The Outback
(Australia)
Justine Vanderschueren & Vincent Guillaume
• This Australian word can refer to three different things:
1.) Arid areas
2.) National football team
3.) Music group
• First, the Outback as a typical example of the Australian
landscape
• Definition of the Outback vis-à-vis “the Bush”: (even)
more remote
• The Bush is a rural area that can include agriculture and
regional settlements
• In the Outback, agricultural parts are marginal, most of
the soil being infertile
• “Outback” is an unofficial term, used as an appeal for
tourists
Which elements contribute to the Outback’s mythical
dimension?
• Uniqueness of the landscape
• Specific fauna: dingoes & feral camels
• Tales of the past: the settlement and the men of those
times (e.g. Ned Kelly)
• Kelly : bush ranger = outlaw
was brought to trial and hanged
• Picturesque and
historical spots (e.g.
Uluru, Birdsville Track,
Mac Donnell Ranges),
local terminology (e.g. Never-Never, Back of Beyond)
The Uluru rock formation.
View of the West MacDonnell Ranges.
The Australian outbacks
• National gridiron team (since 1983)
• Autralian governing body of American football
• Football: played in the 6 Territories & in the 2 States of
the continent
• 73 teams
• No uniform season for playing football
• Players: dressed in armour and wearing helmets
The Outback
•
World group music founded in the late 80’s
• Music: mix of traditional Australian tribal music and
modern Western music
• Tribal music: represented by the didgeridoo
• At the beginning: 2 artists: Graham Wiggins and Martin
Cradick
• 1990: first album "Baka"
The outback
• Later: Sagar N’Gom, the French violonist Paddy le
Mercier and the drummer Ian Campbell join the group
• 1991: second album: "Dance the devil away"
• 1992: the band dissolved
Thank you for your attention and good
luck to the next group!
Sources
• http://gridironaustralia.org.au/
• http://www.agoaonline.com/