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The traditions associated with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps soldiers – the Anzacs – comprise an important element of the Australian narrative. Although Australian and New Zealand soldiers did not officially become ‘Anzacs’ until they joined forces on the Western Front, the Anzacs are associated with the trauma of the Gallipoli campaign. Anzacs ‘live on’ in contemporary Australian culture, celebrated as national heroes by artists, politicians and writers. The Anzacs’ place in Australian history is enshrined through annual Anzac Day commemorations that legitimize idealized, heroic aspects of Australian identity. Drawing upon national survey data we show that Anzacs still have a strong influence on how Australians see themselves. Attitudes toward Anzacs vary only marginally according to social and political background, although they are most salient for middle-aged, less educated, Australian-born citizens, who are proud of their defence forces and exhibit a close attachment to Australia as a nation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aspects of the national narrative of an advanced industrialised nation are examined in this research. Nationally representative survey data suggest the most important collective figures for Australian identity are the Anzacs, colonial free settlers and post-Second World War immigrants, while sporting heroes have a negligible influence upon what it means to be Australian. Although many Australians have ancestors who were transported, the convict ‘stain’ persists, while indigenous people are also under-represented in Australian identity myths. The most important individual Australians are not the heroes, saints or sages of an earlier ‘golden era’ nor contemporary sporting heroes, but political leaders, medical doctors and scientists who have (had) actual rather than mythical influence upon the everyday lives of Australians. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Myths associated with outlaws or 'social bandits' are important elements of national identity in many countries. Long after his death the outlaw Ned Kelly lives on in Australian culture through various media, ensuring his enduring symbolic importance for national identity. National survey data indicates Kelly's salience for a majority of Australians, although attitudes regarding his status as hero or villain vary considerably. Younger, left-leaning, working-class Australians and consumers of popular culture view Kelly as important, while tertiary-educated, political conservatives tend to downplay his significance. Perceptions of Kelly's character also influence attitudes regarding his national significance. The lack of foundation heroes in a nation built not only by free settlers but also by English convicts and Irish rebels goes some way to explaining why a 19th-century outlaw is one of the few historical figures recognized by a majority of Australians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Be they highwaymen, bandits or bushrangers, outlaws are mythical figures celebrated across a variety of cultures. Australians' knowledge of colonial outlaws is examined by asking a national sample of adults if they could name four 'bushrangers'. A large majority identified Ned Kelly and a substantial proportion Ben Hall, although less than a quarter could name four bushrangers and one in five were unable to name any bushrangers at all. Australian-born, middle-class, middle-aged, politically informed people who live in Queensland or NSW were the most knowledgeable, with the educational achievement findings suggesting that bushrangers occupy the realm of 'middle-brow' taste. Ned Kelly is confirmed as Australia's best-known colonial figure and folk hero. Immortalized in Sidney Nolan's paintings and mythologized in various cultural milieux, Kelly has transcended bushranging to symbolize a romantic and rebellious aspect of Australian identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]