Description

Book Synopsis
Australia is a land of symbols. The Southern Cross. The Sydney Opera House. The kangaroo. Vegemite. But what do they actually mean? Where do national symbols come from and what makes them popular? Why are some symbols so hotly contested? Does Australia have more than its fair share?

Symbols of Australia offers illuminating and unexpected insights into the nation's culture, as leading historians uncover the stories behind the symbols that surround us in our daily lives: from Uluru to the Australian flag, the rainbow serpent to Holden cars, the democracy sausage to the Great Barrier Reef.

They also challenge some long-held myths – what flag did Anzacs fight under? Who invented the pavlova? Where did the lifesaver come from? How rational is the fear of sharks? How revered was the baggy green?

Entertaining, provocative, informative, and often surprising, Symbols of Australia reveals a great deal about the ways nations are imagined – and how they imagine themselves.

Symbols of Australia: Imagining a Nation

    Product form

    £22.46

    Includes FREE delivery

    RRP £24.95 – you save £2.49 (9%)

    Order before 4pm tomorrow for delivery by Mon 10 Aug 2026.

    A Paperback / softback by Melissa Harper, Richard White

      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of Symbols of Australia: Imagining a Nation by Melissa Harper

      Publisher: NewSouth Publishing
      Publication Date: Publication Date: 01/11/2021
      ISBN13: 9781742237121, 978-1742237121
      ISBN10: 1742237126
      Also in:
      Flags, emblems, symbols, logos

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      Australia is a land of symbols. The Southern Cross. The Sydney Opera House. The kangaroo. Vegemite. But what do they actually mean? Where do national symbols come from and what makes them popular? Why are some symbols so hotly contested? Does Australia have more than its fair share?

      Symbols of Australia offers illuminating and unexpected insights into the nation's culture, as leading historians uncover the stories behind the symbols that surround us in our daily lives: from Uluru to the Australian flag, the rainbow serpent to Holden cars, the democracy sausage to the Great Barrier Reef.

      They also challenge some long-held myths – what flag did Anzacs fight under? Who invented the pavlova? Where did the lifesaver come from? How rational is the fear of sharks? How revered was the baggy green?

      Entertaining, provocative, informative, and often surprising, Symbols of Australia reveals a great deal about the ways nations are imagined – and how they imagine themselves.

      Recently viewed products

      © 2026 Book Curl

        • American Express
        • Apple Pay
        • Diners Club
        • Discover
        • Google Pay
        • Maestro
        • Mastercard
        • PayPal
        • Shop Pay
        • Union Pay
        • Visa

        Login

        Forgot your password?

        Don't have an account yet?
        Create account