Arts in Australia

TheArts in Australiarefers to the visual arts, literature,performing artsand music in the area of, on the subject of, or by the people of theCommonwealth of Australiaand its precedingIndigenousand colonial societies.Indigenous Australian art,musicand story telling attaches to a 40–60,000-year heritage and continues to affect the broader arts andculture of Australia.During its earlywesternhistory, Australia was a collection of British colonies, therefore, itsliterary,visualandtheatricaltraditions began with strong links to the broader traditions ofEnglishandIrish literature,British artandEnglishandCeltic music.However, the works of Australian artists – including Indigenous as well asAnglo-Celticandmulticulturalmigrant Australians – has, since 1788, introduced the character of a new continent to the global arts scene – exploring such themes asAboriginality,Australian landscape, migrant and national identity, distance from other Western nations and proximity to Asia, the complexities of urban living and the "beauty and the terror" of life in theAustralian bush.

Notable Australian writers have included the Nobel laureatePatrick White,the novelistsColleen McCulloughandHenry Handel Richardsonand the bush poetsHenry LawsonandBanjo Paterson.Leading Australian performing artists have includedRobert Helpmannof theAustralian Ballet,Joan SutherlandofOpera Australiaand the humouristBarry Humphries.Prominent Australian musical artists have included theAustralian country musicsingerSlim Dusty,rising starCody Simpson,folk-rockerPaul Kelly,"pop princess"Kylie Minogueandrock n rollbands theBee Gees,AC/DC,INXSandPowderfinger.Quintessentially Australian art styles include theHeidelberg SchooltheHermannsburg Schooland theWestern Desert Art Movement.

Australian cinemahas a long tradition with a body of work producing popular classics such asCrocodile DundeeandThe Man From Snowy River,andarthousesuccesses such asPicnic at Hanging RockandTen Canoes.Prominent Australian trained filmed artists includeErrol Flynn,Mel Gibson,Nicole Kidman,Russell CroweandCate Blanchett.

Notable institutions for the arts include theUNESCOlistedSydney Opera House,theNational Gallery of Victoria,theNational Gallery of AustraliainCanberraand theNational Institute of Dramatic Artin Sydney.

Overview

Thebush balladeerBanjo PatersonwroteWaltzing Matildain 1895.

Sydney Opera House

The arts in Australia, including the fields ofcinema,music,visual arts,theatre,danceand crafts often reflect general trends in Western arts. However, the arts as practiced byindigenous Australiansrepresent a unique Australian cultural tradition, and Australia's landscape and history have contributed to some unique variations in the styles inherited by Australia's various migrant communities.

At the close of the 19th century, the painters of theHeidelberg Schoolbegan to capture the unique colours of theAustralian bush,famed writersHenry LawsonandBanjo Patersonpresented conflicting views of the harshness and romance of life in Australia, and performing artists like opera singer DameNellie Melbamade a mark internationally in classical European culture. During the 20th century, writers and performers likeC J Dennis,Barry HumphriesandPaul Hoganboth mocked and celebrated Australian cultural stereotypes, while shifting demographics saw a diversification of artistic output, with writers like feministGermaine Greerchallenging traditional cultural norms.

Australia's capital cities each support traditional "high culture"institutions in the form of major art galleries, ballet troupes, theatres, symphony orchestras, opera houses and dance companies. Leading Australian performers in these fields have included the opera DamesNellie MelbaandJoan Sutherland,dancersEdouard BorovanskyandSir Robert Helpmann,and choreographer/dancers such asGraeme MurphyandMeryl Tankard.Opera Australiais based in Sydney at the world-renownedSydney Opera House.TheAustralian Ballet,MelbourneandSydneysymphony orchestras are also well regarded cultural institutions.

Organisations such as theSydney Theatre CompanyandNational Institute of Dramatic Arthave fostered students of theatre, film, and television several of whom have continued to international success, with actors likeCate BlanchettandGeoffrey Rushhaving been associated with both institutions.

