Module 6

1.The world's longest continuous fence is 'The Dingo Fence' in Australia – how long is it? Why was it built? Illustrate.
Answer:

It stretches 5,614 km from Jimbour on the Darling Downs near Dalby through thousands of kilometres of arid land ending west of Eyre peninsula on cliffs of the Nullarbor Plain above the Great Australian Bight near Nundroo. The Dingo Fence or Dog Fence is a pest-exclusion fence that was built in Australia during the 1880s and finished in 1885, to keep dingoes out of the relatively fertile south-east part of the continent and protect the sheep flocks of southern Queensland.
2. Which world's largest reptile can be found in Australia? Give the details of the species and illustrate.
Answer:

The world's largest reptile, the Saltwater Crocodiles, is native to Australia.

It is found in suitable habitats throughout Southeast Asia, Northern Australia, the Eastern coast of India and the surrounding waters. The Alligator Rivers of Northern Australia are misnamed due to the resemblance of the saltwater crocodile to alligators as compared to freshwater crocodiles, which also inhabit the Northern Territory.
The saltwater crocodile has a longer muzzle than the mugger crocodile, and is twice the length of its breadth at the base.The saltwater crocodile has fewer armor plates on its neck than other crocodilians, and its broad body contrasts with that of most other lean crocodiles, leading to early unverified assumptions that the reptile was an alligator.


3.What kind of goverment does Australia have? Who is the present Prime Minister?
Answer:

Australia is Federal parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy.

The present Prime Minister is Kevin Rudd.
4. Which lake is the deepest lake in Australia and which is the longest river there?
Answer:

The Deepest lake in Australia is Lake St Clair.

The Murray River is the longest river in Australia at 2520km, combining with the Darling and Upper Darling Rivers to form the Murray-Darling basin.
5.Provide the name of Australian national anthem. Who is the composer of the anthem and how did the anthem become official in Australia?
Answer:

‘Advance Australia Fair’ is the national anthem of Australia. A revised version of a late nineteenth century patriotic song, it was officially declared the national anthem on 19 April 1984.

Peter Dodds McCormick, a Scot, composed ‘Advance Australia Fair’ under the pen-name ‘Amicus’.
The official anthem was ‘God Save the Queen’ (or ‘King’) from 1788 to 1974, although numerous commercial and official competitions were held over the years to find a substitute. The first was held in 1840.

John Dunmore Lang, who published an ‘Australian Anthem’ and an ‘Australian Hymn’ in 1826, was an early advocate of a distinctively Australian anthem. Carl Linger of South Australia wrote ‘The Song of Australia’ in 1860, and it was suggested to the Prime Minister in 1929 as a possible national anthem.

The issue of a truly national anthem was raised persistently before the 1956 Olympic Games, which were held in Melbourne. ‘Advance Australia Fair’ and ‘Waltzing Matilda’ were the two songs most strongly favoured then as the new anthem. ‘Waltzing Matilda’ was composed in 1895, with lyrics by one of Australia’s best known poets, AB ‘Banjo’ Paterson.

On Australia Day, 26 January, in 1972, the number of entries received in an Australia-wide national anthem quest gave an indication of the interest in a new anthem.

Exactly a year later a government-sponsored competition was announced, which drew 2500 entries for the words and 1300 for the music. The judges selected six entries for the words, but rejected all the musical entries.


6.Describe the history and design of Australian national flag. What symbols are used in the design and why?
Answer:

The flag of Australia is the national flag of Australia. Its original design was chosen in 1901 from entries in a worldwide competition held following Federation. It was first flown in Melbourne on 3 September 1901. A slightly different design was approved by King Edward VII in 1902. Over the next few years, the exact specifications of the flag were changed several times both intentionally and as a result of confusion. The current specifications were formally gazetted in 1934, and in 1954 the flag became recognised by parliamentary statute as the "Australian National Flag".

The flag is a defaced Blue Ensign: a blue field with the Union Flag in the canton (upper hoist quarter), and a large white seven-pointed star known as the Commonwealth Star in the lower hoist quarter. The fly contains a representation of the Southern Cross constellation, made up of five white stars – one small five-pointed star and four, larger, seven-pointed stars.

The flag of Australia is legally defined in the Flags Act 1953. In addition there are other official flags representing Australia, its people and core functions of government.

7.Describe the history of the name"Australia". Where does it come from and when was it first used in English?
Answer:

Greeks use the word australis to mean south or the southern part of the world. Geographers continue to use the word australis to refer to the region and in particular refer to terra australis incognita. Mathew Flinders circumnavigates the large continental mass proving that the areas known at that time as New Holland and New South Wales were part of the same continent. On his map the name Australia is used for the first time to specifically describe the continent that now bears that name. In a letter written from Mauritius to the British Admiralty, Flinders referred to this land mass as Australia rather than most commonly used names of Terra Australis and New Holland.
Who gave Australia its name? If you want a simple answer we would have to say Matthew Flinders. He was the first to know for certain that what he was dealing with was an island continent, referred to it as Australia and his naming recommendation was eventually accepted by the British authorities. However if we found ourselves in a pub surrounded by swarthy Spanish sailors we might become receptive to alternative views.
8.Why is the plant 'golden wattle' so significant in Australia? What do Australians celebrate on the 1-st of September?
Answer:

Although wattles, and in particular the Golden Wattle, have been the informal floral emblem of Australia for many years, it was not until Australia’s bicentenary in 1988 that the Golden Wattle was formally adopted as the Floral Emblem of Australia. The date of gazettal was September 1 which was marked by a ceremony at the Australian National Botanic Gardens which included the planting of a Golden Wattle by Hazel Hawke, the Prime Minister’s wife. In 1992, September 1 was formally declared as "National Wattle Day".
9.What kind of pet is 'litoria caerulea' in Australia? Where does it live? Characterize and illustrate the species.
Answer:

The Australian Green Tree Frog, simply Green Tree Frog in Australia, White's Tree Frog, or Dumpy Tree Frog (Litoria caerulea) is a species of tree frog native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in New Zealand and the United States. The species belongs to the genus Litoria. It is physiologically similar to some species of the genus, particularly the Magnificent Tree Frog (Litoria splendida) and the Giant Tree Frog (Litoria infrafrenata).

10.What is the name of the famous Australian rock band, which was founded in 1973 and is still successfully performing? Illustrate.
Answer:

AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Although the band are commonly classified as hard rock and are considered a pioneer of heavy metal, they have always classified their music as rock and roll.