Friday 13 April 2012

THE OUTBACK, AUSTRALIA

The Outback is the vast, remote, arid area of Australia; the term colloquially can refer to any lands outside the main urban areas. The term "the outback" is generally used to refer to locations that are comparatively more remote than those areas named "the bush".

Owing to the low and erratic rainfall over most of the outback, combined with soils which are usually not very fertile, inland Australia is relatively sparsely settled. More than 90 percent of Australians live in urban areas on the coast. However the outback and the history of its exploration and settlement provides Australians with a culturally valued backdrop, and stories of swagmen, squatters, and bushrangers are central to the national ethos. The song Waltzing Matilda, which is about a swagman and squatters, is probably Australia's best internationally known and most well-loved song (see below).

Aboriginal communities in outback regions have not been displaced as they have been in areas of intensive agriculture and large cities, in coastal areas. For this reason a significant proportion of Australia's indigenous population lives in the Outback, in areas such as the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands in northern South Australia.  The total population of Outback Australia declined from 700,000 in 1996 to 690,000 in 2006. The photo below was taken in the Woomera of South Australia, as we were driving from Adelaide to Darwin (distance of 3,030 km), which we did in 2002.


This is a post linking to Sylvia's Skywatch Friday meme.



24 comments:

  1. Beautiful view...thanks for sharing the Outback!

    ReplyDelete
  2. For another colloquialism (sp?) - that photo is a beaut!!

    Stunning array of colours

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think West Texas is sorta like the Outback!

    ReplyDelete
  4. An awesome capture, gorgeous skies and I love the video!! Thanks as always, Nick, for sharing your world and your skies with us! Have a terrific weekend!

    Sylvia

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great photo and video... the Outback is so interesting, and reminds me a little of our SW deserts in the US.

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a great shot - love the colours.

    ReplyDelete
  7. very well composed shot. The orange light sets the tone of this scene!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Bullseye! Really really nice, well balanced and fantastic colours.

    ReplyDelete
  9. delightful colors! i love the windmill...haven't seen for a while.:p

    ReplyDelete
  10. Very beautiful photo for SWF!Thank you for sharing and have a nice weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  11. That looks like a huge windmill!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Just beautiful! The colors, the sky and the windmill are all gorgeous. Lovely scene, thanks for sharing your skies. Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  13. What a gorgeous view! I had no idea about the Waltzing Matilda song...guess I never thought about the meaning behind the words! Thank you for the history lesson as well. Always a pleasure to visit!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Great photo and post!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Delightful composition! Have a great weekend.

    Sunrise, please come and see when you get a chance.

    ReplyDelete
  16. What a stunning photo, I love the colors and thanks for sharing all that information with us. Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Looks like it could be from the southwest US as well. Nice composition. - Margy

    ReplyDelete
  18. Gorgeous...windmills are a fav of mine and paired with a beautiful sky...can't beat that!

    Australia is a place we plan to visit some day~

    ReplyDelete
  19. Beautifully composed shot. Love it!

    ReplyDelete
  20. very pretty! just as i imagined it to be... :D

    ReplyDelete

I love to hear from you, so please comment. I appreciate constructive criticism as it improves my skills as an amateur photographer.