School being Charles Conder, Frederick McCubbin and Tom Roberts, among others. Today, there are many forms of art, which are a blend of the Aboriginal art form and modern forms.
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