Description

Learn about the Aboriginal culture and about the Australian actors Heath Ledger and Nicole Kidman.

Transcript

Guide to Culture in Australia Host: Australia’s diverse cultural export range from Aboriginal art to Hollywood celebrities such as the late Heath Ledger and Nicole Kidman. Indigenous Australians have habitude the country from many thousands of years. Since that time, they have used visual imagery to pass on knowledge and tell stories of their culture, tradition and religion. Today, indigenous Australians continue to use art to tell their story of their culture. Cathy Turner: Well—lost to their culture keeps us strong and the story made it--really makes it remain. So another grandmother did that many, many years ago, the same story during today. They’ll tell them that, this is our stories and it goes for generation to generation. Host: Indigenous has become a popular commodity for tourist and art collectors. When bought and sold by a reputable art dealer, this helps to raise money for indigenous communities and ensures that their stories, traditions and knowledge are still passed on. Another ancient indigenous tradition is bush medicine. Using things found in nature to survive. Vincent Forrest: When you walk around desert park, you walk around and the bush you have to look at all the pretty flowers. But that’s pretty flowers that’s how supermarket and that’s how farmers so you all wrapped up in one. That information is taught from the grandmother down to the grandchildren. She is the person who has the knowledge of all these plants you’ll see around in the bush. They are the keepers of the property. Host: All the plants with medicinal properties have not yet uncataloged. Regena Medhurst: There are hundreds of them. Aboriginal people have known about lots of different plants, lots of ones that we still don’t know about thatwe’re yet to find a lot of them and what they’re good for. So here at park we go out and look for different types of plants that might be useful to people in their gardens but Aboriginal people have had this knowledge for tens of thousandths of years so for them it’s nothing new. Host: Indigenous Australians have learned how to work with the land not against it to eat and to heal. The late Australian actor, Heath Ledger has become immortalized in the hearts and minds of many Australians. He raised fame in the life changing film Brokeback Mountain. Heath Ledger: My life is changed suddenly from meeting Michelle. I have a family, a beautiful family and a beautiful two beautiful girls thanks to—so it’s extraordinary, the level of which my life has changed. Thanks. Host: Ledger’s performance was praised for a sensitive portrayal of a repressed homosexual cowboy. His final role as the Joker in The Dark Knight earned him a posthumous Golden Globe Award. Nicole Kidman is the darling of Australian cinema. Baz Luhrman: When you’re around them whether you’re on the set, whether it’s in a film she just comes around for a cup of tea it makes life a bit more exciting and light seems the balance of the world and you feel kind of excited. Host: After her split from Tom Cruise, Nicole found love with Australian Country music star Keith Urban. The pair gave birth to a baby daughter Sunday Rose in 2008.