Beach Culture

I've been helping Sam with her oral presentation on Beach Culture for her History class.  I'm even a bit jealous that she has such a great topic to work on.  I sure didn't have anything as exciting as beach culture to discuss in Year 11.  I think I undertook too many boring classes (unfortunately I was good at maths!).  Anyway, one of the interesting things I've been pondering because of this presentation, is idea that our Australian National Identify (this probably shouldn't be a 'proper noun' but I've done that intentionally) is linked to the beach.  Leone Huntsman in her book 'Sand in Our Souls: The Beach in Australian History' also looks at this idea.  We talk so much, as a country, about the role of Gallipoli and that 'Australia rode to prosperity on the sheep's back', that I hadn't thought much about by how important the beach is to our country.  The 'Bronzed Aussie' started as a life guard!  Perhaps one of the more interesting assertions is that  "everyone looks the same in speedos" (not really true, but I try not to look!).  It's the idea that at the beach we are all equal!  This was quite important to the early Europeans in Australia.  I really like the analogy.  We are all equal - and it doesn't matter what you do, when you come to the beach you are exactly the same as the person next to you!  I'm grateful for this lesson!   

Of course, as part of my help, I showed Sam some pictures by Max Dupain - and now he has another fan!  'The Sunbaker' taken on Bondi Beach, has to be one of the most awesome photos ever taken...