National Identity In Australia

The concept of National Identity has been questioned when it comes to Australian

History. How do many facets of a culture come to develop our sense of identity over

time? What media outlets are emphasized to create a sense of National pride?

According to social theorist Benedict Anderson, nations are “imagined” communities in

the sense that not all members will ever personally know one another. Despite this, they

all share a sense of national camaraderie of what it means to identify with their country. National

Identity can be defined as the way a group of people is represented based on cultural, geographic

and language traditions. Books, Television, Political speeches, Protests, and advertisements have

all come to serve a purpose in

Despite the parades and festivities, Patten and his people

were mourning the loss of their rights to an arbitrary government. The speech itself sought to

advocate for full citizen rights, pensions, relief work, full education and for Aboriginals to enlist

in the army.

The Day of Mourning speech served as a catalyst in the quest for Aboriginal equality. The

speech sought to arouse the attentions of White Australians. Patten

sought to inform the public of some of the hardships experienced by his people due to land loss

at the hands of White settlers. Today, it is considered the largest gathering of Indigenous people,

which marked the beginning of the modern Aboriginal Political movement. Political organizers

choose to have the Day of Mourning coincide with the sesquicentenary in attempt to bring to

light some of the injustices endured by Indigenous people at the hands of White settlers. The

Day of Mourning was later marked as a significant event in the Aboriginal community, with

Australian Town Hall currently being listed on the National Register of Heritage