Independent culture thrives in all capital cities and exists in most large regional towns. The independent arts ofmusic,film,artandstreet artare the most extensive.Melbourne's independent music scene, is one of the largest in the world, whilst another can be found in the multitude of international street artists visiting Melbourne and, to a lesser extent, other major cities, to work for a period of time. As of February 2015, Arts and recreation services was the strongest industry in Australia by total number of employed persons growing by 20.59% since the same time in 2013.

Visual arts

Painting, drawing and sculpture

"The Australian Native", byTom Roberts,1888

The large crowd at the 2006Bondi BeachSculpture by the Sea

Main article:Visual arts of Australia

See also:Indigenous Australian art

The visual arts have a long history in Australia, dating back around 30,000 years, and examples of ancient Aboriginalrock artcan be found throughout the continent, notably in national parks such as theUNESCO-listed sites atUluruandKakadu National Parkin theNorthern Territory,and also within protected parks in urban areas such asKu-ring-gai Chase National ParkinSydney.In the mid-twentieth century, the landscape paintings ofAlbert Namatjirawere popular and received national and international acclaim.Since the 1970s,contemporary Indigenous Australian artistshave used acrylic paints in styles such as that of theWestern Desert Art Movement,which leading criticRobert Hughessaw as "the last great art movement of the 20th century".Art is important both culturally and economically to Indigenous society; art criticSasha Grishinconcluded that central Australian Indigenous communities have "the highest per capita concentrations of artists anywhere in the world".Contemporary artists whose work has been exhibited internationally such as at theVenice Biennale,includeRover ThomasandEmily Kngwarreye,while designs were commissioned from several nationally recognised artists in 2006 for the newMusée du quai Branlybuildings. The artists includedPaddy Bedford,John Mawurndjul,Ningura Napurrula,Lena Nyadbi,Michael Riley,Judy Watson,Tommy WatsonandGulumbu Yunupingu.

Following the arrival of permanent European settlement in Australia in 1788, the story of early Australian painting has been describedas requiring of artists a shift from a "European sense of light" to an "Australian sense of light". The origins of distinctly Australian painting is often associated with theHeidelberg Schoolof the 1880s–1890s. Artists such asArthur Streeton,Frederick McCubbinandTom Robertsapplied themselves to recreating in their art a truer sense of light and colour as seen in the Australian landscape. Like the European Impressionists, they painted in the open air. These artists found inspiration in the unique light and colour which characterises theAustralian bush.

Among the first Australian artists to gain a reputation overseas was the impressionistJohn Russellduring the 1880s. Another notable expatriate artist of the era wasRupert Bunny,a painter of landscape, allegory and sensual and intimate portraits.Ernst William Christmasalso made a name internationally.

Among the principal Australian artists of the 20th century are thesurrealistsSidney Nolan,Arthur BoydandRussell Drysdale,theavant-gardeBrett Whiteley,the painter/sculptorsWilliam DobellandNorman Lindsay,the landscapistsEmily Kame Kngwarreye,Albert NamatjiraandLloyd Rees,andmodernistphotographerMax Dupain.Each has helped to define the unique character of the visual arts in Australia.

Modernism arrived in Australia early in the 20th century. Among the earliest exponents wereGrace Cossington SmithandMargaret Preston.HumoristBarry Humphrieshas been a provocative exponent ofdadaismin Australia.

Popular with the general community have beenKen Done,best known for his design work,Pro HartandRolf Harris,a British/Australian living in the UK who is popular as a musician, composer, painter and television host.Ricky Swallow,Patricia Piccinini,Susan Norrie,Callum Morton,Rover ThomasandEmily Kame Kngwarreyehave all represented Australians at theVenice Biennaleusing the traditional mediums of sculpture, photography and painting while instilling them with a renewed vigour. A new generation of Aboriginal artists, while not rejecting the culture of the past, endeavour to move the artistic dialogue forward, includingGordon Bennett,Rosella Namok,Richard BellandJulie Dowling.

In recent years the art market has been democratised and art is judged on its merits rather than snobbery. A cohort of male artists aged under fifty (Dane Lovett,Adam Cullen,Ben Quilty,Anthony Bennett,Simon Cuthbert,Rhys Lee,Ben Frost andAlasdair McIntyre) have an expressive style and use humour in their work.

