‘Australian Arts: Where the Bloody Hell Are You?’ was a one-day symposium in December 2006 organised by the Research Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Sydney to consider Australia’s international arts profile. The forum examined cultural advocacy not as a one-way process but as a means of facilitating cultural flows which benefit both artists and society. It highlighted the substantial benefits of international cultural exchange and concluded that strengthening existing programs rather than a large bureaucracy would best serve Australia’s current circumstances. Doubling or trebling Australia’s current expenditure would enable the public to enjoy more fully the fruits of those who are currently Australia’s biggest arts subsidisers, the artists themselves.
Based on biographical interviews, these twenty-one cartoonists talk about their upbringing and influences, the ways in which they work, their responsibilities and issues such as censorship. Cartoonists featured include: Bruce Petty, Alan Moir, Kathy Wilcox, Michael Leunig, Bill Leak and leading editorial cartoonists.
The bestselling story of a real-life Crocodile Dundee. the bestselling story of a real-life Crocodile Dundee. In this remarkable memoir, tom Cole tells the stories of his life in the outback during the 1920s and 1930s. With great humour and drama, he recounts his adventures as a drover and stockman in the toughest country in Australia and later on as a buffalo shooter and crocodile hunter in the Northern territory before the war. First published in 1988 and having sold over 100 000 copies, Hell West and Crooked is perfect for anyone who enjoys a classic outback yarn. 'A real-life story of the pioneering days of the top End that out-adventures anything fiction writers could hope to produce.' - tHE WESt AUStRALIAN 'tom Cole is a living legend, a real-life Crocodile Dundee. His stories paint a vivid picture of wild and exciting times in the Australian outback.' - MELBOURNE SUNDAY EXPRESS 'A story of the outback and cattlemen and women, stripped of glamour, that will become an Australian classic to rub covers with authors like Ion Idriess.' - GOLD COASt BULLEtIN
Nine months after the spill that catapulted him to the prime ministership, Scott Morrison won the 2019 election, shocking politicians and political pundits (and, quite possibly, himself). Yet, unlike his predecessors, little was really known about the former marketing man whose hard-nosed political instincts and 'daggy dad persona' saw him become the 30th Prime Minister of Australia. Voters knew what he allowed them to see - a policy embrace of slogans like 'Stop the Boats'; his deft rebuttal of media enquiries; his love for Jen and his two daughters; that he liked to cook a curry on Saturday nights; and that his faith and the Cronulla Sharks were a big part of his life. But a man is more than sound bites and social media posts. So who the bloody hell is Scott Morrison? In this revealing biography, political journalist Annika Smethurst uncovers the man behind the headlines and slogans to show us what makes Scott Morrison tick. Taking us from his childhood, as the son of a local policeman, to a meeting that would lead to marriage to his teenage sweetheart, The Accidental PM will tell the personal and the political. There are questions about Morrison's early business career and his preselection that, when answered, will paint a clearer picture of the man leading our country and give greater insight into how he won the 'miracle' election. Whether Morrison's ego and temperament will see him falter in hard times or whether he will use the lessons of his life to end the revolving door of PMs to become one of Australia's best prime ministers is still to be discovered. But knowing the man will allow us all to know the path he will lead us on.
When you’re sneaking around the city at night you feel like a kid again. The seriousness of the world is unmasked as a series of facades, dead objects just waiting to be painted. I was immediately hooked. Out on the street I could say anything I wanted. So what did I want to say? Peter Drew’s posters are a familiar sight across Australia – his ‘Real Australians Say Welcome’ and ‘Aussie’ campaigns took on lives of their own, attaining cult status and starting conversations all over the country. But who made them, and why? In this irresistible and unexpected memoir, Peter Drew searches for the answers to these questions. He traces the links between his creative and personal lives, and discovers surprising parallels between Australia’s dark, unacknowledged past and the unspoken conflict at the core of his own family. Packed full of Peter Drew’s memorable images, Poster Boy is an intelligent, funny and brutally honest dive into the stew of individual, family and national identity. It’s about politics and art, and why we need them both. And it’s about making a mark. ‘Peter Drew’s work changes how we see our streets and country, as well as activism and art. Be warned: This galvanising book might propel you to start a movement yourself.’ —Benjamin Law 'An unflinching look at modern Australia, Poster Boy is a tale literally told from the streets. It is a stark story where the villains blend in with those devoted to pushing for change. This book floored me.' —Osher Günsberg ‘To read Poster Boy is to experience the life-enriching idea that one person can make real change. Then wait for the minute, the day, the week, when the afterglow of his story works its magic on your own simple deeds. From little things, big things truly grow.’ —Megan Morton ‘An insightful look into the life and mind of one of Australia's most progressive and forthright artists of our generation.’ —Nick Mitzevich, director of the National Gallery of Australia
