Leisure Essay

The type of leisure activities that Australian individuals partake in is greatly influenced by the climate Australia experiences and the country's geographical layout. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (2006) recognizes that "northern hemisphere continents have a greater temperature contrast between summer and winter" (ABM, 2006) than Australia. This relatively low deviance between seasonal temperatures has greatly influenced the unique leisure culture that Australia has, providing an abundance of opportunities for various leisure activities that are undertaken both indoors and outdoors. As Australia also experiences significantly less yearly average rainfalls than any other continent (AMB, 2006), opportunities to partake in outdoor leisure activities are further increased. Consequently, for many, many years Australians have spent a large portion of their leisure time outdoors, attending sporting events or participating in sporting activities.

During the transition between the 19th century and 20th century, Australia searched for its own identity as a new nation. Even before the federation of the states in the year 1901, sport had already become a convenient vehicle for nourishing a common cause which could unite many people. Over the years, watching and participating in sporting activities has facilitated the development of the societal attitudes, jargon, symbols and views that provide Australia with a unique national identity. Many elite athletes have emerged from Australia to compete in a wide variety of sports at a high level, many winning medals and titles in international competitions, World Championship competitions, and at the Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Games. Sport identities such as Sir Donald Bradman, Dawn Fraser, Cathy Freeman, Shane Warne and Ian Thorpe have been labeled as Ð''legends' and their names are known throughout the country.

Sporting..