Music, Art and Popular Culture
During the first half of the 20th century Australians struggled to develop their own culture distinct from other English speaking countries. At this time most of the popular books, film and television shows were imported from Britain or the United States. But today Australian has its own lively arts and cultural scene that includes opera at the famous
Sydney Opera House,
Symphony Australia,
The Australian Ballet and contemporary dance by the
Sydney Dance Company.
Australia also has many art galleries to showcase its own artists, including
The National Gallery of Australia in Canberra.
The film and music industry is growing in Australia. Picnic at Hanging Rock, My Brilliant Career and the
Mad Max series established Australia as a country capable of producing internationally successful movies. More recently, films like
Shine, Babe and
Babe: Pig in the City, have earned international critical and popular acclaim.
Many internationally successful bands have also come from Australia, including
AC/DC,
Savage Garden,
Silver Chair, and
Men At Work.
