| A place of mythic tales, folklore, and legend …. the Australian Bush is a hallmark of its own accord. Coming from the descriptor “The bush”, usually relates to a “rural, undeveloped land”. It’s not unique to Australia alone, as many countries have their own “bush” land. But it is iconic for Australia, and relates to the wooded area intermediate between the scrublands and the forests which embrances dry and nitrogen-poor soil. It is shrubby, bushy, with splotches of grass splattered here and there under sparse canopies of eucalypts. It is also the tromping ground of the kangaroo in Australian terms. Down Under, it is a place of poetry, rugged lifestyle, meek beginnings, and immigrants settling a new landscape. It gave alot of them a new identity and brought new wild amazing folklore to the world embracing this new territory. Australians brought to light new terms incorporating the bush as in “to go bush” meaning to go wild or off on a walkabout, or reverting to a native, aboriginal, or feral nature; or becoming an outlaw running from the law. The term “bush” was attached to describe objects and things as another word for “wild”, “raw”, or “native” such as with things like Bush lore, Bush Man, Bush cat, or Bush music. A “bushwhacker” was someone who spends most of their time in the bush. “bushranging” came to mean “living off the land” and becoming a “bush ranger” such as the legendary “Jack Donohue”, “Ben Hall”, and “Ned Kelly” gave a sense of a “renegade” or “rebell”. “Bush” became its own kitch and its own jargon, quite becoming a fad of its own linguistic value, just as Americans say “make it or break it”, “Hollywood or bust”, the Australians say “Sydney or the bush” all meaning the same. The Australian bush also represents Australian life and gives a sense of identity in the terminology of itself, and is portrayed as such in Australian media, film, foods, painting, and literature. Some of the more popular “Bush” icons in the modern era have been with TV or movie stars like “Bush Tucker Man” and “Crocodile Dundee”. Famous flicks also about such as “Picnic at Hanging Rock” (1975), “Eliza Fraser” (1976), “Breaker Morant” (1981), “Gallipoli” (1981), “Man from Snowy River” (1982), “Crocodile Dundee” (1986), “Evil Angels” (1988), “Rabbit Proof Fence” (2002), and “Ten Canoes” (2006). But most recently from the 1980’s to 1990’s the bush equated with recession, drought, debt, depopulation, and unemployment.
Written by Thomas Baurley, Leaf McGowan, Technogypsie Research Services. November 26, 2011 |
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