Great Southern Landscapes (ATOM Study Guide)

In this entertaining and illuminating six-part series, Rachel Griffiths heads off across the Australian states and territories in search of the 'X-spot' of iconic Australian landscapes: the exact spot where the artist captured his or her interpretation of our great southern land. Along the way she meets people who unlock the secrets of the story, reveals fascinating socio-political and environmental dramas that were playing out at the time and questions why this landscape has been framed so famously in our imagination.

Each episode celebrates a renowned artist: John Olsen and his breathtaking 1975 aerial image, titled Lake Eyre; Albert Namatjira and his iconic 1954 vista Rutjipma–Mount Sonder; Clarice Beckett’s alluring 1919 pandemic painting of Luna Park; Arthur Streeton’s timeless The Purple Noon’s Transparent Might from 1896; Eugene von Guerard’s time capsule of the landscape of Tower Hill in Victoria in 1855; and Narelle Autio’s 2004 classic beach snapshot, Splash.

Curriculum Links:

This series would be suitable for secondary students at all levels of:

• Australian History
• Geography
• Environmental Studies
• Visual Arts (including landscape studies, photography, colour and design)
• Art History
• Australian History