Useful Links relating to Religious Expression in Australia & Contemporary Aboriginal Spiritualities...
*Full bibliography , click here
Aboriginal Relifion and Culture: http://www.aboriginalculture.com.au/religion.shtml
Source 1 is a secondary source that provides a rather comprehensive understanding of Aborigines and Aboriginal spirituality. Titled ‘Aboriginal Religion and Culture’, this text is broken into several segments that individually focus on rather important parts of Aboriginal spirituality and culture. Examples of the individual segments that this text focuses on include ‘Aboriginal Religion’, ‘Ceremonial Life’ and ‘The Dreamtime’. Additional to the various segments of information provided are several visual resources that provide users with a visual means to assist in the comprehension of the information provided.
This source is rather relevant to the Studies of Religion course, as it will assist in providing an understanding of the first syllabus outcome of the unit ‘Religion and Belief Systems in Australia post 1945’. This syllabus outcome requires students to ‘discuss how Aboriginal spirituality is determined by the Dreaming with reference to kinship, ceremonial life and obligations to the land and people’ (Board of Studies, NSW, Studies of Religion Syllabus). Source 1 provides an understanding of all aspects of this outcome in a manner that is concise and presents relevant and useful information. The information on this website, whilst comprehensive, is relevant and direct. The composer of this source has refrained from incorporating irrelevant information that is not required to gain a fundamental understanding of Aboriginal spirituality and culture. The information clearly provides students with the ability to answer the question posed through the first syllabus.
Source 1 is also a highly valid source as Aboriginal people have written it. As the information on this website is based on Aboriginal spirituality, its important that a perspective of an individual who is Aboriginal or had Aboriginal affiliations impacts the information that is presented on this site.
Australia's Religious Landscape: http://socyberty.com/religion/religious-landscape-in-australia/ Source 2 is an article featured on the ‘SocyBerty’ website that provides a through understanding of the religious landscape of Australia post 1945. This source, titled ‘Australia’s Religious Landscape’, provides a through understanding of the varying trends of religion in Australia post 1945. This website is also possessive of an abundant source of statistical data from the Australian Bureau statistics, that the composers has used to support presented information.
This source is rather relevant to the Studies of Religion course, as it will assist in providing an understanding of the fifth syllabus outcome of the unit ‘Religion and Belief Systems in Australia post 1945’. This syllabus outcome requires students to ‘outline changing patterns of religious adherence from 1945 to the present using census data’ (Board of Studies, NSW, Studies of Religion Syllabus). As source 2 outlines the changing patterns of religion in Australia post 1945, incorporating census data attained from the Bureau of Statistics, this source presents relevant and useful information. The information presented in this source is direct and easily understood. As a result, a Studies of Religion student would find this source highly valuable when attempting to gain a through understanding of this syllabus outcome of the course.
Source 2 is also a reliable and valid resource, as it is featured on respectable website that features articles with regards to sociological topics. ‘SocyBerty’ presents articles to the public that explores issues or present information on sociological circumstances such as religion. Also, the fact that the composer has provided his name and a bibliography of the sources that he has used, further enhances the validity of this website.
National Council of Churches in Australia: http://www.ncca.org.au/departments/interfaith
Source 3 is an article presented by the ‘National Council of Churches in Australia’. This article, titled ‘Interfaith Dialogue’, presents information on the interfaith dialogue that exists between The National Council of Churches in Australia, The Australian Federation of Islamic Council, and ‘The Executive Council of Australian Jewry’. This website provides information on the purpose of interfaith dialogue amongst these religious organisation, as well as the objective, strategies and possible actions of this initiative.
As this source is featured on the website of a well-known organisation, through the ‘National Council of Churches in Australia’, the information presented is reliable and valid. This organisation has presented resources that assist users to understand the interfaith dialogue that exists between them and links to the websites of the other organisations.
National Native Title Tribunal: http://www.nntt.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx
Source 4 is a government website titled ‘National Native Title Tribunal’. It has all the information associating with native title within Australia. It explains in depth the concept of native title, includes current issues relating to native title, the different agreements and acts, along with a lot of other relevant information.
