Writing the Australian beach: Texts, sites, events and people

Australian national identity has a long history of being intrinsically tied with the landscape. The Australian beach is a popular tourist destination, a part of the everyday life of many residents and an iconic symbol of international significance. Considering the ongoing influence of key Australian authors with wide international readerships who regularly write about the beach, as well as the prominence of the beach in a range of other cultural texts, including television, film and advertising, it is clear that the beach—as site, image and idea—continues to play a significant role in Australian culture. This chapter establishes the context of this edited collection, outlines its theoretical framework, and introduces its contributions.