Australian Identity Speech

Australian Identity Speech
Good morning teachers and students. Though our national identity is an evolving one, aspects of our identity are constant. Some of these aspects include the iconic sporting legend, mateship, the notion of the underdog and the Aussie battler. This is conveyed in a number of texts in a variety of ways. The texts we will be discussing today include “The Man from Snowy River” by Banjo Paterson and an episode from “My Place” by Nadia Wheatly. The two texts thoroughly present the evolution of the Australian identity from the time of the Bush culture to more recent times. The ideas are conveyed with the use of various poetic, cinematic and language techniques.
The idea of mateship is almost ever-existent in the Australian identity. This is seen clearly in the poem “The Man from Snowy River” by Banjo Patterson. The mateship is portrayed by a character when he comes down to “Lend a hand”. This figure of speech is also a symbol of the Aussie mateship seen throughout the history of Australia. The symbol of the mateship is further extended to show the egalitarian values existing at the time. This is seen when Clancy stands up for the Man from Snowy River saying “I think we ought to let him come”. This emphasizes the idea of mateship as true mates would stand up for each other in rough times. Also, the gathering of “cracks”
The man from Snowy River is here seen as the underdog, who battles against the odds to prove himself. This is shown by the words “long and tiring gallop” and “you will never do.” This use of emotive language sets the Man from Snowy river up as the underdog. However the underdog proceeds to become the champion, the iconic sporting hero. “The stock men tell the story of his ride” is an example which illustrates this. This use of use of emotive language creates an almost mythical and legendary view of the