In additionstreet artis also a prominent feature in major cities such asMelbourneandSydney.Though there is some debate over the legality, some councils have expressed greater recognition of the urban art movement.

Australia has a number of notable museums and galleries, including theNational Gallery of VictoriainMelbourne,theNational Gallery of Australia,National Portrait Gallery of AustraliaandNational Museum of Australiain Canberra, and theArt Gallery of New South Walesin Sydney.

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  Aboriginal Rock Art, Ubirr Art Site,Kakadu National Park
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  A holiday at Mentone1888 byCharles Conderof theHeidelberg School
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  Down on His Luck1889 byFrederick McCubbinof theHeidelberg School
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  Sunbaker(1937) an iconic photograph byMax Dupain

Cinema, TV and video games

Main article:Cinema of Australia

Main article:Television in Australia

Main article:Video games in Australia

Errol Flynnc. 1940.

Australia has a long history of film production. Australia's first dedicated film studio, theLimelight Department,was created byThe Salvation Armyin Melbourne in 1898, and is believed to have been the world's first.The world's first feature-length film was the Australian productionThe Story of the Kelly Gangof 1906.After such early successes, Australian cinema suffered from the rise ofHollywood.

Nicole Kidman,star ofDead Calm

Geoffrey Rush,star ofShine

In 1933,In the Wake of the Bountywas directed byCharles Chauvel,who cast Tasmanian-bornErrol Flynnas the leading actor.Flynn went on to a celebrated career in Hollywood. Chauvel directed a number of successful Australian films, the last being 1955'sJedda,which was notable for being the first Australian film to be shot in colour, and the first to feature Aboriginal actors in lead roles and to be entered at the Cannes Film Festival.It was not until 2006 andRolf de Heer'sTen Canoesthat a major feature-length drama was shot in an indigenous language.

The first Australian Oscar was won by 1942'sKokoda Front Line!,directed byKen G. Hall.

Television broadcasting began in Australia in 1956. The majority of locally produced content was broadcast live-to-air, with very little local programming from these first few years of Australian TV broadcasting recorded. Notable early arts programs wereBandstand,hosted by Brian Henderson;Six O'Clock Rock,hosted by Johnny O'Keefe and the first Australian serial drama,Autumn Affair.A TV seriesThe Adventures of Long John Silverwas made in Sydney for the American and British market; it was shown on the ABC in 1958.

During the late 1960s and 1970s an influx of government funding saw the development of a new generation of filmmakers telling distinctively Australian stories, including directorsPeter Weir,George MillerandBruce Beresford.Films such asPicnic at Hanging Rock(1975) andSunday Too Far Away(1975) had an immediate international impact. The 1980s is often regardedas a golden age of Australian cinema, with many successful films, from the historical drama ofGallipoli(1981) to the dark science fiction of theMad Maxsequels (1981–85), the romantic adventure ofThe Man From Snowy River(1982) or the comedy ofCrocodile Dundee(1986).

In 1982, the first Australian game development studios to achieve global success, Melbourne House (nowKrome Studios Melbourne) publisherd a text adventure adaption of The Hobbit for the ZX Spectrum. Other early game development studios in Australia includeStrategic Studies Group,who developedReach for the Starsin 1983, and Micro Forté, founded in 1985.

A major theme of Australian cinema has been survival in the harsh Australian landscape. A number of thrillers and horror films dubbed "outback gothic" have been created, includingWake in Fright,Walkabout(1971),The Cars That Ate Paris(1974) andPicnic at Hanging Rock(1975),Razorback(1984) andShame(1988) in the 1980s, andJapanese Story(2003),The Proposition(2005) and the world-renownedWolf Creek(2006) in the 21st century. These films depict the Australian outback and its wilderness and creatures as deadly, and its people as outcasts and psychopaths disconnected to modern urban Australia. These are combined with futuristic post-apocalyptic themes in theMad Maxseries.

The 1990s saw a run of successful comedies such asStrictly Ballroom(1992),Muriel's Wedding(1994) andThe Castle(1996), which helped launch the careers ofToni Collette,P. J. Hogan,Eric BanaandBaz Luhrmann.This group was joined in Hollywood by actors includingRussell Crowe,Cate BlanchettandHeath Ledgerwho also rose to international prominence.

