A Bold Statement

[helixpteron]

Why has no-one mentioned Lord Stokes? Spent many hours having to fend for myself in the countryside courtesy of British Leyland cars...................

The best advice I can give you is to remove one of the doors and carry it with you when you have to abandon the vehicle.

When you feel hot, open the window, when cold, close it...

 

[JonathanD]

Now that is sound advice, but most windows are electric these days, so you should take the battery too.

 

[Cogola]

Lisa

The academic in me wants to know, what do Aussies generally mean by bush? do you think of semi arid scrub or would you also refer to rainforest as 'bush'? Do you use it as generally refering to anything outside of 'civilisation' or does it refer to a specific type of landscape?

The way I have always interpreted the term bush was as a general reference to anywhere outside civilisation or more specifically, anywhere outside the big smoke.
There's a bit of a summary about 'the bush' in Australian culture at the following page:
http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/bush/
I think the Graves quote is a good one to summarise the concept of what bushcraft is. It's no different to what we called campcraft when I was a scout many moons ago or what others might refer to as survival skills. It also explains why you can have bushcraft without having 'bush'. I see 'bushcraft' as skills that enable you to get by using your own ingenuity and resourcefulness. For a modern interpretation of some bushcraft skills I can recommend a documentary and short series called 'The bush mechanics'. More info can be found here:
http://www.bushmechanics.com/home.htm

 

[johnboy]

\ I wonder why they haven't shown the series down under...?

It's been shown here in NZ on 'Prime' one of our terrestial channels. it was also on the inflight playlist for Air NZ for a good few months as well.

 

[BOD]

Lisa

The way I have always interpreted the term bush was as a general reference to anywhere outside civilisation or more specifically, anywhere outside the big smoke.
There's a bit of a summary about 'the bush' in Australian culture at the following page:
http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/bush/

"Bush" is certainly that but I think it is increasingly replacing related terms. A reflection of the increasing urbanisation of Australia.


When I was growing up it did not seem to dominate conversational reference to the wilderness. "bush" was more commonly used in conjunction with other words bush mile, bush ape, bush ranger bush mile

When used it seemed to refer to both rural and wilderness areas.

I recall that other words some general and others more precise were used more frequently. So people spoke of the mulga, scrub, outback, pindan, malee country, never-never and "beyond the black stump".

MInd you this is based on a WA experience and most of the conversations were with country people and city folk of the pre war and immediate post war generation.

As for Lisa's question about including the rainforest as bush, I found a reference to photos on the "The Daintree Bush".

http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn3997786-s51

 

[SouthernCross]

G'day Lisa

The academic in me wants to know, what do Aussies generally mean by bush? do you think of semi arid scrub or would you also refer to rainforest as 'bush'? Do you use it as generally refering to anything outside of 'civilisation' or does it refer to a specific type of landscape?

IMO, that's going to depend on the Aussie you talk to & where they live

If you talk to a city person, they will describe rural areas as "bush".

If you talk to people who live in rural areas, they will describe wilderness areas (ie those areas with no human settlements) as bush.

Words such as the largely American use of the term 'wilderness' have been critisized for the common reference to lands empty of human habitation or untouched by human hands...and yet we now recognise of course that many First Nations peoples live and have lived in these 'wilderness' areas far longer than we have been writing about 'wilderness'! And have shaped the land 'untouched' by humans...just as the Aborigines in Oz...

It comes as a suprise that someone has acknowledged the impact the arrival of humans (Aboriginals) have had on the Australian flora, especially through their use of firestick farming and the resulting selection for fire resistant vegetation.



Kind regards
Mick

 

[lisa]

Thanks so much for your responses...fascinating stuff from the Aussie contingent!