British Influence on the Australian Way of Life
British settlers arrived in Australia in 1788 and their influence is still seen today -- from the Union Jack on the Australian flag to the official Head of State still being the Queen of England to the structure of Australia's legal system. After World War II, British citizens were encouraged to migrate to Australia and over a million did so and were provided with housing and employment. Due to the large British presence in Australia, much of that country remains similar to the British in sports, culture, language and food.
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History
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Australia was dominated by indigenous people for centuries until the Europeans began to settle the land. The people of the British Isles -- Scotland, Wales, England and Ireland -- were involved in a long-term war with each other which eventually made segments of the population ungovernable. Following the war, the worst behaved residents were exiled to Australia along with British soldiers. These are the people who founded what became Australian society along with many poor families, immigrants and refugees. More British eventually settled there, lured by the gold rush of the 1850s.
Society and Culture
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Australian sports follow the patterns of the British. Cricket, soccer and rugby, all English-invented sports, are popular in Australia. Although Australia has its own Prime Minister and is an independent nation within the Commonwealth, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (as of the time of writing in 2011) is considered the "Queen of Australia". The country also has a parliamentary system of government, the same as the British structure. Schools in Australia also tend to follow the traditions of the British education system.
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Langauge
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The English language was brought to Australia by the British. Up until their arrival, there were various languages spoken by the indigenous people who had been living there for centuries. The English language acted as a unifying force, allowing the British to effectively train, educate and govern the people who settled there and also to heavily influence the development of the culture through trade, religion, entertainment and education.
Decline of the British
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Although the British have had a major influence on Australian culture, there has been an overall decline of British immigrants to that country since the 1980s. Although Australia has had over 200 years of British culture, more recent influences from Asia, due to the country's proximity to that continent, and a heavy influx of American culture, mean that Australian society is becoming more of a melting pot of cultures.
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References
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