The domestic film industry continues to produce a reasonablenumber of films each year. The industry is also supported by US producers who produce in Australia following the decision by Fox headRupert Murdochto utilise new studios in Melbourne and Sydney where filming could be completed well below US costs. Notable productions includeThe Matrix,Star WarsepisodesIIandIII,andAustraliastarringNicole KidmanandHugh Jackman.

Flinders Street entrance to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image

TheAustralian Centre for the Moving Imagein Melbourne is Australia's national museum of film,video games,digital culture and art. During the 2015–16 financial year, 1.45 million people visited ACMI, making it the most visited moving image museum in the world.

Literature

Main article:Australian literature

Henry Lawson

Australian writers who have obtained international renown include theNobel winningauthorPatrick White,as well as authorsPeter Carey,Thomas Keneally,Colleen McCullough,Nevil ShuteandMorris West.Notable contemporary expatriate authors include the feministGermaine Greer,art historianRobert Hughesand humoristsBarry HumphriesandClive James.

Dorothea McKellar

The Magic PuddingbyNorman Lindsay

Among the important authors of classic Australian works are the poetsHenry Lawson,Banjo Paterson,C J DennisandDorothea McKellar.Dennis wrote in the Australian vernacular, while McKellar wrote the iconic patriotic poemMy Country.At one point, Lawson and Paterson contributed a series of verses toThe Bulletinmagazine in which they engaged in a literary debate about the nature of life in Australia. Lawson said Paterson was a romantic and Paterson said Lawson was full of doom and gloom.Lawson is widely regarded as one of Australia's greatest writers of short stories, while Paterson's poemsThe Man From Snowy RiverandClancy of the Overflowremain amongst the most popular Australian bush poems. Significant political poets of the 20th century included DameMary GilmoreandJudith Wright.Among the best known contemporary poets areLes MurrayandBruce Dawe.

Novelists of classic Australian works includeMarcus Clarke(For the Term of His Natural Life),Henry Handel Richardson(The Fortunes of Richard Mahony),Joseph Furphy(Such Is Life),Miles Franklin(My Brilliant Career) andRuth Park(The Harp in the South). In terms of children's literature,Norman Lindsay(The Magic Pudding) andMay Gibbs(Snugglepot and Cuddlepie) are among the Australian classics, while eminent Australian playwrights have includedSteele Rudd,David Williamson,Alan SeymourandNick Enright.

Although historically only a small proportion of Australia's population have lived outside the major cities, many of Australia's most distinctive stories and legends originate in theoutback,in thedroversand squatters and people of the barren, dusty plains.

Contemporary works dealing with the migrant experience includeMelina Marchetta'sLooking for AlibrandiandAnh Do's memoirThe Happiest Refugee,which won the Indie Book of the Year Award for 2011 and tells the story of his experience as a Vietnamese refugee travelling to and growing up in Australia.

David Unaiponis known as the first indigenous author.Oodgeroo Noonuccalwas the firstAboriginal Australianto publish a book of verse.A significant contemporary account of the experiences of Indigenous Australia can be found inSally Morgan'sMy Place.

Charles Bean(The Story of Anzac: From the Outbreak of War to the End of the First Phase of the Gallipoli Campaign 4 May 1915, 1921)Geoffrey Blainey(The Tyranny of Distance,1966),Robert Hughes(The Fatal Shore,1987),Manning Clark(A History of Australia,1962–87), andMarcia Langton(First Australians,2008) are authors of important Australian histories.

Performing arts

Main article:Performing arts in Australia

Dance

Main article:Dance in Australia

Indigenous dance

Australian Aboriginaldancers in 1981.

SirRobert Helpmann.

TraditionalAboriginal Australiandance is closely associated with song and designed to make present the reality of theDreamtime.In some instances, the dances imitate the actions of a particular animal in the process of telling a story. Traditional ritual performances define roles, responsibilities and country, giving an understanding of people's relationship with social, geographical and environmental forces. Performances may be associated with specific sacred places. Body decoration and specific gestures related to kin and other relationships (such as to Dreamtime beings with which individuals and groups). For a number of Aboriginal Australian groups, their dances are secret and or sacred, gender could also be an important factor in some ceremonies with men and women having separate ceremonial traditions.

