Jasmine Directory

Australia has the world’s highest attendance of art galleries by its general population so it stands to reason that arts and entertainment are a very huge aspect of Australian lifestyle. There are art galleries spread across the continent and numerous museums, cultural venues and exhibitions amount much of what the country has to offer to its public.

Among the most prominent galleries, the National Gallery of Australia is the biggest, having more than 166,000 works displayed of both Australian artists and foreign artists. The art museum is found in Parkes on the Australian Capital Territory.

Aside from that, the Sydney Opera House is one of the most distinguishable performing arts centers in the world. Housing several productions from Opera Australia, The Australian Ballet, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the venue has over 7 million visitors and boasts over 1500 performances each year. In 2007 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The overall tone of Australia’s culture is defined by a number of factors. First off, there’s the British influence which had a major impact in developing the nation’s cultural backbone. Indigenous influences are also widely promoted, as through works portraying nature, cave paintings and rock carvings. Recent years have brought a strong American cultural current to the continent, mainly due to television and cinematography. There are also some Asian influences, due to Australia’s proximity to the respective countries. Depending on communities, strong influences from around the world can be picked out here and there, mainly due to a huge influx of immigrants settled here over the years.