This source is relevant to the Studies of Religion HSC course as it elaborates on the concept of native title. It explains the history of native title, clearly explaining how it was achieved, and includes the definitions of relevant key terms. One of the syllabus dot points is to make sure students can ‘outline the importance of Mabo, native title, and Wik for the Land Rights movement’ (Board of Studies, NSW, Studies of Religion Syllabus). This website allows the student to read and comprehend the concept, issues and achievements of native title. It also provides the importance and history of native title within the different states and territories of Australia, exposing one to the different related issues throughout the nation. Essentially, this website contains a lot of useful and reliable information in association with this dot point. Such information covers this dot point and enables students to clearly understand and answer it.
Government websites are always authentic and valid, thus making this website very reliable. All the information on this page can be trusted. It states everything one needs to know about the native title issues amongst the Aboriginal community in Australia.
Australian Indigenous Cultural Herritage: http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/indigenous/
Source 5 is another government website titled the ‘Cultural Portal’. This particular link relates to the ‘Australian Indigenous Cultural Heritage’. It goes into an in-depth explanation of the ‘Land - at the core belief’, ‘Diversity – Locations and languages’, ‘Adaption – tools and technology’, ‘Sacred sites and Dreaming stories’, ‘Performance – music, songs, dance and ceremony’, ‘Visual arts’, and ‘Tourism’. In addition it provides primary images relating to each subtopic.
This website is relevant to the Studies of Religion HSC course as it provides an explanation to the significance of the land to the Aboriginal people, the system of kinship, the Dreamtime beliefs and the meaning of sacred sites. It provides detailed background information to the Aboriginal culture, covering the first dot point which states that students learn to ‘discuss how Aboriginal spirituality is determined by the Dreaming with reference to kinship, ceremonial life and obligations to the land and people’(Board of Studies, NSW, Studies of Religion Syllabus). This website allows an individual to enhance their knowledge of the Dreaming and its significance to the Aboriginal culture. It is very direct information, explaining the main characteristics and beliefs of the Aboriginal culture, with the visual aid allowing one to further comprehend the Aboriginal culture.
Again, this government website is very valid and useful as it contains firsthand accounts and images of Aboriginal people. The information is also very useful as it allows reader to clearly comprehend the Aboriginal and Indigenous culture. Furthermore, it provides many other relevant links and sources to related Aboriginal topics and issues, not only on relevant information but also relevant stories and articles.
Religious Freedom: http://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/religion.html
Source 6 is a Department of Foreign Trades related government website. It is about ‘Religious Freedom’ in Australia. It states the facts and statistics relating to the different religious groups and adherences within Australia. It includes tables from reliable organisations, key facts, and other links for further information on the various topics throughout.
This website is very useful for the Studies of Religion HSC course as it explains, giving the causes and effects of, the different religious denominations within Australia today. It states the years in which new religions were introduced into Australia, including percentages of adherences, simultaneously demonstrating the constant decrease in Christianity and increase in foreign religions. This falls under the dot point ‘outline changing patterns of religious adherence from 1945 to the present using census data’ (Board of Studies, NSW, Studies of Religion Syllabus). A table from the Bureau of Statistics is included, thus census data. The page commences with background information as to the history of Australian religion, including Indigenous religion. It then has subheadings of the different largest religious groups- Indigenous Beliefs, The Catholic Church, The Anglican Church, The Uniting Church, Orthodox Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam and Hinduism, exposing when these religions first emerged within the nation and the extent to which the religions have pervaded, resulting to what it is today. The right hand side of this page includes a vast variety of links from various subheadings including ‘Our People’, ‘Multicultural Australia’, ‘International Relations’, and a few more. Essentially, all the information needed about multicultural Australia and foreign affairs can be found on this page.
This is a valid government website rendering this source very reliable. All the information found on this website is authentic. The last update of this page was in early 2008, making the information stated relevant and recent to the current Religious landscape, thus allowing one to interpret and analyse the changing patterns of religious adherence within Australia.
Last update: February 8, 2010