Acorroboree,a generic word for a meeting of Australian Aboriginal peoples often including dance as well as elements ofsacred ceremonyand/or celebration, has been incorporated into the English language and used to explain a practice that is different from ceremony and more widely inclusive than theatre or opera.

In the latter part of the 20th century the influence ofIndigenous Australiandance traditions has been seen with the development ofconcert dance,particularly incontemporary dancewith theNational Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Associationproviding training to Indigenous Australians in dance, and theBangarra Dance Theatre.

Ballet

The Australian Balletis the foremostclassical balletcompany in Australia. It was founded by the English ballerina DamePeggy van Praaghin 1962 and is today recognised as one of the world's major international ballet companies. It is based in Melbourne and performs works from the classical repertoire as well as contemporary works by major Australian and international choreographers. As of 2010, it was presenting approximately 200 performances in cities and regional areas around Australia each year as well as international tours. Regular venues include: theArts Centre Melbourne,Sydney Opera House,Sydney Theatre,Adelaide Festival CentreandQueensland Performing Arts Centre.Robert Helpmannis among Australia's best known ballet dancers.

Other forms of dance

Bush dancehas developed in Australia as a form of traditional dance, drawing from English, Irish, Scottish and other European dance. Favourite dances in the community include such as the IrishCéilidh"Pride of Erin" and thequadrille"The Lancers". Locally originated dances include the "Waves of Bondi", theMelbourne ShuffleandNew Vogue.

Many immigrant communities continue their own dance traditions on a professional or amateur basis. Traditional dances from a large number of ethnic backgrounds are danced in Australia, helped by the presence of enthusiastic immigrants and their Australian-born families. It is quite common to see dances from the Baltic region, as well asScottish,Irish,Indian,IndonesianorAfrican dancebeing taught at community centres and dance schools in Australia.

Baz Luhrmann's popular 1992 filmStrictly Ballroom,starringPaul Mercuriocontributed to an increased interest in dance competition in Australia, and a number of popular dance shows includingSo You Think You Can Dancehave featured on television in recent years.

Music

Indigenous music

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupinguis a contemporary indigenous performer who sings in theYolŋu Matha languages.

Main article:Indigenous Australian music

Aboriginal song is an integral part of Aboriginal culture. The most famous feature of their music is thedidgeridoo.This wooden instrument, used amongst the Aboriginal tribes of northern Australia, makes a distinctive droning sound and its use has been adopted by a wide variety of non-Aboriginal performers.

Aboriginal musicians have turned their hand to Western popular musical forms, often to considerable commercial success. Pioneers includedLionel Rose,andJimmy Little,while notable contemporary examples includeArchie Roach,theWarumpi Band,NoKTuRNLandYothu Yindi.Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu(formerly of Yothu Yindi) has attained international success singing contemporary music in English and in the language of theYolngu.Christine Anuis a successfulTorres Strait Islandersinger.

Australian country musichas been popular among indigenous communities, with performers includingTroy Cassar-Daleyrising to national prominence.

Amongst young Australian aborigines,African-Americanand Aboriginalhip hopmusic and clothing is popular.Aboriginal bo xing champion and former professionalrugby leaguefootballerAnthony Mundineidentified US rapperTupac Shakuras a personal inspiration, after Mundine's release of his 2007 single,Platinum Ryder.

The Deadlysare an annual celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community.

Folk music and national songs

Cover to Paterson's seminal 1905 collection of bush ballads, entitledOld Bush Songs

The earlyAnglo-Celticimmigrants of the 18th and 19th centuries introduced folk ballad traditions which were adapted to Australian themes: "Bound for Botany Bay"tells of the voyage of British convicts to Sydney,"The Wild Colonial Boy"evokes the spirit of thebushrangers,and "Click Go the Shears"speaks of the life of Australian shearers. The lyrics of Australia's best-known folk song,"Waltzing Matilda",were written by the bush poetBanjo Patersonin 1895.Adopted by Australian soldiers during World War I, this song remains popular and is often sung at sporting events, including the closure of theSydney Olympicsin 2000, byAustralian country musicsingerSlim Dusty.

