Australian Weathervanes: Expressions in the Air
An excellent way to learn about a culture is through its architecture. A society’s artistic tastes, styles and traditions are on full display in her buildings. Australia though is a paradox. Its Indigenous Aborigines have the oldest living cultural history on the planet dating back more than 50,000 years, yet there are no structures more than 200 years old.
While Australia may be a newbie to the architectural scene by Eastern or Mid-Eastern standards, she has quickly learned that it provides her citizens with a permanent form of expression. And one of the more unusual ways they let their personalities shine through is with their choice of weathervanes.
Similar to other countries, Oz has its share of ubiquitous roosters atop barns, houses and city halls. We also saw numerous ornaments affixed to spinning compass points that were quintessentially Australian. Yallingup, Western Australia was home to our favorite. This one exudes the palpable Aussie enthusiasm and their love of water sports.