Backbencher

Lecture number four started off with pictures of Sydney. We learned that the building that most people associate with Sydney is the Sydney Opera House. I thought this was cool because I never knew what the building was. Are things such as going to the opera popular in Australia? The lecture when on to talk about sheep stations on the south island, and the failure of miners. I found the section on myth to be the most interesting part of the lecture. Being a religious studies minor, I come into contact with the term, myth, on a regular basis. My religion professor, John Helgeland, says that myth creates the world. A myth is a story about the past that is so true it can only be expressed in story. For example, the story of Adam and Eve is a myth. I really liked how William McNeil thought when he said that mythic stories about the past reveals our idenity. I also found it interesting how historians are defined as discplinarians of myth. The last part of lecture four discussed the role of the convicts in shaping society. We learned who the convicts were, and how they first faired against the harsh conditions. I foud it interesting that Australians like to trace their roots to the convicts. I would have never guesssed that. How are the convicts viewed by Australians? I also really like the song, but i was disappointed when he didn't bust out the guitar.