Other well-known singers of Australian folk music includeRolf Harris(who wrote "Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport"),John Williamson,andEric Boglewhose 1972 song "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda"is a sorrowful lament to theGallipoli Campaign.Bush danceis a traditional style of dance from Australia with strong Celtic roots, and influencedcountry music.It is generally accompanied by such instruments as thefiddle,accordion,concertinaandpercussion instruments.A well-known Bush band isThe Bushwackers.

Thenational anthemof Australia is "Advance Australia Fair":

Australians all let us rejoice,

For we are one and free;

We've golden soil and wealth for toil,

Our home is girt by sea;

Our land abounds in Nature's gifts

Of beauty rich and rare;

In history's page, let every stage

Advance Australia fair!

In joyful strains then let us sing,

Advance Australia fair!

Unofficial pop music anthems of Australia includePeter Allen's "I Still Call Australia Home"andMen at Work's "Down Under".

Classical music

DameNellie Melba(1861–1931)

The earliest Western musical influences in Australia can be traced back to two distinct sources: the first free settlers who brought with them the European classical music tradition, and the large body of convicts and sailors, who brought the traditional folk music of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The practicalities of building a colony mean that there is very little music extant from this early period although there are samples of music originating fromHobartand Sydney that date back to the early 19th century.

La Stupenda– DameJoan Sutherlandin 1975

Nellie Melba(1861–1931) travelled to Europe in 1886 to commence her international career as an opera singer. She became among the best known Australians of the period and participated in early gramophone recording and radio broadcasting.

The establishment of choral societies (c. 1850) and symphony orchestras (c. 1890) led to increased compositional activity, although many Australian classical composers attempted to work entirely within European models. A lot of works leading up to the first part of the 20th century were heavily influenced by the folk music of other countries (Percy Grainger'sCountry Gardensof 1918 being a good example of this) and a very conservative British orchestral tradition.

In the war and post-war eras, as pressure built to assert a national identity in the face of the looming superpower of the United States and the "motherland"Britain, composers looked to their surroundings for inspiration. John AntillandPeter Sculthorpebegan to incorporate elements of Aboriginal music, andRichard Mealedrew influence fromsouth-east Asia(notably using the harmonic properties of theBalineseGamelan,as had Percy Grainger in an earlier generation).

By the beginning of the 1960s, Australian classical music erupted with influences, with composers incorporating disparate elements into their work, ranging from Aboriginal and south-east Asian music and instruments, to Americanjazzandblues,to the belated discovery of European atonality and theavant-garde.Composers likeDon Banks,Don Kay,Malcolm WilliamsonandColin Brumbyepitomise this period.In recent times composers includingLiza Lim,Carl Vine,Georges Lentz,Matthew Hindson,Yitzhak Yedid,Nigel Westlake,Ross Edwards,Graeme Koehne,Elena Kats-Chernin,Richard Mills,Stuart GreenbaumandBrett Deanhave embodied the pinnacle of establishedAustralian composers.

Well-known Australian classical performers include: sopranosDame Joan Sutherland,DameJoan Hammond,Joan Carden,Yvonne Kenny,Sara MacliverandEmma Matthews;pianistsRoger Woodward,Eileen Joyce,Michael Kieran Harvey,Geoffrey Tozer,Geoffrey Douglas Madge,Leslie HowardandIan Munro;guitaristsJohn WilliamsandSlava Grigoryan;horn playerBarry Tuckwell;oboistDiana Doherty;violinistsRichard TognettiandElizabeth Wallfisch;cellistsJohn AddisonandDavid Pereira;organistChristopher Wrench;orchestras like theSydney Symphony Orchestra,theMelbourne Symphony Orchestra,theAustralian Chamber Orchestraand theAustralian Brandenburg Orchestra;and conductors SirBernard Heinze,SirCharles Mackerras,Richard Bonynge,Simone YoungandGeoffrey Simon.Indigenous performers likedidgeridooplayerWilliam Bartonand immigrant musicians like Egyptian-bornoudvirtuosoJoseph Tawadroshave stimulated interest in their own music traditions and have also collaborated with other musicians and ensembles both in Australia and internationally.

