Europeans and the Australian Environment

 

“An' half our bullicks perished when the drought was on the land,

An' the burnin' heat that dazzles as it dances on the sand;

When the sun-baked clay an' gravel paves for miles the burnin' creeks,

An' at ev'ry step yer travel there a rottin' carcase reeks…”

(from The Song of Old Joe Swallow, Henry Lawson).

In what ways does the Sydney Herald editorial link the identity of native-born white Australians and the land? 

The Article form the Sydney Herald ‘Sworn to no master, of no sect am I’ provides an interesting insight into the way the British Empire within Australia viewed itself and it’s national interests. It provides a glorified view of ‘British Freedom’ and emphasises the importance of ‘the youth of the colony’ in the conquest of land. The editorial links native-born youth (white) as being almost a superior race, especially due to their knowledge of country and land that previous generations of colonisers didn’t have. This is due to the fact that they have been born straight into the ‘harsh’ landscape of Australia, with the editorial highlighting the ‘pleasure’ of being able to give them land in order to further the market for British manufactures. For example, the editorial states that “one section of land to a young colonist, with a run for his cattle, will, in twenty years, be of more value to the Mother Country than a fifty gun frigate.”

 

How does W.C. Wentworth describe Australia? 

The poem written by Wentworth titled ‘Australasia’ (1823) paints a vivid picture of the new nation of Australia. The first few lines describe Australia as “Earth’s furthest habitable shores”, painting a picture of a place as far away as “the Arctic night”. He then goes on to describe it as almost being a ‘better’ more ‘noble’ place and also portrays the environmental harshness and savageness of country using words such as ‘primeval’. The end of the poem makes many references to the mother country, almost portraying Britain as the parent of an unruly, yet charming child (Australia). The last line sums up the poem beautifully saying ‘And Australasia float, with flag unfurl’d, a new Britannia in another world’, emphasising the truly empirical nature of the conquest of Australia.

Are these primary sources expressing a distinctive ‘Australian’ out look by early settlers, or are they shaped by other factors?

Primary sources such as the Sydney Herald Editorial and W.C. Wentworth’s ‘Australasia’ provide great insight into the way settlers viewed the nation at this early point in Australia’s colonial history. I believe that these sources are beginning to express a distinctive ‘Australian’ outlook, however, they are obviously still highly influenced by Britain, especially since Australia is completely under British rule and government at this point. The beginnings of a national ‘voice’ and national ideas of what is ‘Australia’ are beginning to become evident, with quite a lot of pride of Australia being expressed throughout both the sources. However, both the sources are providing the basis of what is to become the ‘Pioneer Legend’ history of Australia, which has been seen by many historians as being quite narrow minded and exclusive.  

 

Family standing on their property in the Queensland outback, ca. 1875

Photographer William Boag - Photo found at www.pictureaustralia.org