Symbols of Australia

Revealing the origins, stories, and sagas behind Australia’s best-known, best-loved, and least-understood symbols, this collection explores the emergence, longevity, and prominence of 26 key symbols of Australia. From the stalwart brands of Vegemite and Holden cars to the natural and man-made landmarks of Uluru and the Sydney Harbor Bridge and Australia’s unique indigenous flora and fauna, these commercial and community-based symbols are distinctive and highly recognizable—whether they are official, popular, spontaneous, or imposed. Representing Australia to the world, these symbols can evoke Australian national pride, officially acknowledge the familiar, provide visitors with mementos to take home, or sell products. Each chapter illuminates a particular symbol and shares lively anecdotes, showing that every symbol possesses a significance that goes beyond the surface.

Melissa Harper is a lecturer in Australian studies at the University of Queensland and the coeditor of the Journal of Australian Studies. She is the author of The Ways of the Bushwalker: On Foot in Australia. Richard White teaches Australian history and the history of travel and tourism at the University of Sydney. He is the coeditor of History Australia and the author of Cultural History in Australia, Inventing Australia, On Holidays: A History of Getting Away in Australia, and The Oxford Book of Australian Travel Writing.