Pop and rock

TheBee Geesperforming in 1968

Kylie Minoguein 2012

Powderfingerperforming in 2007

Main article:Australian rock

Australia has produced a large variety of popular music from the internationally renowned work of theBee Gees,AC/DC,INXS,Nick Cave,Cody SimpsonorKylie Minogueto the popular local content ofJohn FarnhamorPaul Kelly.

Among the brightest stars of early Australianrock and rollwasJohnny O'Keefe,who formed a band in 1956; his hitWild Onemade him the first Australian rock'n'roller to reach the national charts.While US and British content dominated airwaves and record sales into the 1960s, local successes began to emerge – notablyThe Easybeatsand the folk-pop groupThe Seekershad significant local success and some international recognition, while the bands theBee GeesandAC/DChad their first hits in Australia before going on to international success.

The arrival of the 1961 underground movement into the mainstream in the early 1970s changed Australian music permanently.Skyhookswere far from the first people to write songs in Australia by Australians about Australia, but they were the first ones to make good money doing it. The two best-selling Australian albums made up to that time put Australian music on the map. Within a few years, the novelty had worn off and it became commonplace to hear distinctively Australian lyrics and sounds side-by-side with imports.

During the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s Australian performers continued to do well on the local and international music scenes, for exampleCold Chisel,INXS,Men at WorkandKylie Minogue,Natalie Imbruglia,Savage GardenandSilverchair.In the early 21st century, bands such asJet,Wolfmother,Eskimo Joe,Grinspoon,The Vines,The Living End,Pendulum,Delta Goodremand others were enjoying success internationally.

Domestically,John Farnhamhas remained one of Australia's best-known performers, with a career spanning over 40 years.Singer-songwriterPaul Kellywhose music style straddles folk, rock, and country has been describedas thepoet laureateof Australian music.

The national expansion ofABCyouth radio stationTriple Jduring the 1990s has increased the profile and availability of home-grown talent to listeners nationwide. Since the mid-1990s a string of successful alternative Australian acts have emerged; artists to achieve both underground (critical) and mainstream (commercial) success includeYou Am I,Grinspoon,PowderfingerandJet.

Country music

Main article:Australian country music

Country yodeller,Melinda Schneiderwith folk-rockerPaul Kelly

Australia has a long tradition ofcountry music,which has developed a style quite distinct from its US counterpart, influenced by Celtic folk ballads and the traditions of Australian bush balladeers likeHenry LawsonandBanjo Paterson.Pioneers of popular country music in Australia includedTex Mortonin the 1930s andSmoky Dawsonfrom the 1940s onward.

Olivia Newton-John.

Slim Dusty(1927–2003) was known as theKing of Australian Country Music.His successful career spanned almost six decades and his 1957 hit "A Pub With No Beer"was the biggest-selling record by an Australian to that time, the first Australian single to gogold,and the first and only 78 rpm record to be awarded a gold disc.Dusty recorded and released his one-hundredth album in the year 2000 and was given the honour of singingWaltzing Matildain the closing ceremony of theSydney 2000 Olympic Games.Dusty's wifeJoy McKeanpenned several of his most popular songs.

Other popular performers of Australian country music include:John Williamson(who wrote the iconic song "True Blue"),Lee Kernaghan,Kasey ChambersandSara Storer.In the United States, Australian country music stars includingOlivia Newton-JohnandKeith Urbanhave attained great success.

Country music has also been a particularly popular form of musical expression among the AustralianAboriginalandTorres Strait Islanderpeoples.Troy Cassar-Daleyis among Australia's successful indigenous performers.

TheTamworth Country Music Festivalis an annual country music festival held inTamworth, New South Wales.It celebrates the culture and heritage ofAustralian country music.During the festival theCountry Music Association of Australiaholds theCountry Music Awards of Australiaceremony awarding theGolden Guitartrophies.

