Diana was sitting at a table with Jack Radcliffe, Miss Rockingham and Russell Lockwood. Miss Rockingham said it was remarkable how completely Europ...

Diana was sitting at a table with Jack Radcliffe, Miss Rockingham and Russell Lockwood. Miss Rockingham said it was remarkable how completely European civilization had been transplanted to Australia. They all assumed this was desirable, except Jack Radcliffe who said that Australia should create its own civilization and that it was impossible to reproduce English village life, with its close cottages, it churches, its inn and manor house, round a sheep station.

"But we aren't aborigines," said Russell. "We're Europeans, and we have to import the culture of our race." (BOYD, 1957, p. 62)

Source: BOYD, Martin. Outbreak of Love. London: John Murray, 1957.

In the excerpt above from Outbreak of Love, a clear tension is present. It is:

the fact that Australians only appreciate their own culture, which makes it difficult for other cultures to bloom there

the condition of Anglo-Australians that, despite living in Australia, overstate British/European values.

the unanimous acceptance of British ideals as superior to Australian ones

the careful consideration of the mix of British and Australian cultures in a single one

the presence of Aboriginal cultures which problematize Australian identity