One Nation A Community Process.
View PeopleScape Image Now that the historic year is over, all Australians can say "I was there and helped commemorate this proud and memorable anniversary".The word federation means the act of uniting and this was the reason for celebration.
Alfred Deakin once remarked that Federation 'must always appear to have been secured by a series of miracles', but it was a slow and laborious journey to nationhood involving years of discussion, debate, conventions and referendums. (Foster, Marsden and Russell 1998).
The Centenary of Federation featured activities and projects involving all Australians everywhere and embraced people of all ages and all backgrounds. The inclusive events took place in the cities, the towns, the regional centres, the country and the outback.
The activities reflected Australians' great breadth of interest, talent and imagination. Young Australians played a special part in the year and the Indigenous people, the first Australians, were encouraged to participate fully through their culture and history.
The focus of this essay will be both the finale which was available for viewing from 25 November to 4 December 2001 and an analysis of one local project. A festival which ocurred on the night of the 23rd November 2001 at Sherwood. It was a local community event staged as part of the celebration. The objective of the essay is to trace a 'trickled down effect' from the Federal to local level and to explain the benefits of the projects to all Australians, describing an exciting process which can be developed and utilised and replicated by future Australians.
The Finale. Literally thousands of life-size figures, representing ordinary Australians, were installed in rows covering the expansive lawns of Federation Mall and the slopes of Parliament House in Canberra. The planning of the years celebrations was a triumph of organisation and communication which disseminated from a Federal level to a multi-layered local level. View Organisational Questions So to begin I will describe the major event and finish by describing the 'trickle down effect' and the benefits and spin offs that can occur when a "Nation Works Together".
The finale was a Peoplescape which portrayed hundreds of Australians.
Overwhelmingly nominations were for unknown Australians who had made a significant but often little recognised contribution, to a community or to the nation as a whole. Of course, well known Australians were also nominated and it is fitting that in the final exhibition the known and unknown will stand side by side on the slopes of our national Parliament House.
The copyright of the article One Nation A Community Process. in Murals is owned by Jo Murphy. Permission to republish One Nation A Community Process. in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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