Theatre

Main article:Theatre in Australia

The ceremonial dances ofindigenous Australianswhich recount the stories of theDreamtime,comprise theatrical aspects and have been performed since time immemorial during the 40–60,000-year Aboriginal occupation of Australia.European traditions came to Australia with theFirst Fleetin 1788, with the first production being performed in 1789 by convicts.Two centuries later, the extraordinary circumstances of the foundations of Australian theatre were recounted inOur Country's GoodbyTimberlake Wertenbaker:the participants were prisoners watched by sadistic guards and the leading lady was under threat of the death penalty.

Cate Blanchettof theSydney Theatre Company.

TheTheatre Royal, Hobart,opened in 1837 and it remains the oldest theatre in Australia.TheAustralian gold rushesbeginning in the 1850s provided funds for the construction of grand theatres in the Victorian style. A theatre was built on the present site of Melbourne'sPrincess Theatrein 1854. The present building now hosts major international productions as well as live performance events such as theMelbourne International Comedy Festival.

TheMelbourne Athenaeumwas built during this period and later became Australia's first cinema, screeningThe Story of the Kelly Gang,the world's first feature film in 1906.Mark Twain,Nellie Melba,Laurence OlivierandBarry Humphrieshave all performed on this historic stage.TheQueen's Theatre, Adelaideopened withShakespearein 1841 and is today the oldest theatre on the mainland.

After Federation in 1901, theatre productions evidenced the new sense of national identity.On Our Selection(1912) bySteele Rudd,told of the adventures of a pioneer farming family and became immensely popular. Sydney's grandCapitol Theatreopened in 1928 and after restoration remains one of the nation's finest auditoriums.

In 1955,Summer of the Seventeenth DollbyRay Lawlerportrayed resolutely Australian characters and went on to international acclaim. That same year, young Melbourne artistBarry Humphriesperformed asEdna Everagefor the first time atMelbourne University's Union Theatre. Humphries left for London in his early 20s and enjoyed success on stage, including inLionel Bart's musical,Oliver!.His satirical stage creations – notably Dame Edna and laterLes Patterson–– became Australian cultural icons. Humphries also achieved success in the US with tours onBroadwayand television appearances and has been honoured in Australia and Britain.

TheNational Institute of Dramatic Artwas created in Sydney in 1958. This institute has since produced a list of famous alumni includingCate Blanchett,Mel GibsonandBaz Luhrmann.

Construction of theAdelaide Festival Centrebegan in 1970 and South Australia's SirRobert Helpmannbecame director of the Adelaide Festival of Arts.The new waveof Australian theatre debuted in the 1970s. TheBelvoir St Theatrepresented works byNick EnrightandDavid Williamson.In 1973, theSydney Opera House,which had been based on a design byJørn Utzon,was officially opened.Opera Australiamade its home in the building and its reputation was enhanced by the presence of the divaJoan Sutherland.

TheSydney Theatre Companywas founded 1978 becoming one of Australia's foremost theatre companies.TheBell Shakespeare Companywas created in 1990. A period of success for Australian musical theatre came in the 1990s with the debut of musical biographies of Australian music singersPeter Allen(The Boy From Ozin 1998) andJohnny O'Keefe(Shout! The Legend of The Wild One).

InThe One Day of the Year,Alan Seymourstudied the paradoxical nature of theANZAC Daycommemoration by Australians of the defeat of theBattle of Gallipoli.Ngapartji Ngapartji,byScott RankinandTrevor Jamieson,recounts the story of the effects on thePitjantjatjarapeople of nuclear testing in the Western Desert during theCold War.It is an example of the contemporary fusion of traditions of drama in Australia with Pitjantjatjara actors being supported by a multicultural cast of Greek, Afghan, Japanese and New Zealand heritage.

Professional wrestling

Main article:Professional wrestling in Australia

See also

• Architecture of Australia
• Arts South Australia
• Australian feminist art timeline
• Create NSW
• Performing arts education in Australia
• Performing arts of Australia
• South Australian Living Artists Festival

External links

• ARTS.org.au– The Australian Arts Community – "An online resource for artists and arts organisations Australia wide."
• Australian Aboriginal Art Museum "La grange", Môtiers/NE, Switzerland
• Australia Council for the Arts
• Culture and Recreation PortalArchived19 August 2006 at theWayback Machine
• Australian Art
• ArtsHub – Australian Arts Networking and Jobs Directory