Australian folklore refers to the folklore and urban legends that have evolved in Australia from Aboriginal Australian myths to colonial and contemporary folklore including people, places and events, that have played part in shaping the culture, image and traditions that are seen in contemporary Old Australia.

Definitions

Folklore:

1.      The traditional beliefs, myths, tales, and practices of a people, transmitted orally.
2.      The comparative study of folk knowledge and culture.
3.      A body of widely accepted but usually specious notions about a place, a group, or an institution. Intangible culture: Traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts. Traditional cultural expressions (TCEs or TECs), also called 'expressions of folklore': may include music, dance, art, designs, names, signs and symbols, performances, ceremonies, architectural forms, handicrafts and narratives, or many other artistic or cultural expressions.

Collections of Australian Folklore

Australian folklore is preserved as part of The Australian Register Unesco Memory of the World Program and the Oral History and Folklore collection of the National Library of Australia.

Playlore

Australian Children’s Folklore Collection in Museum Victoria, coordinated by Dr June Factor and Dr Gwenda Davey.

Music

John Meredith Folklore Collection 1953-1994, held in the National Library of Australia. Rob and Olya Willis Folklore collection. O'Connor Collection. Scott Collection. Australian Traditional Music Archive. Australian Folk Songs

Dance

Various books on folk dancing in Australia

Spoken word

Warren Fahey Collection. Australian Fairy Tale Society

History of Australian folklore collection

Source:

Ongoing research into Australian folklore

Universities teaching intangible culture – The Australian Folklore Network holds an annual conference, the day before the National Folk Festival in Canberra each Easter. The National Library of Australia sponsors an annual National Folk Fellowship.

Australian Aboriginal mythology

Animals and creatures

Historical events

Art, film, music and literature

People

Places and structures

Socio-political events

Sport

Other