Since settlement, the Australian nation has been fixated on the question of “what defines us” as a people. From the bush legend of early settlement, to the beach culture of the 1980’s and 90’s, our search for a singular national identity has seen various failed attempts at pinning down ‘what it really means to be Australian’. National image and identity is a creation of the times, and as such, the pursuit for a defining any one national identity is an unattainable dream. In this essay I will endeavour to outline some of the flaws in previous attempts at defining Australia, as well as outlining the reasons why the notion of a single national image is unattainable.

To date, the bush legend is still the most thought-of, yet exaggerated, example of the Australian national identity. Ward writes of the typical Australian as “a practical man, rough and ready in his manners and quick to decry any appearance of affection in others. He is a great improviser, ever willing to......

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Title: The Australian Bush Legend
Approximate Word Count: 746
Approximate Pages: 3 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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