KIDS CULTURE CORNER
Australia
Do you know the capital of Australia? View the map!
One style of Australian aboriginal art has an x-ray appearance to it. Learn more about this style and try making some x-ray art of your own.
Captain James Cook claimed Australia as part of the British Empire while he was looking for a southern continent. Learn more about James Cook and others who explored Australia.
In 1935, the chef of the Hotel Esplanade in Perth, Western Australia, Herbert Sachse, created the pavlova to celebrate the visit of the great Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova. Whilst it has been suggested this dessert was created in New Zealand, it has become recognized as a popular Australian dish.
Ingredients
- 4-6 egg whites
- pinch salt
- 4 oz castor sugar(superfine sugar)
- 4 oz sugar (equal parts)
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 2 level teaspoons cornflour (cornstarch)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F(200C).
- Lightly grease oven tray, line with baking paper or use non-stick cooking spray.
- Beat the whites of eggs with a pinch of salt until stiff (until peaks form).
Continue beating, gradually adding sugar, vinegar and vanilla, until of thick consistency. - Lightly fold in cornflour.
- Pile mixture into circular shape, making hollow in centre for filling.
(Mixture will swell during cooking) - Electric oven: turn oven to 250F (130C) and bake undisturbed for 1 1/2 hours.
Gas oven: bake at 400F (200C) for ten minutes, then turn oven to 250F (130C) and bake a further hour. - Turn oven off, leave pavlova in oven until cool.
- Top with whipped cream and decorate with fruit as desired.
Submitted by Amanda from Australia, au pair in Massachusetts, 2004
Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, is celebrated in Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Why do you think these countries share the holiday?
Part of the tradition of Boxing Day is giving money and other gifts to people who are in service jobs. No one knows for sure when or how the holiday started. What do you think? Hint: Hundreds of years ago the wealthy people who lived in England had their servants work on Christmas to make and serve the holiday meal.
The holiday has nothing to do with the sport of Boxing, but it probably has something to do with how gifts are given, or where people put money for needy families when they go to Church.
As Australia is an English speaking country, the children there sing many of the same songs that we sing in the United States, but sometimes they sing a different version. Visit this site to compare the Australian version of familiar songs with the one you know.
