Australiana

Australiana is a term denoting items, people, places, flora, fauna and events of Australian origins. Anything pertaining to Australian culture, society, geography and ecology can fall under the term Australiana, especially if it is endemic to Australia. Australiana often borrows from Australian Aboriginal culture, or the stereotypical Australian culture of the early 1900s.

Objects can be Australiana in their own right, such as boomerangs, Akubra hats, didgeridoos, or can be common objects with Australian cultural images displayed on them. Such items could include two-man saws, snow globes or tea towels with Australian scenery or icons imprinted on them in the national colours of Australia.

Australiana can also refer to art with an Australian style or subject. Paintings, ceramics, crafts and coins that depict Australian imagery would fall under this category.

These images are often well-known Australian animals and birds, such as kangaroos, koalas, the platypus, echidnas and budgerigars.

Australiana (single)

"Australiana" is a spoken-word comedy single by Austen Tayshus, written by Billy Birmingham and recorded live at The Comedy Store, Sydney, in 1983. It was only available on 12. It is Australia's best-selling single ever and was the No. 1 single in Australia in 1983 for eight weeks, seven of them consecutive.

The single was banned in Victoria for a week, due to the B-side "The Comedy Commando". This led to a gap between the record's first number one placing (15 August) and its seven-week run at the number one spot (5 September – 17 October).

The single was rereleased on CD in 2003 (EMI 7243 5 52755 0 9), containing the A-side and the video for the A-side, but not the original B-side.

Sketch structure

The sketch is built on extensive sets of equivocations that form puns relating to Australian place names and icons, for example:

My mate, Boomer, rang. Will Walla be there? Vegie might come. Let's go, Anna. Only if Din goes. Nulla bores me. Speak ill of Warra. Ayers rocks in. Alice springs into action. Thanks, Warra, ta. Has Eucum been in? Wait until Gum leaves. On the lawn, Ceston. Marie knows. Leave Jack around a party. Adel laid it on me. Do you wanna game of euchre, Lyptus? Can Wom bat? Can Tenta field? Dar wins every time. Is Bass straight? Swim in the River, Ina. I've got no cosi, Oscar. Without a thread, Bo. Perish the thought. No cooler bar maid. Where can Marsu pee, Al? You reek of Stockade. Cook a burra. A pair of queens land in. Crack on to Wumba. Try to mount Isa. Trying to plat her puss. Flash your wanger at her. What'll 'ey care? Seen a cock or two. Pack Bill a bong. Will a didgery do? Where's the Tally-ho, Bart? Great, Barry—a reefer. Blew Mountains away. Lord! How? Hey! Man! How much can a Koala bear? Lead you astray, Liana.

Podcasts:

PLAYLIST TIME:

Smiling faces

by: Astroline

La di da dam
La di da dam
La di da dam dam wheyowheyoh
La di da dam
La di da dam
La di da dam dam wheyeyeyey
As I walk on by,
I wonder why.
Life's too short,
You can't stop time.
Let me take you to a place,
Where everyone has a smiling face.
La di da dam dam dam damoweyoh
La di da dam dam dam damoweyohweyoh
La di da dam dam dam damoweyoh
La di da dam dam dam damoweyohweyoh
Smiling faces!
When I think of life,
I wonder why,
Music makes the world go round.
Let me take you to a place,
Where everyone has a smiling face.
La di da dam dam dam damoweyoh
La di da dam dam dam damoweyohweyoh
La di da dam dam dam damoweyoh
La di da dam dam dam damoweyohweyoh
Smiling faces!
I'll take you away...




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